The recently concluded budget process delivered some good news on core agency funding and a few key wins like Solar for Schools, more money for the Clean Streams Fund, and a sound protective framework for carbon capture and storage.
Under budget legislation signed today by Governor Shapiro, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will receive $232 million from the General Fund, a much-needed increase of 14% over the previous fiscal year and hopefully the beginning of more sufficiently supporting the agency. The new funding addresses chronic understaffing that for years has limited DEP’s permitting capacity and hindered protection programs. As PEC has argued, filling these positions is crucial to maximizing the unprecedented federal funding opportunities currently available to address legacy pollution such as abandoned wells, improve infrastructure, and enhance Pennsylvania’s economic competitiveness. With a more robust workforce and up-to-date information technology funded in the new budget, DEP is better positioned to fulfill its statutory responsibility to both citizens and the regulated community while helping to build a strong and sustainable energy economy.
Likewise, Pennsylvania’s $17 billion outdoor industry is poised for continued growth with support from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the invaluable outdoor recreation assets it stewards. A 15% budget increase will advance DCNR’s work to operate and maintain 124 state parks, create equitable access to the outdoors for all Pennsylvanians, and manage invasive pests and other impacts of climate change on our public lands. Increased funding will also help expand the successful Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps program, which trains and employs young people in conservation work — not only helping to meet the needs of state parks and forests, but establishing a pipeline to careers in conservation and the outdoor industry.
However, by failing to fulfill the governor’s $8.5 million funding request for new trail development and improvements to existing trails, the General Assembly has missed a significant opportunity. As detailed in a 2023 report by DCNR’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, economic activity associated with outdoor recreation employs 164,000 Pennsylvanians, making ours the nation’s eighth-largest outdoor industry. Trails are a major driver of such activity, and numerous analyses have shown a dramatic return on investment in trail projects — to say nothing of their many benefits to public health, mobility and access to employment, and other quality of life measures.
Two parts of the budget package that will require more examination are a new, optional DEP permitting process involving the use of 3rd party consultants, and a more than doubling of dedicated tax credits for in-state waste coal generation. In addition, the highly in-demand Whole Home Repairs Program did not receive renewed funding. This is a missed opportunity for residents and businesses alike.
The legislation enacted to establish a framework for carbon capture and storage included amendments that PEC and other environmental groups supported to ensure protections for public lands, private landowners and environmental justice communities.
“We applaud the increased support for the state agencies charged with protecting our environment and stewarding our natural and recreational resources,” said PEC President Tom Gilbert. “PEC has long held that smart environmental policy and investments in outdoor recreation deliver significant economic and quality of life benefits to citizens and communities. We urge the legislature to build upon these investments going forward.”