Rep. David Levdansky Opposes Budget Deal

Rep. Levdansky noted unlike most public policy decisions made by the General Assembly, if leasing was allowed to go ahead, the impact would be irrevocable. "If we make a mistake on this, the damages and the consequences will last and haunt us forever."
He said the professionals at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources should be allowed to make the decisions on how much and when State Forest land should be leased, not the General Assembly.
Rep. Levdansky said the group of legislators who share this concern "are big enough to get the attention (of Leadership)." He noted two years ago a similar group of legislators and environmental groups successfully opposed taking $40 million from the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund to support the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program which did not have its own funding source. (Pa Environment Digest 7/13/07)
Click here to read article on event.
Other speakers at the event--
Rep. Greg Vitali
Jan Jarrett, PennFuture
Jeff Saunders, Pa Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
Kathy Davis, Quality Deer Management
Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of PA.

Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of PA, Opposes Budget Deal

Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of PA, said the state's recent investments in projects like PA Wilds which uses our rich natural resources for recreation and tourism will be wasted if the resource we depend on is destroyed.
"Our State Forests should be managed to benefit all Pennsylvanians and that includes extracting resources in ways that are compatible with sound environmental stewardship," said Swank. Click here to read article on event.
Other speakers at the event--
Rep. Greg Vitali
Jan Jarrett, PennFuture
Rep. David Levdansky, Majority Chair of the House Finance Committee
Jeff Saunders, Pa Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
Kathy Davis, Quality Deer Management

Kathy Davis, Quality Deer Management, Opposes Budget Deal

Kathy Davis, a biologist and representative for Quality Deer Management, asked, "How rich will we be when we've converted all of our forests, all our soil, all our water resources and minerals into cash?" if we destroy the environment in the process, just like we've done in the past. Click here to read article on event.
Other speakers at the event--
Rep. Greg Vitali
Jan Jarrett, PennFuture
Rep. David Levdansky, Majority Chair of the House Finance Committee
Jeff Saunders, Pa Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania

Jeff Saunders, PA Federation of Sportsmen's Club, Opposes Budget Deal

Jeff Saunders, PA Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, strongly supported the severance tax on natural gas production and denounced the tax on small games of chance which help support local hunting and fishing clubs.
He said severance tax funds should be directed to support the Fish and Boat Commission and the Game Commission to improve the financial stability of these wildlife resource agencies. Click here to read article on event.
Other speakers at the event--
Rep. Greg Vitali
Jan Jarrett, PennFuture
Rep. David Levdansky, Majority Chair of the House Finance Committee
Kathy Davis, Quality Deer Management
Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania

Jan Jarrett, PennFuture, Opposes Budget Deal

Jan Jarrett, PennFuture, said in spite of the Governor's assertion there were no winners or losers in this year's budget, she said the winners were the natural gas companies and the losers are forest lands and taxpayers. She added, "We have an incumbent responsibility to protect our public resources from being overused for gas drilling." Click here to read article on event.
Other speakers at the event--
Rep. Greg Vitali
Rep. David Levdansky, Majority Chair of the House Finance Committee
Jeff Saunders, PA Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
Kathy Davis, Quality Deer Management
Judy Swank, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania

Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society

Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society, said the two very best things in Pennsylvania are the State Parks and Forests and while the state did an excellent job in creating the system, it has not provided adequate operation and maintenance funding.
Griffith also expressed concern about the potential impact of leasing thousands of acres of State Forest land for natural gas drilling saying the drilling has the potential to pollute local landscapes and water sources. He recommended the state adopt a natural gas severance tax, rather than accelerate leasing to provide revenue to environmental programs.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Click here for more information.

Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, said tax money spent on forests and parks is money spent wisely because they help protect water supplies and water quality.
She noted the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council has called for the preservation of 83,000 acres of forest land in the Pennsylvania portion of the Bay watershed by 2020, but with the cuts proposed in the state budget, Pennsylvania risks rolling back years of progress for short term economic gain.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.

Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy

Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy, said her group has been instrumental in creating some of the state's largest State Parks with the help of millions of dollars in private donations.
She called the State Park system the crown jewels of the state noting Pennsylvania's 117 State Parks, 2.1 million acres of State Forest land and 35.5 million annual visitors yield more than $656 million in economic value to the state's economy.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.

Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA

Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, said State Parks and Forests have a significant impact on the quality of life for state residents and make Pennsylvania attractive for businesses seeking to relocate to the state.
Schwank noted programs like the Conservation Landscape Initiative by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources leverage natural resources in entire regions for economic development and tourism. "Investments in State Parks and Forest pay big dividends," said Schwank.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.

Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association

Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association, said there are 3,000 miles of hiking trails in Pennsylvania used by some 3.5 million hikers every year.
"Hiking trails are in danger, in particular due to the leasing of State Forest land for natural gas drilling," said Ashenfelter because they break up the forest land with four acre drilling sites.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.

Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy

Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, said recreation facilities like rails-to-trails projects have real economic value to their communities.
"The Oil Heritage Region in Northwest Pennsylvania realizes an economic impact of more than $4 million per year from rails-to-trails," said Tomes. "Our recent survey of the Pine Creek Rail Rail in Northcentral Pennsylvania, indicates the valley enjoys an estimated $5 million in additional revenue from rail users. Current surveys of the Great Allegheny Passage indicate the economic impact for that region could be as much as $20 million per year."
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.

Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University

Professor Andy Mowen, Penn State University, said the mental and physical health benefits from outdoor recreation are well documented in national and state studies along with the ability of nearby recreation facilities to reduce obesity and promote physical activity, especially with children.
Other speakers at the event include:
Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests Foundation
Patricia Tomes, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Curt Ashenfelter, Keystone Trails Association
Judith Schwank, 10,000 Friends of PA
Cynthia Carrow, Western PA Conservancy
Donna Morelli, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Robert Griffith, PA Recreation and Parks Society
Click here for more information.