In case you were unable to attend the Michaux Lecture this past June provided by Pennsylvania-native, Larry Schweiger, CEO & President of the National Wildlife Federation, we are pleased to bring the lecture to you.  DCNR Secretary John Quigley provides an eloquent introduction.

Pennsylvania has ten organizations that have achieved Accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund land trust project money and other special environmental project funds targetted for deep cuts were kept intact. An intent to enact by October a Marcellus shale gas drilling tax with a portion of revenues going to environmental projects was expressed. No new drilling leasing mandates were imposed on publicly-owned State Forests.

The budget just adopted for FY 2010-11 means a total of $1.3 billion has been diverted or cut from environmental programs over the last eight years. 

In the coming years, what should state spending priorities be? Should Growing Greener be renewed?If so, how much money?

5.4 million acres (18%) of Pennsylvania have been conserved for agricultural production, sustainable forestry, public recreation and other purposes. Pennsylvania State Forests make up 39% of the conserved lands.

A conservation organization or other landowner can donate or otherwise transfer land to government on a conditional rather than absolute basis to help ensure that their conservation wishes are respected by government in the long-term. Check out Reversionary Interests as well as 38 other tools and topics now available at ConservationTools.org.

One answer: Pennsylvania is on track to become more developed than present-day New Jersey in the next several decades. Check out the graphic representation of conserved and developed lands in Pennsylvania in 2008 and projections for 2058.

Natural gas extraction imposes heavy costs on our communities: air pollution; pipelines, drilling pads and wastewater pits scarring our landscapes; heavy rigs damaging our roads; billions of gallons of water taken from our streams; and operational errors contaminating our land and water. Get information and see policy proposals related to natural gas drilling at landandwater.org.

In PA, death triggers a state inheritance tax on the distribution of the deceased person’s assets to the estate's beneficiaries. A little known provision in PA law can reduce inheritance tax by 50% for land assets under conservation easement, depending on the details. Learn more at ConservationTools.org