PA Environment Digest Daily Blog: 2024

Nominations Now Being Accepted For 2025 Pennsylvania River Of The Year

Pennsylvania organizations are invited to nominate waterways for the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year. The nomination period is open through November 11.

Selected nominations will then be voted on by the public beginning in late November.

The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) administers the River of the Year program with funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Pennsylvania"s River of the Year is an honor designed to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements. River of the Year designations have been presented annually since 1983.

Once a river is selected, the local host will organize a year-long series of events and activities to celebrate the river, including the popular River of the Year Sojourn.

The nominating organization of the winning river will receive a $10,000 leadership grant to help fund these River of the Year activities.

All Pennsylvania waterways are eligible for nomination except those from the past five years

“Each year, the River of the Year competition highlights one of Pennsylvania"s special waterways, and I'm excited to announce that we are again partnering with the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers to accept nominations for the 2025 competition,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Our beautiful rivers and streams support Pennsylvania's $17 billion-dollar outdoor recreation industry, provide habitat for wildlife, and anchor communities. I look forward to this year"s competition and can"t wait to see what the public selects as the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year.”

"POWR is thrilled to announce the opening of the nomination period for the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year! This highly anticipated program shines a spotlight on the Commonwealth"s treasured waterways," said POWR representative Janet Sweeney. "We look forward to another opportunity for Pennsylvanians to support their favorite rivers in a friendly competition across the state.".

Click Here to submit a nomination (bottom of page). Click Here to learn more about the program.

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and help available to community-based watershed organizations, visit the PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers website. Follow them on Facebook.

[Posted: October 7, 2024] PA Environment Digest

Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 10.2.24

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House Voting Schedule

-- October 2, 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, 23

-- November 12, 13

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

-- October [canceled - 2], 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, 23

-- November 13, 14

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

October 8-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 12:30 p.m. Visit Council webpage for options on joining the meeting remotely. Contact: Ian Irvin, Executive Director, iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329. Read more here on agenda.

October 10-- Agenda Posted. DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:15 a.m. Visit the Committee webpage for options on joining the meeting remotely. Contact: Joseph Martini martjos@pa.gov. [Note: New Federal Oil & Gas Methane Reduction Rule On Agenda] Read more here on agenda.

-- House Environmental Committee Moves Solar Energy Facility Decommissioning Best Practices; Food Processing Waste Bills [PaEN]

-- WITF StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Solar Energy Companies Would Need Plan For Eventual Cleanup Under Bill In State House

-- Stroud Water Research Center Receives $141,000 Grant From Green Mountain Energy Sun Club For New 55-Kilowatt Rooftop Solar Energy System [PaEN]

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Oct. 16 In-Person Program In Waynesburg, Greene County On Protecting Public Health, Resources From Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council Will Start Accepting Applications Oct. 21 For Protect Your Drinking Water Grants In Southeast PA Funded By Aqua Pennsylvania [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: EPA Issues New Order For MAX Environmental Hazardous Waste Landfill Over Stream Pollution In Yukon, Westmoreland County

-- PA Resources Council, Allegheny County Host Final Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events This Year On Oct. 5 & 26 [PaEN]

-- Conservation District Invites Pike County Citizen Scientists To Participate In Study Of Microplastics [PaEN]

-- Food Processing: Keystone Potato Products Takes Sustainability To New Levels In Schuylkill County

-- LancasterOnline Letter: Remembering The Reality Of Fracking - Doing It Safely Or The Wild West - Not For Or Against - By Bruce Riefenstahl, Mount Joy

-- WHYY: Wilmington’s Hagley Museum Using Historic Dams Along Brandywine River To Get Off Electric Grid

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Nuclear Energy Growing, But Power Demand Still A Problem

-- Marcellus Drilling News: PJM, Other Electric Grid Operators File Brief In Lawsuit Against EPA Gas-Fired Power Plant Regulation [PDF of Article] [PJM, et al Brief]

-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly News: Tips For Handling Yard Waste In Quarantined Areas; How To Protect Your Business; Online Learning Opportunities

-- Altoona Mirror: Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, PA Interfaith Power & Light Volunteers Prepare To Give Away 4,500+ Native Plants Requested By Individuals

-- LancasterOnline: New Holland Breaks Ground On Community Butterfly Garden

-- Penn State Extension Home Garden News: Fall Garden Care For Pollinators; Not-So-Nice Native Plants; Spooktacular Flora And Fungi

-- Public Comments Invited On Draft Juniata River Watershed Conservation Plan By Western PA Conservancy [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy, Partners Invite Residents Of French Creek Watershed To Comment On Conservation Plan At Oct 22 Meeting In Saegertown, Crawford County [PaEN]

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Look What’s Coming To New Susquehanna Riverlands, Big Elk, Vosburg Neck State Parks

-- BikeOut: One Day Ride - Explore Delaware River Towns Oct. 19

-- Echo-Pilot - Brian Whipkey: House Committee Advances Sunday Hunting Legislation, Votes Down Change To Rifle Deer Opener

-- Slippery Rock University Installs Deer Exclosures To Educate People About The Effects Of Overgrazing In Forests

Hurricane Helene Impacts

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Helene Should Be A Siren For Pittsburgh - Get Prepared For More Extreme Weather

-- Tribune-Democrat: Johnstown Firefighters Collecting Goods To Benefit North Carolina Storm Victims

-- WNEP: Local Businesses Going To Work To Help Helene Relief

Oil & Gas - National Debate

-- The Energy Age Blog: JD Vance: ‘Solution’ To Climate Change Is To Unleash More Fracking

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Restart

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Nuclear Energy Growing, But Power Demand Still A Problem

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Restart Signals Hope For Jobs, Power Grid And PA’s Future - By Rep. Tom Mehaffie

-- US Energy Information Administration: Data Center Owners Turn To Nuclear As Potential Electricity Source

-- Utility Dive: US DOE, USDA Announce Over $2.8 Billion For 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Restart In Michigan To Benefit 2 Electric Cooperatives

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- Bloomberg: LNG Gas Traders Choose To Pay Penalties For Not Shipping Gas To Germany To Chase Higher Profits In Asia

-- Reuters: Natural Gas Producer EQT To Lay Off 15% Of Workforce

Other States/National/International

-- The Guardian: EPA PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Drinking Water Standard Under Attack From Drinking Water Utilities

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- AP: Luzerne County Manager Sued Over Plans To End Use Of Drop Boxes For Mail-In Ballots

-- WNEP: Boulders Used As Security Measure Outside Building Housing Luzerne County Election Bureau

-- KDKA: PA Dept. Of State Warns Rainy Weather May Mean Mail-In Ballot Return Envelopes Might Already Be Sealed - Call Your County For Assistance

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports September Tax Collections $33.7 Million Less Than Anticipated; Year-To-Date $20.2 Million Above Governor’s Estimates

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports September Tax Revenues $38 Million More Than IFO Estimates; Year-To-Date $199 Million Over IFO Estimates

-- PA Capital-Star: Exonerees Ask Lawmakers To Pass Bill To Provide State Compensation For Wrongfully Convicted

-- AG Henry: 2 Former Penn State University Students Sentenced For Roles In 2017 Fraternity Hazing Death; 2 to 4 Months In Prison With Work Release Eligibility

-- TribLive: Electronic Monitoring Of Potentially Dangerous People Under Protection From Abuse Orders - Why Aren’t They Doing It Now?

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Who Needs A Circus When You Can Watch End-Of-Session Lobbying At PA Capitol-- Giant IUD To Pink Milkshakes

-- Warren Times - Josh Cotton: Grassroots Effort - Informational Meeting Held For New Refugee Resettlement Nonprofit

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[Posted: October 2, 2024] PA Environment Digest

Public Comments Invited On Draft Juniata River Watershed Conservation Plan By Western PA Conservancy

The Western PA Conservancy invites residents of the Juniata River Watershed to comment on the draft Juniata River Watershed Conservation Plan that covers 3,400 square miles in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder and Somerset counties.

The Juniata watershed’s tributaries provide habitat for numerous fish and aquatic species as well as recreational opportunities such as swimming, paddling and fly fishing.

Home to several state forests, state parks and state game lands, much of the land in the watershed is forested, providing abundant habitat for birds, wildlife and plants, including several rare and endangered plant species.

The plan highlights the resources found within the Juniata River Watershed and highlights conservation achievements implemented in the past 25 years.

The draft Juanita Forward - Building On 25 Years Of Conservation serves as a reference and educational tool promoting the conservation of natural resources, monitoring and improvement of water quality, and advocating sound community-planning practices.

Recommendations identified in this plan are not enforceable by any agency.

Implementation of this plan is the responsibility of the entire watershed community, and depends upon cooperation and collaboration among many different organizations.

The goal of this plan is to develop a strategy to make the vision for the watershed a reality. Practical solutions and action steps were suggested, and resources were identified to support implementation.

This plan can be used to assist groups and citizens working and/or living within the watershed with obtaining funding and other resources to fulfill the vision set forth for the area.

Development of the draft plan began in 2021 and is built on a strong foundation of public involvement.

Anyone wishing to provide public comment can submit comments directly to Jennifer Farabaugh at jfarabaugh@paconserve.org or 814-696-9356. The deadline for comments is October 31.

Visit WPC’s Juniata Watershed Plan webpage for more information.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin. Click Here to support their work.