Feature of the Week
For the Week of October 12, 2002

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Growing Greener
Partners Taking Action

Western Pennsylvania has been positively impacted by the Pennsylvania Growing Greener program, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s President Larry Schweiger has saluted the Pennsylvania Legislature for protecting this important conservation program.

The $650 million program designed to preserve farmland, protect open space, clean up abandoned mines, restore watersheds, provide new and upgraded water and sewer systems and eliminate the maintenance backlog in state parks, Growing Greener was inaugurated in 1999, and scheduled to expire in 2004. Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker and the state General Assembly continued their commitment to conservation in the 2002-03 budgets by extending the program to 13 years and increased the total funding to $1.3 billion.
"I applaud the Pennsylvania Legislature and the Governor for protecting Growing Greener while trying to reach consensus on a zero-growth budget," said Schweiger. "The General Assembly enacted Growing Greener into law in 1999, and remains committed to the program."

"I am especially pleased that the legislature accepted a proposal advanced by a broad coalition of Pennsylvanians - representing sportsmen, community, environmental and conservation groups --- to dedicate a portion of the state 'tipping fee' paid to dispose of solid waste in Pennsylvania facilities," Schweiger said. In this budget, the Legislature calls for an additional $4 disposal, or tipping fee, for each ton of solid waste disposed of in Pennsylvania. The increased fee will provide Growing Greener with approximately $50 million in funding this fiscal year.

"Because more than half of the revenue generated by this tipping fee comes from out-of-state sources, this is a great way to fund environmental programs in Pennsylvania," he said. Pennsylvania is one of the nation's leading importers of out-of-state trash. "If funding generated by our waste stream can help conserve the state's natural resources, this is really a win-win opportunity," he said.

WPC has used Growing Greener funding for a variety of projects since 1999:

  • French Creek Watershed Signage Education
  • Gathering Environmental/Community Data for a watershed assessment of the Sideling Hill Creek Watershed
  • Freshwater Mussel Education & Action Program in Sideling Hill Creek
  • Promoting Local Use and Understanding of Cover Crops: Sideling Hill Creek Watershed
  • Protection of Lake Pleasant through Watershed Assessment
  • Lake Pleasant Conservation Area Master Site Planning Grant
  • Watershed Assistance Center Program Technical Assistance Grant
  • French Creek Watershed Assessment
  • Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve Land Acquisition
  • Clarion River Greenway Plan
  • Gateway Gardens
Through funding that has come to partners, WPC is also working on:

  • Blacklegs Creek AMD Remediation Plan
  • Anderson Creek Watershed Assessment
  • Buffalo Creek Watershed Protection Plan
  • A major watershed restoration efforts on Dent's Run
  • Loyalhanna Creek Watershed Assessment
  • Shenango River Agricultural Best Management Practices
  • Restoration of Silver Mills Dumpsites

    As you can see from the map below, Growing Greener has been an important program with major benefits for the mission of WPC and for western Pennsylvania!

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