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This May, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) released NEPA Trails: Assessing Community and Connectivity in Northeastern PA, which focused on assessing the cycling “ecosystem” in an eight-county region of northeastern Pennsylvania. While the region that “NEPA” encompasses varies depending on whom you ask, for the purposes of this report, PEC focused on the counties covered by the NEPA Trails Forum – a loose alliance of those involved with trail development in the region. Those counties are Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming. It is an area perched on the eastern edge of the Appalachians, replete with mountains,…
Coniferous trees once figured prominently in the makeup of Penn’s Woods, but their populations never fully recovered from the deforestation of the nineteenth century. Now Pennsylvania’s conifers face a new threat: invasive competitors and pests, warmer and wetter weather, and other disruptions linked to climate change. We explore an evergreen topic with Joe Stavish of Tree Pittsburgh in advance of the group’s upcoming Conifer Symposium on June 14. Southwestern Pennsylvania’s struggling conifer population is the focus of an upcoming discussion hosted by TreePittsburgh. The Allegheny County Conifer Symposium will be held June 14th in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, bringing together experts…
The Great American Clean Up is an annual initiative that brings thousands of Americans together to beautify and restore their communities. It is a massive effort that aims to clean our streets, parks and waterways of litter and debris and restoring these spaces to their original beauty. This effort not only makes our surroundings more pleasant to live in but also helps protect and improve the environment for future generations. This initiative brings about a sense of pride and ownership in our communities. It is a reminder that we have a responsibility to take care of our surroundings, and that…
A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the newly completed Path of the Flood Trail on May 23rd, realizing a key link in both the Trans Allegheny Trails and Industrial Heartland Trails networks in western Pennsylvania — as well as a symbolic link to the area’s past and future. The “Flood,” of course, is the infamous Johnstown Flood, which killed thousands and leveled hundreds of homes on May 31, 1889. The “Path” refers to its 14-mile course down the Conemaugh Valley from the South Fork Dam to the city of Johnstown, where the Johnstown Flood Museum now stands. In…
Trails are essential for the health and vibrancy of any neighborhood, offering space for social connection and proximity to nature that, according to a mounting body of scientific research, humans need. But in many of our cities and towns, multi-use trails offer more than leisure time outdoor recreation for people walking and biking — or have the potential to. As part of a Complete Streets approach that also includes protected on-street bike lanes and accessible, convenient pedestrian infrastructure, trails can be vital transportation links that help ease traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, curtail climate-changing carbon emissions, support public health, and…
In the months ahead, 13 paddling trips and workshops will take place across Pennsylvania with the goal of promoting interest in paddling and stewardship of the environment. The Pennsylvania River Sojourn Program provides annual mini grants to events that provide a welcoming and inclusive space to build confidence on the water and to cultivate an appreciation for the state’s natural resources. When reviewing applications, the selection committee looks for ideas that don’t just show people how to paddle but also teach them about the places they paddle through. The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) administers the grant program…
Of America’s ten most endangered waterways, as ranked by the group American Rivers, two can be found in Pennsylvania. While the problems they face are very different, the Ohio and Lehigh rivers both illustrate how intimately connected water issues are with human activity and a changing climate — not just in the northeastern U.S., but nationwide. Links America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2023 (PDF) Ohio River Lehigh River 2023 Pennsylvania River Sojourns Episode Transcript Josh Raulerson (00:01): It’s Friday, May 12th, 2023. And from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, this is the Pennsylvania Legacies podcast. I’m Josh Raulerson. Every year,…
For Celebrate Trails Day, on April 22, one of the country’s most extensive trail networks buzzed with festivities. Along a section of the Circuit Trails network in Trenton, New Jersey, music and the creation of colorful murals marked the Artworks Trail Jam. The event was just one result of PEC’s newly launched Circuit Trails Coalition Community Grant Program, which awarded a total of $150,000 to organizations that enhance engagement and access to the Circuit Trails network, particularly in historically disinvested communities and among marginalized groups. Ten organizations received grants, with funding from the William Penn Foundation. For the Trail…
Rich Fitzgerald may be known to the rest of the world as Yinzer Jeff Daniels, but in western Pennsylvania he’s known for his leadership on outdoor recreation, sustainability, and the environment — a record that earned him this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. People and organizations from across the state attended PEC’s 2023 Western Pennsylvania Dinner Wednesday evening to celebrate the three-term Allegheny County Executive, who accepted his award from Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). In a video recognizing his contributions, local leaders and elected officials spoke to Fitzgerald’s vision…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2023 Media Contact: Janet Sweeney, POWR, 570-718-6507 Dallas – The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Pennsylvania River Sojourn Grants. These grants are awarded on a competitive basis. The Pennsylvania Sojourn Program is administered by POWR in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The PA Sojourn Program is nationally unique, distributing grants across the state to local organizations and their sojourn events. These grants support between 10 and 15 paddling events each year, encompassing over 500 river miles and 50+ on-the-water…
PEC sent the following letter to Members of the House Tourism, Economic and Recreational Development Committee on May 1, 2023: Dear Representatives: On behalf of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), I am writing to express our strong support for House Bill 33 and House Resolution 87, which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee on May 3rd. We are thankful for the bipartisan sponsorship of both proposals. House Bill 33 This bill amends the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act to provide protections to volunteers and volunteer organizations that maintain, improve, or otherwise provide access to land for recreational…