Last week PEC joined the Environmental Defense Fund in submitting comments to the Environmental Quality Board in support of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) proposal to set a declining limit on carbon pollution emitted by in-state fossil fuel generating units by ...

Motivated by the resilient commitment and dynamic energy of community watershed organizations across the state, The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) took on the task of redesigning its website to provide better access to the tools and resources that will support the eff...

Which of five finalists will be Pennsylvania's River of the Year for 2021? With less than a week remaining to vote, nominating watershed groups make their final pitch for your vote. Pennsylvania Environmental Council · Watershed Showdown Links VOTE HERE for 2020 PA River of the Year ...

Over the last year, we’ve celebrated PEC’s 50th anniversary by looking back at our history and impact on Pennsylvania’s environment. As we enter a new year, that legacy will help guide us and serve as a reminder of the many tasks ahead.  This is the final piece in our 50th anniversary seri...

“Where can I take a short hike with a great view?” “My kids are hot, is there a swimming hole nearby?” “We want to visit another state park, what do you recommend for biking?” “What’s The Fort?” “Have you been to the Flight 93 National Memorial?” These are just a...

In September, the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) voted to advance to public comment a proposed rulemaking for Pennsylvania to link to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based collaboration between Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states committed to reducing greenhouse gas emiss...

On its 100th anniversary, a new book explores the chain of unlikely historical events that gave us Presque Isle State Park. Authors David Frew and Jerry Skrypzak discuss the book, the Isle, and their hometown of Erie, PA. Pennsylvania Environmental Council · Accidental Paradise Links: Ac...

Updated December 18: The Hazelwood Green Riverfront team has released a report on their community collaboration events from this fall, including the October community workshops, online survey, stakeholder interviews, and meetings with community orgs. Read the report here. Visit ...

The Bicycle Film Festival, an international celebration of all things cycling, began in NYC in 2001 and now spans the globe. For 2020, the Film Festival has partnered with local organizations to move the festival to a virtual format that still champions the impact that bikes have on communities arou...

Over the last year, we’ve celebrated PEC’s 50th anniversary by looking back at our history and impact on Pennsylvania's environment. But as we look toward year 51 and beyond, there is plenty more work to be done. You can find other pieces commemorating our 50th anniversary here.  ...

Every year, PEC hosts regional awards dinners to celebrate the exceptional work being done by groups and individuals across the Commonwealth to help the environment. This year, those events looked a little different. While we were not able to gather in person, the virtual events presented new opport...

This past spring saw record numbers of people getting out and about to enjoy parks, forests, trails and rivers across Pennsylvania. While shutdowns and stay-at-home orders offered more free time but left fewer activity options, fresh air and sunshine offered a respite from current events and bei...

As the Pennsylvania General Assembly rushes to complete a state budget for the remainder of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, lawmakers are once again considering ideas that are fundamentally counterproductive -- like diverting revenues from special funds like the Keystone Fund and the Environmental St...

Winners of the 2020 Northeast Environmental Partnership Awards and 2020 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards, in their own words. Pennsylvania Environmental Council · Recognizing Excellence Links: 2020 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards virtual program 2020 Northeast Envir...

As we enter the 9th month of the COVID-19 restrictions, PEC’s water team staff continues to participate in programs across the Commonwealth, keeping our focus on initiatives which promote clean and healthy watersheds. During this time, many Pennsylvanians have discovered the recreation and sce...

The 10th Annual PEC Environment ride took place over the weekend of October 2-4, 2020. The following photographs were captured over the course of the ride. The accompanying reflection was written by Kyle Conner, who has participated in the Environment Ride every year since 2011. Click here for more ...

After decades of struggle, Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood is poised for an economic comeback. The long-awaited redevelopment of Hazelwood's industrial riverfront has rekindled hopes for a brighter future -- but the neighborhood's resident historian says there's also much to celebrate about, and...

This past September, under many days of sunny skies and mild temperatures, cyclists from throughout the Commonwealth took to gravel roads as part of this year’s edition of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Public Lands Ride. What began as a contingency plan in a year of cancelled ...

We're entering the home stretch of the Tookany Creek Trail feasibility study! Over the past year or so, our team—consisting of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF), and Campbell Thomas & Co. (CTC)—has collected roughly ...

Celebrating ten years of the PEC Environment Ride in conversation with members of the 2020 team. Pennsylvania Environmental Council · Reasons to Ride Links: PEC Environment Ride Donations Ambler Environmental Advisory Council GEI Consultants ...

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania has seen a sustained increase in trail traffic across the state -- a trend that will likely continue into the fall, underscoring the importance of maintaining safe and accessible trails. The past few weeks have been especially eventful, both...

For the better part of a century, the Hazelwood neighborhood was one of Pittsburgh's most important industrial centers. That all changed with the 1997 closure of the LTV steel plant on the site now known as Hazelwood Green. Now, as a decades-long redevelopment effort gathers momentum, the neighborho...

In celebration of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's 50th anniversary, we are pleased to share the following photo essay, prepared especially for the occasion, portraying the special places and landscapes at the heart of PEC's work. Find more stories, sounds, and images colle...

PEC works across Pennsylvania to develop trail networks that connect communities to nature. It’s our mission that all Pennsylvanians have access to environmental and recreational resources. We are aware, however, that just building trails is not enough to make everyone in the State feel comfor...

Yesterday the Environmental Quality Board voted to advance a proposed rulemaking for Pennsylvania to link with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to public comment. After initial review by the state Attorney General, the public will be afforded the opportunity – through public heari...

PEC was pleased to participate in a Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing today on the growth of outdoor recreation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Frank Maguire, Director of Trails and Recreation, highlighted both PEC's report on the surge in trail usage as well as the importance of the recreati...

A reckoning over RGGI, outdoor recreation and COVID, bipartisan love for community solar, and clearing a path for E-bikes: Legal & Government Affairs VP John Walliser reviews the PEC policy agenda heading into what promises to be an eventful fall in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Environmental Council ...