Funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund helps protect wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and preserve open space for Pennsylvanians to enjoy. But those benefits could disappear if Congress doesn’t vote to reauthorize the Fund by September 30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4ZYaSKIkoY&t=1sVideo...
Without congressional reauthorization, the Land and Water Conservation Fund will expire on September 30. What would that mean for Pennsylvania? And what can we do about it? Links Map: LWCF sites in Pennsylvania Outdoor Industry Association Audio Outdoorist (OIA...
We all know someone who is passionate about a trail, waterway or another asset in the community. They work so hard at making it a reality, usually without asking for their name to be part of the process. That’s why,...
Blairsville, PA has all the makings of a vibrant trail town — the only thing missing is a bridge connection to nearby trail networks. Now, after more than 20 years of planning, it’s about to become a reality. https://youtu.be/u8U5MlnCazMVideo can’t...
Pennsylvania is getting ready to tackle the next phase of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, with a new emphasis on getting things done at the county level. But will it be enough to get us back on track after a disappointing...
You’ve heard of rails-to-trails… why not rails and trails? NEPA Trails Forum takes a ride on the historic Stourbridge Line through the northern Poconos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Cxl2jls9M&t=2sVideo can’t be loaded: Ticket to Ride (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Cxl2jls9M&t=2s)
In 1912, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company’s Liberty Bell trolley connected Norristown and Philadelphia with Allentown. By the 1950s, passengers catching the Liberty Bell in Allentown could reach Norristown in two hours after rolling (sometimes at 80 miles per hour)...
If you care about public lands, outdoor recreation, community parks, protecting natural lands, clean water, and preserving heritage areas, you need to know about the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And, more importantly, you need to let...
The Wilds are calling! So are the Poconos, the Laurel Highlands, the D&L Trail, Lake Erie’s shorelines, Lake Wallenpaupack, the Schuylkill River Trail, the Three Rivers, and everywhere else in Pennsylvania that gives you the opportunity to get out. Why...
On this episode: how the Super Bowl LII Champion Philadelphia Eagles became the greenest team in pro sports, plus news from the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape. Links: Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape 2018 Philadelphia Environmental Partnership Dinner Philadelphia Eagles...
A deep dive into Pennsylvania’s new alternative utility ratemaking law, and a visit to the soon-to-reopen Climax Tunnel on Clarion County’s Redbank Valley Trail. Links: Video: Tunnel Vision Climax Tunnel Opening Celebration PA Environment Daily: Alternative Utility Ratemaking Bill...
The Climax Tunnel was built in the 1870s and remained in use by the Allegheny Valley Railroad until 2010, when the 51-mile Driftwood Low-Grade Corridor was acquired and transformed into a multi-use trail. The years had not been kind. The...
The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has received national recognition for the work of its Trails Advisory Committee. A conversation with committee chair Andy Hamilton, and news about DCNR’s plans for confronting climate change, on this episode. Links:...
On Saturday, May 12, seventy teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland and as far away as South Africa, Israel and England, raised binoculars in NJ Audubon’s 35th annual World Series of Birding (WSB). What a day it...
Technology is a powerful tool, but it’s not enough to confront the most complex environmental challenges — you also need foresight, strategy, cooperation, patience, and above all, leadership. Jared Cohon has exemplified all of these qualities and more during his...
He returned March 19 and she returned on the 24th. And with that, the 22nd nesting season of our resident osprey pair began. This pair is emblematic of the conservation success story of the species. But they also hold a...
Every spring, PEC and Dominion Energy honor organizations and individuals from western Pennsylvania who are leading the way on environmental innovation and stewardship in their communities. This year an independent panel of expert judges reviewed dozens of nominations, ultimately awarding...
The site of an archaeological dig in Lycoming County becomes a vibrant community park with help from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. Another success story to mark the Keystone Fund’s 25th anniversary, and a chat with PEC’s new...
A trail experience to a cyclist or hiker should be seamless, continuous. Yet the process of trail development is anything but. It’s messy, involving years of conceptual planning, obtaining right-of-way either by acquisition or access easement, engineering design, and construction....
Author and advocate Richard Louv has been writing for years about the connection between human health and our relationship to the outdoors. He joins us with a preview of his upcoming Philadelphia appearance as part of Tookany-Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership’s “Nature...
Since its inception in 1993, the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund has made possible the creation or improvement of thousands of community assets – everything from trails and green space to libraries and historic sites. In honor of the...
Spring and summer are a great time to get out and explore the outdoors, or to tackle a project that will help preserve or enhance natural and recreational resources in your community. The middle of winter is… a great time...
Those who know me are not surprised when they learn that my path to PEC and the conservation sector was sparked by my love of birds. Some might call it an obsession, but that’s a story for another day. 2018...
Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan is taking shape. But how will the city achieve its vision of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by mid-century? PEC’s Lindsay Baxter, who authored the original version of the plan in 2008, joins us. Also:...
After months of training in state and county parks around central Pennsylvania, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is ready for the grueling Spartan World Championship obstacle race next month in Reykjavik, Iceland. We talk with Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog about the...
I’ve been trekking in various vessels on the Delaware River since 2000, and never before have I learned so much as I did late last month when I joined the Upstream Alliance (aka Don Baugh and family) on a 3-day...
In early October, a group of 18 appointed citizen members of the Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council (CNRAC) spent three days touring the region known for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. Drawing from diverse experiences and perspectives, council members...
With more than a million visitors a year, the Great Allegheny Passage is one of Pennsylvania’s biggest trail development success stories. A group of state and local government officials rode the GAP this fall, along with community and business leaders...
To build 500 miles of the Circuit by 2025, we need to accelerate the build “rate” of trails. Illustrating how this is a collaboration amongst Circuit Trails partners, this week Julie Slavet, Robin Irizarry, and Frankie Lazauskas of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF) led...
The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is providing muscle for scores of recreation and conservation projects statewide. But the program is also doing something else that’s arguably even more important: cultivating a diverse new generation of citizen-stewards and future conservation professionals. DCNR...
Lawmakers took another step this week toward what would be the biggest reduction in state funding for local environment and energy projects in Pennsylvania history. We’ll get an update from the state capitol. Then, fall foliage season is getting off...
It was a mix of business suits and biking shorts at the Marilla Center in Morgantown, West Virginia, where the Industrial Heart Land Coalition (IHTC) held its quarterly meeting on Thursday, August, 24th. Trail representatives from Parkersburg to the PA Wilds...
It was a mix of business suits and biking shorts at the Marilla Center in Morgantown, West Virginia, where the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (IHTC) held its quarterly meeting on Thursday, August, 24th. Trail representatives from Parkersburg to the PA Wilds...
What’s the connection between kayaking, the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, and David Bowie? The Mon River Towns initiative and Venture Outdoors co-hosted the Rebel Rebel Float Trip on August 6th, 2017. The outing received funding through the Pennsylvania River Sojourn Program...
When the Pennsylvania Water Trails Partnership released its Strategic Plan for the Water Trails Program in 2016, it recommended the development of new funding opportunities for water trail managers across the State. To that end, PEC worked closely with DCNR,...
Led by local volunteers and guided by a new toolkit PEC helped to create, the four-year-old Schuylkill River Town Program is about to enter an exciting new phase. Launched in 2013, the program initially focused on Conshohocken, Norristown, and Phoenixville,...
Along its 47-mile journey to the Allegheny River, Oil Creek winds through the heart of Pennsylvania’s historic Oil Region, birthplace of the commercial oil industry. Here, the world’s first large-scale petroleum production operations began shortly after the discovery of vast crude oil reserves along the Oil...
June is budget month in Harrisburg, and that means a year’s worth of fiscal numbers and news come to a head through many different moving parts. While 2017 is a different year, we are again faced with daunting numbers and...
Ride along with the cyclists and support team on the 2017 PEC Environment Ride. https://youtu.be/BVKhC2HyOCUVideo can’t be loaded: PEC Rides Again (https://youtu.be/BVKhC2HyOCU)
This morning the Board of Commissioners of Montgomery County officially proclaimed their support for completing 500 miles of Circuit Trails by 2025. Montgomery County is a trail leader with the most miles of Circuit Trails completed and is home to...
PEC staff were among more than 600 trail professionals from 17 countries and 41 states gathered in Dayton, Ohio May 7-10 for the 2017 International Trails Symposium. https://youtu.be/INR1DovtsX8Video can’t be loaded: 2017 International Trails Symposium (https://youtu.be/INR1DovtsX8)
Students in the University of Scranton’s “Extreme Physiology” program learn about the physiological effects of different training environments by experiencing them firsthand. A new four-week summer course offering has participants hiking, biking, and paddling through the often rugged terrain of northeastern Pennsylvania to earn elective credits in...
The Montour Woods Conservation Area outside Pittsburgh is a time capsule, studded with remnants of the area’s agricultural and industrial past. It’s also part of the pathway to a future when public parks and greenspaces across the region will be...
A 250-foot gap in Carbon County has been holding back the Delaware & Lehigh Trail for years, earning a spot on DCNR’s top-ten list of critical trail gaps statewide… until now. Wednesday’s groundbreaking brought the 25-year planning phase of the...
Building a Destination Trails are community assets that attract people to visit our region and make it easier for residents to be active for recreation and exercise. They provide views of scenic river expanses and dramatic cliff faces, offering city-dwellers...
Little by little, Philadelphia is building a 750-mile regional trail system. As the Circuit Trails Coalition celebrates spring with new trail openings, we get to know one of the many small groups that are accomplishing big things by working together....
The state’s Conservation Landscapes program is poised to expand in 2017 with the creation of a new landscape area in western PA. We’ll learn about the new “Glacier’s Edge” landscape from program manager Marla Papernick on this week’s show.
Our 2017 preview series continues with a focus on trails. This week, Davitt Woodwell looks at the year ahead with PEC program manager for trails & recreation Frank Maguire.
Today, 35 people stood for an hour in 20 degree cold to celebrate the completion of another 1200 feet (.25 miles) of the Circuit Trails! Crazy? Maybe, but I’d say you know you’re on a roll when municipal officials and...
The effort to build a 1,300-mile trail memorializing the September 11 attacks could take a big step forward with up to $100,000 in funding from NRG Energy — and you can help secure it with your vote in the NRG Gives...
This week’s guest is Hannah Hardy, Chief of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention at the Allegheny County Health Department.
This week’s guest is Cathy McCollom, Principal of McCollom Development Strategies.
This week’s Pennsylvania Legacies podcast features Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President of PEC.
This week’s guest is Mary Ellen Ramage, borough Manager of Etna Borough.
Kiara Vaughn, a law student at the University of Pennsylvania, joins the Pennsylvania Legacies podcast. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast series.
Gabi Hughes, an environmental educator at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, joins the podcast to discuss what led her to environmental education, her experience in the profession, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast’s first...
Elena Meth, an environmental studies/sociology and anthropology double major at Denison University joins the podcast to discuss how she developed her passion for the environment, her collegiate studies, the next generation of environmental stewards, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room...
PEC provides an inside look at the 2016 Eastern Pennsylvania Greenways & Trails Summit in Bethlehem, Pa. A two-day event from Sept. 14-15, the Summit featured speakers, mobile workshops, and numerous breakout sessions on various greenways and trails topics. Click here...
Andy Hamilton, Mid Atlantic Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway, Vice Chair of the September 11 National Memorial Trail Board, and Chair of DCNR’s Trail Advisory Committee joins the podcast to discuss Pennsylvania trail projects. Hamilton highlights work on the...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette environmental reporter Don Hopey joins the podcast to discuss the state of environmental journalism, how he got started in the industry, and much more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast’s first three episodes featuring PEC’s John...
Carol Collier, Senior Advisor for Watershed policy and management at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, joins the podcast to discuss initiatives taking place on the Delaware River and her work at Drexel, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio...
When it comes to PEC’s work in trail development, bridging trail gaps is at the core of our mission. Aug. 19 was an important day as PEC was able to celebrate the hard work and cooperation of many people in...
Lawrence County Commissioner Steve Craig joins the podcast to discuss the county’s development, planning issues and how they’ve evolved over the last 20 years, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast’s first episode featuring John Walliser,...
Hiking along the Frost Hollow Trail in Lackawanna State Park my husband Terry and I found ourselves discussing ways to attract the region’s college students to the enriching outdoor opportunities available in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Terry, Professor and Chair of the...
In our continuing efforts to increase environmental and conservation stewardship across the Commonwealth, PEC is pleased to present our first podcast series (the term “PEC-Cast” has even been suggested). Titled “Pennsylvania Legacies,” these conversations, hosted by Davitt Woodwell, are meant...
PEC staff works with numerous partners across the state to help build local stewards for Pennsylvania’s varied natural resources including land and water trails, forests, and watersheds. Through these efforts, we have worked on developing user-friendly tools to help residents...
While we work on a wide variety of environmental and conservation issues at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, our largest single area of focus is on trails and outdoor recreation. Why? Because through this work we connect people to natural resources; encourage...
When it comes to PEC’s role in developing projects, it can sometimes be a difficult one to describe, but an extremely gratifying role, nonetheless. So as I watched Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and former Congressman Robert Borski break ground on...
Now in its sixth year, the PEC Environment Ride will look quite a bit different than in years past. Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about this year’s one-day ride on Sunday, June 5. It’s extremely varied, more urban, and...
The 2016 National Bike Summit & Women’s Forum is the premier bicycle advocacy event of the year. Hosted annually in Washington D.C., the Summit has shown real impact in leveraging increased investments in bicycling at the federal, state, and local...
Hosted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the quarterly Northeast Pennsylvania Trail Forum was held Feb. 12 at the Bear Creek Reserve, just southwest of Wilkes-Barre. Every four months the Trail Forum meets at a new location in upstate Pennsylvania to...
PEC’s work in building the Circuit trail network just received a huge boost! Thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), three trail projects for segments of the East Coast Greenway have been funded in Chester, Morrisville,...
A chance to share new ideas, progress reports, and challenges facing the world of trails throughout the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society brings together trail builders, planners, advocates, and managers for the Greenways and Trails Summit every other...
While PEC’s work spans the state of Pennsylvania, today I’m calling on our members, supporters, and friends in the greater Pittsburgh region. We need your help! Most days of the week, you travel to work or school. How many days?...
Local lawmakers and environmental officials gathered Wednesday along the banks of the Schuylkill River to celebrate the Schuylkill River Trail’s distinction as the “best urban trail” in the nation, according to a poll by USA TODAY. USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice...
Every five years, states across the nation are required to develop a STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN, known as SCORP. In many states, these plans are mere formalities, as they are required to receive federal dollars from the Land, Water, and...
Just as the Fourth of July weekend was about to start, residents of the Delaware Valley had another reason to celebrate. On July 2 the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) announced it had voted unanimously to support the dedication...
Sometimes, a shot of history can make you feel good. Perusing the June 5 to 11 Pittsburgh Business Times, I was, as I often am, taken in by the lists that they generate each week, ranking everything from architecture firms...
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) is proud to play a key role in the development of the state’s robust water trail network. Water trails are recreational corridors comprised of access points, boat launches, day use sites, and overnight camping areas....
PEC works every day to improve the trails across the Commonwealth and the surrounding region. So when that type of regional work gets recognized on an international level, it is certainly an honor. That’s exactly what happened earlier this month,...
The Wissahickon Creek is truly a watershed in crisis! As a result, The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association hosted “A Creek in Crisis” last Wednesday at Germantown Academy. Attracting more than 200 concerned residents, the...
Spring has been quite the busy season for PEC as we continue work with our watershed partners in the Southeast portion of the state. We facilitate the Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster, one of eight regional clusters within the broader Delaware...
On April 10, Andrea Irland of the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails, Conservation Assistance program invited a who’s who of planners and advocates along the shores of Lake Erie to discuss the vision of how to connect these communities...
Lardner’s Point Park is the poster child of how PEC enhances the environment through our partnerships and vision. That vision is being rewarded on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the park will be receiving the Green Parks Award—along with a...
Lardner’s Point Park is the poster child of how PEC enhances the environment through our partnerships and vision. That vision is being rewarded on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the park will be receiving the Green Parks Award—along with a...
On April 16, PEC will participate in Ignite Philly, a bi-annual event at which presenters are invited to inspire audience members by giving a brief, high-energy presentation on a project intended to have a positive impact on the city. This...
“Businesses don’t move into buildings, they move into communities.” On March 13, I had the opportunity to tour the REI distribution facility in Bedford, Pa., with Rep. Bill Shuster and a handful of economic development leaders and trail advocates,...
In the summer of 2014, French Creek Valley Conservancy (FCVC), contacted us regarding an opportunity to purchase the “Black Bridge,” as it is known to locals. This historic steel bridge in Erie County was identified in a 2013 study as a...
The overarching goal of PEC’s Water Trails program is to allow more Pennsylvanians to enjoy the natural water resources that abound in the Commonwealth. To do that, we work with our stewardship partners to lower the barrier to entry. Barriers...
Since joining PEC as its Trails Program Manager at the start of the month, my first two weeks on the job have been both eventful and exciting. I jumped right into two days of meetings with PEC staff in Pittsburgh to...
Environmental stewardship is central to PEC’s work, so it’s no surprise that we recently found ourselves co-hosting a stewardship webinar attended by people from 24 states and three Canadian provinces. The webinar, titled Protect What You Love: Water Trail Ambassador...
Is Philadelphia an urban outdoor oasis? The New York Times thinks it is, and ranked the city No. 3 on its “52 Places to Go in 2015,” behind only by Milan, Italy, and Cuba. Seriously? Absolutely, says the Times. The...
PEC’s trail work makes for a lot of great partners. Building a trail, especially a multi-use trail that is safe for kids and families, is real work! My week started with the determined Mayor DiGirolamo, leader of Bensalem Township, PA’s...