Last updated: Sat Jul 31 12:14:49 +0000 2010

EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Hydraulic Fracturing

EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Hydraulic Fracturing Research Study In Canonsburg July 22* (*PHILADELPHIA** *- July 8, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting an informational publi...
They didn’t know any better

When we look at the environmental abuses of the past, we often quickly absolve the perpetrators as well as the broader society of the time: “They didn’t know any better. Times were diff...
Survival Tip: We Need Clean Air & Water

Over the past century, we have seen the industrial revolution in full force as generations of workers were told to build more, consumers were told to consume more and the nation and the world consp...
A presidential vision

Wouldn’t it be cool if  a U.S. President made an inspiring call to action on conservation, environmental protection AND growth issues in a major national address, saying something along the l...
A formula for high taxes and poor maintenance

During the 1990s, the total number of acres developed in Pennsylvania increased by 54 percent, from 1,193,420 acres to 1,832,704 acres. (See 2005 State Land Use and Growth Management Report, DCED.)...

Quote of the Day

“Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”
— Chief Seattle


New Video: Michaux Lecture - Pennsylvania Conservation: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (with Larry Schweiger)

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.

Congratulations to Pennsylvania’s Accredited Land Trusts

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

The Good News in the 2010-11 PA State Budget

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 Bad News: $1.3 Billion Diverted, Cut From Environmental Programs Over Last 8 Years

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. 

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How Much Do We Value Conservation?

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

How Much Land is Conserved in PA?

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.

Reversionary Interest Can Help Ensure Compliance

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.

What Will Pennsylvania Look Like in Fifty Years?

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.

After They Drill, Who Pays the Bill?

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.

Conservation Easements Can Reduce PA Inheritance Tax

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

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The people of the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association envision a prosperous Pennsylvania, where communities know that their treasured green places will endure. We envision a Commonwealth where the lands that guarantee our water quality are safeguarded; where every child can safely play at a nearby park; where our productive farmland and forests are protected, securing our food and timber supply; and where wild places are preserved for wildlife and people.

Thank you to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for supporting the Association’s conservation efforts.

© 2010 Pennsylvania Land Trust Association