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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…

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,…

A proposal from the Maryland Air National Guard would allow military jets to conduct training flights just 100 feet over the some of the state’s most pristine natural areas. How could that impact wildlife in the area, as well as communities that have rebuilt their economies on outdoor recreation? To find out, we chat with Susan Beck, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel (retired); Ta Enos, CEO of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship; Nicole Faraguna with DCNR; and Carolyn Newhouse of McKean County. The public has until May 17 to make comments on a proposal from the Maryland Air…

When people vote to raise their own taxes to fund conservation programs, it’s noteworthy. When it happens in a deeply conservative rural community, it’s unusual. But when the proposal passes by a four-to-one margin, it’s a mandate — and then some. How did the campaign for Carbon County’s open space initiative achieve such a blowout? And could other Sixth Class PA counties do the same? Organizer Dennis DeMara has answers. Episode Transcript Josh Raulerson (00:01): It’s Friday, April 14th, 2023. And from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, this is Pennsylvania Legacies. I’m Josh Raulerson. In any kind of democratic policy making…

photo: Montgomery County Planning Commission (CC BY-SA 2.0) The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 will deliver unprecedented federal funding for alternative transportation by way of the Carbon Reduction Program. What might that mean for southeastern PA’s Circuit Trails initiative? We discuss with Matthew Edmond of the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Episode Transcript Josh Raulerson (00:01): It’s Friday, March 31st, 2023. I’m Josh Raulerson, and this is Pennsylvania Legacies, the podcast from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. When Montgomery County first got into the trails business back in the 1970s, trails were seen as recreational assets. One of the perks…

photo: Clean Air Task Force (CC BY 2.0) Oil and gas companies pay the U.S. government for the opportunity to drill on public lands, but they only pay royalties on natural gas that’s captured and sold. When it’s not worth the trouble of bringing it to market, companies either flare off surplus methane or simply release it into the atmosphere, where its near-term climate impact is worse than carbon dioxide’s. A new Environmental Defense Fund report documents the amount of gas being wasted as well as the cost to taxpayers, consumers, and the environment. Episode Transcript Josh Raulerson (00:01):Today is…

Pennsylvania’s state legislature is divided for the first time in more than a decade, and its new Democratic governor is looking for common ground to govern with bipartisan support. One of his Republican predecessors found that common ground in the environment. On the eve of what could be an especially contentious legislative session, we revisit our 2020 conversation with former governor Tom Ridge. Governor Josh Shapiro gives his first budget address to the Pennsylvania General Assembly on March 7, kicking off what promises to be a contentious legislative session. For the first time since 2010, Democrats control the state House of…

Could Pennsylvania’s underground rock formations become a reservoir for captured greenhouse gas emissions? With a newly funded soil sample storage facility on the way, the Pennsylvania Geological Survey is in a better position to find out. We chat with Assistant State Geologist Kristin Carter. For close to a hundred years, scientists with the Pennsylvania Geological Survey have been collecting rock samples from deep underground. Those samples have been a vital source of information guiding land-use decisions across multiple generations of resource extraction in the Commonwealth. The cores are cylinders of rock that can be anywhere from a few feet to…

2023 is already shaping up to be a big year for environmental policy and legislation, especially around matters of energy and climate. We review the agenda with PEC’s Senior VP for Legal and Government Affairs, John Walliser. Energy and climate issues are at the forefront of PEC’s policy agenda for the year ahead — and it’s likely to be an eventful one. Pennsylvania is expected to begin participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative carbon market in 2023, pending the outcome of ongoing legal challenges. And with a new governor and General Assembly in place, lawmakers could take the first steps toward…

Pennsylvania’s landscape is riddled with abandoned oil and gas wells that were never properly shut down and sealed up, including hundreds of thousands for which the responsible parties can’t be identified, or no longer exist. Between inadequate bonding requirements for operators and a chronically underfunded remediation program, DEP is fighting an uphill battle. But private well-plugging efforts like the Well Done Foundation are stepping up to help meet the need. As founder Curtis Shuck explains, they’re also exploring innovative ways to finance the work. Across the U.S., more than two million oil and gas wells have been abandoned without being…

The Philly Bike Expo isn’t just the largest independent bike show on the east coast — it’s one of the most unique events of its kind anywhere. Director Bina Bilenky explains how what began as a celebration of quirky and inventive design has grown into a hub for organizing and building stronger, more inclusive cycling communities. Since 2010, the Philly Bike Expo has been Philadelphia’s premier noncompetitive cycling event — a gathering of two-wheel enthusiasts, activists, makers, and others connected with the city’s vibrant bike culture. Not just a trade show, the Expo has always celebrated the innovative and the eccentric…

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously last month to study how electric utilities will meet the demand when Pennsylvania drivers transition to electric vehicles. Commissioners were responding to a petition brought by ChargEVC, a coalition focused on advancing transportation electrification throughout Pennsylvania. We discuss the issue with Pam Frank of Gabel Associates, who represents ChargEVC. The transition to electric vehicles is coming, and analysts expect it will be fast and dramatic. Is Pennsylvania ready? Often that question leads into discussions about the availability of charging stations, or how to win over consumers still infatuated with internal combustion. The Pennsylvania…