As Ben Franklin wrote, “when the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” But how do you calculate the value of water resources in dollars and cents? Researcher Spencer Phillips, Ph.D., unpacks the far-reaching economic impacts of water quality in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands...

This summer and fall, Get Your Tail on the Trail is challenging northeastern Pennsylvanians to walk, run, ride, or paddle 165 miles -- the length of the Delaware & Lehigh trail What better way to get yourself on a “path” to healthy habits and a healthier you? In order to earn your Tail on...

Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s most extensive state park-and-forest systems, and for decades it’s been growing in size as well as popularity. But funding for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) hasn’t kept pace with that growth. As a result, a new Pennsylvania Par...

PEC celebrates Opening Day on the Trails 2019 on Fayette County's 34-mile Sheepskin Trail, part of the growing Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition network. Ride along as we discover local history on the recently re-opened section linking Dunbar, PA with the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), and learn...

On April 13, I had the pleasure of participating in an “Opening Day for Trails” event in Southwest Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek Park. This event featured a one-mile walk along the Cobbs Creek Trail and attracted approximately 15 community residents. During the walk, educators from the Cob...

As lawmakers wrestle with the future of nuclear energy in Pennsylvania, many issues remain unresolved. But within both parties there is increasingly widespread agreement on one principle: we can and should address greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania, and that allowing the Commonwealth's nuclear...

The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership is a small organization with a big name, and even bigger ambitions. Executive Director Julie Slavet explains how TTF works across urban/suburban boundaries to educate and engage residents, and how they leverage collaborations like the Delaware River...

PEC and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) welcomed nearly 200 attendees to the 2nd Biennial Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations on February 24-25, 2019. Our conference was held at the new Wyndham Garden Hotel in Boalsburg PA, just outside of State Colleg...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2019   Contact: Frank Maguire, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Phone: 814-234-7765 Email: fmaguire@pecpa.org   Celebrate PA Land Trails this September!   Pittsburgh — The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and Department of Conser...

Our partners at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy produced this beautiful video showcasing the Industrial Heartland Trails initiative. Check it out! ...

Here's a pretty good reason to root for the Philadelphia Eagles (even you, Steelers fans): under the team's award-winning Go Green initiative, every field goal they put on the board means another ten trees planted in Bucks County's Neshaminy State Park. We celebrate another tree-planting season with...

Conservation Landscape partners gather in the Laurel Highlands, where conservation, recreation, and historic preservation come together. ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2019   Contact: Sally Tarhi, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Phone: 412-481-9400 Email: wpea@pecpa.org Western PA Conservation Leaders and Environmental Projects to be Honored   Pittsburgh – Two conservation leaders and two environmental pr...

How do you talk about potentially divisive environmental topics with a hostile audience? Tora Johnson, a University of Maine geographer and keynote speaker at last month’s Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations, says the key is affirming the dignity of everyone involved. Conversation wit...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 2019   Contact: Josh Raulerson, Director of Communications Phone: 412-481-9400 Email: jraulerson@pecpa.org   PEC Welcomes Trails Program Manager Brett Hollern   Pittsburgh — The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) has named veteran tr...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03/15/2019 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Dept. of Environmental Protection Commonwealth News Bureau Room 308, Main Capitol Building Harrisburg PA., 17120 CONTACT: Elizabeth Rementer, DEP 717-787-1323   Wolf Administration Names Environmental Excellence Award Win...

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water(shed)... Shark Tank: Funder's Edition returns to the 2019 PA Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations. ...

Who are the creatures in your neighborhood? We go in search of urban wildlife with writer, podcaster, and naturalist Billy Brown. Don’t miss his upcoming Nature Talks lecture hosted by Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership. Links: TTF Nature Talks with Billy Brown & the Cr...

As climate issues garner more and more urgent attention, how Pennsylvania will address our need to deeply decarbonize our electric and transportation sectors continues to be defined. Currently in the state: • The Department of Environmental Protection is considering an economy-wide proposal t...

As anyone who pays even casual attention to the news can attest, we’re living in politically polarized times. Sometimes it feels like the divide is too wide and deep to bridge, and consensus on things that matter will always be just out of reach. And then something happens that shows it’s sti...

The Senate passes a massive public lands bill including permanent reauthorization for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Pennsylvania's native trout are flourishing thanks to the state- and national-level work of Trout Unlimited. We talk with TU President Chris Wood and Mid-Atlantic O...

100 Communities Support the Circuit Trails!  And PEC Helped!   800 miles of multi-use trails that connect important destinations across nine counties in two states is a big, ambitious idea that is not easy to get one’s arms around. And yet, communities all over Greater Philadelphia a...

Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed legislation [S.47, the Natural Resources Management Act] that permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Passage by the Senate is a major step toward ending the uncertainty that has plagued this landmark conservation program for the pas...

Pennsylvania is home to hundreds of small, people-powered organizations dedicated to protecting and restoring local watersheds. These groups are accomplishing great things in their communities, typically on a shoestring budget. But could they be even more effective by coordinating their efforts? ...

By Dan Grossman and Davitt Woodwell The news on climate change went from bad to worse in the last quarter of 2018. During that time, and despite inaction on all fronts at the federal level, the biggest story may have been that science and defense agencies weighed in with their Fourth National...

Patriots Cove, along Beaver Run in Wyoming County, is more than just a great fishing spot. It's a refuge for brook trout and human beings alike, where injured veterans are healing themselves and one another while helping to restore an impaired stream. Patriots Cove co-founder Jeff Swire is our guest...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2018   Contact: Josh Raulerson, Director of Communications Phone: 412-481-9400 Email: jraulerson@pecpa.org   It’s Time to Act on Climate Change in Pennsylvania PEC Releases Proposed First Steps for State Action   Pittsburgh — Calling ...

There's been plenty of talk about climate in Pennsylvania. Now it's time for action. Davitt Woodwell and John Walliser discuss PEC's just-released policy proposal for putting the Commonwealth on a path to zero carbon emissions. ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 16, 2018 CONTACTS: Terry Brady (DCNR) 717-772-9101 Janet Sweeney (POWR) 570-718-6507   Clarion River Named PA 2019 River of the Year in Public Voting   Harrisburg, PA - A Wild and Scenic River that draws legions of anglers, paddlers and other outdoo...

Pennsylvania will slash 80% of net greenhouse gas emissions statewide by 2050 under targets announced January 8 by Governor Tom Wolf. State agencies will lead the way, working strategically through the governor's new GreenGov Council to improve energy efficiency across government operations. Mea...