Resources

If you’ve ever explored the streets of historic Jim Thorpe, participated in the well-attended Tomato Festival in Pittston, or dined in Milford after a trek through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, you’ve experienced the charm of an outdoor town. You may soon be able to experience more of them, as more Pennsylvania communities embrace the “Outdoor Towns” model. Outdoor towns embrace the outdoor experiences around them — such as parks, trails, rivers, and lakes — and connect that with delicious places to eat, tempting stores to shop in, and comfortable places to stay. These towns provide a tourism…

PEC and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) jointly sent the following letter to Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Environmental Resources & Energy Committee on July 28, 2022: Dear Representatives, On behalf of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Environmental Defense Fund, we are writing to express our opposition to the proposed concurrent resolution to disapprove Regulation #7-544 (Control of VOC Emissions from Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas Sources). The Committee is scheduled to consider this resolution on August 2nd. This concurrent resolution is ill-advised, threatens noncompliance and sanctions with respect to long- standing federal requirements (that Pennsylvania has yet to meet), and…

In the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape, DCNR and National Park Service frontline staff are learning about what the region has to offer beyond the boundaries of the parks and forests where they work. The result: a more closely networked Landscape, and a better experience for visitors.  

Based in PEC’s Northeast office, Rachael Stark coordinates the Keep NEPA Beautiful program, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Alexsys Frierson is a student in Temple University’s graduate program in urban planning. As a 2022 summer intern in PEC’s Philadelphia office, she leads community outreach for the relaunch of the TrailOff mobile app. Produced in collaboration with Swim Pony Performing Arts, TrailOff uses immersive audio to create a compelling narrative experience for users of the Circuit Trails network. Learn more about PEC’s role here, and find audio of the stories here. Wonder what this year’s PEC Trails internship is like so far? Well, here’s a fun update on what I, Alexsys, have been involved with.…

It’s easy to get demoralized in the face of climate change, especially when it feels like there’s nothing we, as individuals, can do about it. An initiative from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) in Pittsburgh is trying to change the dynamic by reframing the crisis in terms of local impacts and helping western Pennsylvanians meet it on their own terms. PEC’s Lily Jones spoke with Dr. Bonnie McGill of CMNH’s Climate and Rural Systems Partnership. The science is settled, and by now most people believe that climate change is real and happening now. Broad majorities, both nationally and…

This post was originally published on the William Penn Foundation’s blog. With funding from the William Penn Foundation, PEC and our partners in the Circuit Trails Coalition are working to improve access to outdoor recreation opportunities in the Greater Philadelphia region.

For immediate release July 8, 2022 Contact: Josh Raulerson, PEC 412-481-9400   Legislation Lets Oil & Gas Operators Off the Hook for Legacy Impacts Without Veto, PA’s Abandoned Wells Problem May Be All But Permanent HARRISBURG — Yesterday the General Assembly passed legislation, House Bill 2644, that would all but ensure that the state’s legacy of orphaned and abandoned wells will continue for decades to come. This legislation unjustifiably locks in insufficient financial assurance requirements for the conventional oil and gas industry, continuing to put Pennsylvanians at risk of covering the costs for failed well closure and remediation. To make…

Gravel (sometimes referred to as “mixed-surface”) riding is a form of cycling that mainly utilizes gravel and dirt roads, but also incorporates paved road connections, rail trails, singletrack and doubletrack to form routes. Gravel riding is currently one of the fastest growing forms of cycling, and for good reason. Why gravel? Unlike mountain biking or rail-trail riding, gravel riding is not confined to a certain trail or system, yet is safer and immerses users in nature more than road cycling. Routes can start anywhere, be any distance, and often take riders through scenic forests, farmland, and small towns — sometimes all…