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Budget Wrap-Up

In the depths of winter, the Administration proposed repurposing the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund and the Environmental Stewardship Fund (ESF): $30 million of Keystone Fund monies that would normally be invested in on-the-ground projects would instead be redirected to pay for the general operations of DCNR. Likewise, $16 million of ESF monies would be repurposed to pay for general operations at DEP and other agencies.

In the ensuing months, many of us worked to educate the Administration, senators, and representatives on what a bad proposal this was. Thank you to all who acted. You made a difference in the 2019-2020 state budget.

However, we have a lot of challenging work ahead of us. Here’s a summary of the budget outcomes:

  • The Keystone Fund was left untouched.
  • The Environmental Stewardship Fund was whacked:
    • $16 million for project investments were redirected to pay for government operations in 2019-2020.
    • The fiscal code included an amendment to the ESF’s enabling act so that the General Assembly can also take money in future budget years without having to go to the trouble of amending the ESF’s enabling act like it did this year; this greases the skids for future trouble. The temptation will now be stronger to push government operating expenses into the ESF in future budget years.

There are other items—good and bad:

  • The REAP tax credit gets a $3 million boost to help farmers put in place best management practices to protect waterways.
  • Once again, a large portion ($38 million) of the Oil and Gas Lease Fund was tapped to fund general DCNR operations. This may be unconstitutional, but the courts will have to resolve that. (The courts could find that all Oil and Gas Lease Fund money, which is the income the state receives from leasing State Forest land for drilling, must be reinvested directly into the public lands affected by the drilling.)
  • $2.25 million that was previously provided to Heritage Areas out of general tax dollars will now be paid out of ESF.
  • The Budget Secretary was given the power to redirect up to $45 million of each special fund (Keystone and ESF are just two of many special funds in state government) to pay for DEP and DCNR operations. Although the Governor’s office tells us that no such redirection is contemplated for Keystone and ESF, we will have to be perpetually on guard against changes in thinking.
  • The amendment to SB 575 promoted by the Growing Greener Coalition, which would have permanently relieved the ESF from paying debt service (presently $20 million annually) on Growing Greener 2 bonds, was not considered.

(For a more detailed look at environmental spending in the budget, check out David Hess’s PA Environment Digest Blog.)

So, what does $16 million in lost ESF project investments cost Pennsylvania? $16 million could have been used to:

  • Install 32,000 acres of riparian forest buffer to clean up our streams and rivers; or
  • Restore to life 51 miles of streams harmed by abandoned mine drainage; or
  • Permanently protect 5333 acres of productive farmland—67 80-acre farms; or
  • Take any number of other measures to improve our water quality, reduce flooding, protect wildlife, or create outdoor recreational opportunities.

The Environmental Stewardship Fund was established to fund projects that make lasting improvements in communities. Among its other activities, the Growing Greener Coalition will work in the coming months to refocus the Administration’s and legislators’ attention on this purpose. The Coalition will also work to communicate on the big picture issue that elected officials are ignoring $100s of millions in conservation investment needs.

Again, thank you to all who advocated for the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund and the Environmental Stewardship Fund this year. Best wishes for this summer season.

Sincerely

Andrew M. Loza
Executive Committee member, Growing Greener Coalition
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Land Trust Association

Growing Greener Coalition Receives Bipartisan Support from Legislators

Several state senators and representatives held a press conference this morning alongside the Growing Greener Coalition to support a $50 million funding investment into the Growing Greener III program.

Rep. Alex Charlton (R–Delaware) began by issuing his support for Growing Greener III and urging Rep. John Maher (R–Allegheny), the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee chairman, to schedule a vote through his committee for SB 799, which was introduced by Sen. Rich Alloway (R–Franklin).

“Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air, pure water, and conservation of our natural resources,” said Rep. Charlton, who expressed that scheduling the SB 799 vote would secure those continued rights for future generations. Rep. Charlton noted that Growing Greener has helped Pennsylvania’s communities in addressing critical environmental priorities, which include conserving land and water resources, restoring damaged waterways and lands, and creating prosperous and sustainable communities. Rep. Charlton urged the General Assembly to commit $50 million annually to help support these priority initiatives and leverage federal matching dollars that Pennsylvania currently does not receive. Rep. Charlton made note of HB 2485, the companion bill to SB 799, which has 109 sponsors in the House, including himself.

Larry Williamson, chairman of the Growing Greener Coalition, expressed the efforts his group has been making for almost a decade to achieve a fully funded Growing Greener III program. A fully funded program would cost $300 million annually to address the conservation, recreation, and preservation projects and programs needed throughout Pennsylvania, said Williamson. While a fully funded program may not be currently possible within the budget, added Williamson, the $50 million down payment for this year would offer immediate support to the coalition’s programs. “With the down payment, the General Assembly will take an important step in improving the quality of life of all Pennsylvanians, especially future generations,” said Williamson.

Sen. Tom Killion (R–Delaware) recognized that the budget would not be able to include the full $300 million needed to fully fund the Growing Greener III program, but encouraged others to offer bipartisan support to fund the $50 million down payment investment along with his bill, SB 705. “There’s no argument, no argument at all about the success of Growing Greener I and Growing Greener II. The problem is they’re out of funds,” added Sen. Killion.

Rep. Rob Matzie (D–Beaver) opened, “safeguarding our land, our water, and natural resources is essential to maintaining a healthy and thriving economy.” Rep. Matzie noted that his focus is on three main areas of importance to western Pennsylvania, which includes abandoned mine restoration, brownfield reclamation, and historical preservation. “Growing Greener has proved that a smart, commonsense investment in our environment can yield economic benefits and spur job growth”, said Rep. Matzie.

Sen. Tom McGarrigle (R–Delaware) pushed that “Growing Greener is one of the greatest success stories to come out of this General Assembly,” while noting the bipartisan commitment involved in creating a better environment and economy because of this program. Sen. McGarrigle discussed how there has been a decline in Growing Greener funding, even though the need for clean water, parks, trails, and other recreational opportunities continues to increase.

Rep. Hal English (R–Allegheny) highlighted that his support for Growing Greener III stems from his family’s love and appreciation for Pennsylvania’s outdoors and precious resources that they developed when they first moved to the Commonwealth in 1991. “We just need to preserve it, and we need to protect it, and we need to work and start by getting some funding to continue Growing Greener III,” added Rep. English.

 

By Derek Snyder (Pennsylvania Legislative Services)

John Dawes Op-Ed: Renew Conservation Commitment

Pennsylvania House leaders have an opportunity to honor and advance the constitutional right of Pennsylvanians to clean air, pure water and the conservation of our public resources by scheduling a vote on Senate Bill 799, which, if appropriately funded, would reinvigorate the state’s successful Growing Greener program.

In 1999, the General Assembly passed the first Growing Greener program. This and subsequent initiatives have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in projects to restore polluted waterways, protect water supplies, conserve productive farmland and open space important to communities, improve community and state parks and forests and trails and other advancements.

While these investments have been tremendously effective and successful, new challenges threaten Pennsylvania’s natural resources. SB 799, if coupled with new state funding commitments to Growing Greener, would address these challenges. A renewed Growing Greener would deliver real, tangible, and lasting benefits to all Pennsylvanians.

Growing Greener has and will continue to empower our communities to address critical environmental priorities in three key areas:

  •  Conserving land and water resources.
  • Restoring damaged waterways and land.
  • Creating prosperous and sustainable communities.

More than $300 million in annual Growing Greener project investments have been identified as needed to address Pennsylvania’s needs for environmental restoration and conservation. Although this number may not be attainable now, the General Assembly could make a reasonable down payment by committing $50 million more to Growing Greener annually — less than $4 for every resident of the commonwealth.

In making this down payment, the General Assembly would also leverage federal matching dollars, which Pennsylvania otherwise would miss out on.

The bill passed the Senate by a 47-2 vote at the end of January and now sits in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee chaired by Rep. John Maher. A companion to SB 799 in the General Assembly’s lower chamber has 109 sponsors representing more than one-half of the body’s 203 members.

Maher enjoys complete discretion over what legislation his committee considers. We hope that he and House Speaker Mike Turzai recognize the tremendous good that Growing Greener has done for Pennsylvania. They can lead the General Assembly in injecting new life into Growing Greener and do their part to uphold our state constitution, which affirms that Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come.

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This op-ed was published in The Times–Tribune on June 14. View it here.