April 2014
Dear Coalition Partners and Friends:
Happy Earth Day!
As you celebrate today, I hope you all have an opportunity to get outside and enjoy Pennsylvania’s beautiful outdoors. Visit a park or playgroud. Fish or sit by a stream. Walk, bike, or hike a trail.
It is because of your efforts — and the hard work of the Growing Greener Coalition members and supporters— that our state is the most beautiful state in the nation.
Enjoy it!
In other news, in case you missed it, earlier this year Governor Corbett announced a plan to invest more than $200 million in state parks and forests. The initiative, called Enhance Penn’s Woods, will support critical state park and forest development projects over a two-year period.
In addition to supporting much needed improvements to state parks and forests, this funding will offer a boost to local economies, and provide numerous other benefits.
Among the projects slated for investment are dam repairs at state parks in Cameron, Chester, Warren, Crawford and Monroe counties, updates to fire towers in forests statewide, 17 drinking water or wastewater system projects and the addition of 20,000 acres to the state forest system.
Earlier this month, DCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti gathered with local legislators and officials from the North Branch Land Trust and Earth Conservancy to announce another Enhance Penn’s Woods initiative: a $4 million grant that will expand the Lackawanna State Forest to include Mocanaqua Mountain.
The Coalition looks forward to working with DCNR and state officials as the Penn’s Woods work progresses.
In other news, the Coalition is renewing its fundraising efforts to ensure that we are able to successfully advocate for land, water, and historic preservation, along with recreational opportunities for Pennsylvanians not just now but for generations to come.
Over the coming months, we will be soliciting support from local foundations and corporations and reaching out to our base of dedicated individual supporters, like you.
Please be on the look out for a request from us, and remember the fact that your gift will have a huge impact on the Coalition and our success advocating for strong funding programs in Pennsylvania.
If you would like to make a donation now, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 717.824.2281
I want to thank the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society for inviting me to present at their annual conference this spring. I am always grateful for opportunities to discuss the work of the Growing Greener Coalition and to educate organizations on access preservation dollars and advocate for continued funding.
Finally, I am looking forward to participating in the 12th Annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference from May 1-3rd at the Crowne Plaza in Reading, Pennsylvania organized by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA). PALTA has been an active and valuable member of the Coalition for years and I am excited to participate in the Advocacy session being held on May 2nd.
Many thanks to all of you for your ongoing support. Don’t forget to stay connected to the Coalition via Facebook and Twitter!
Sincerely,
Andrew Heath
