EPCAMR - An Urgent Note from DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty about the Growing Greener II

Dear Growing Greener Fans:

Just days remain for the Legislature to act on Governor Rendell's plan to expand and enhance Growing Greener. All of you have heard me speak repeatedly to the many urgent needs that the Governor's proposal is aimed at addressing: DEP's part of the original Growing Greener program was overspent in previous years and now is very short of funds; we have 350 years worth of abandoned mine reclamation backlogged; the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (and with it our brownfields program and toxic emergency and remediation programs) are nearly out of money; we have hundreds of millions of dollars in unmet parks, recreation and open space needs; and we are losing three acres of farmland for every one we

succeed in preserving.

Today, I want to underscore the urgency of just the first of these needs.

In numerous press accounts, Legislative leaders repeatedly assert that Growing Greener still has $700 million in authorized expenditures. Here's the bottom line: DEP will have only $5 million to $8 million in

grant money to support the fabulous work of watershed groups this coming fiscal year. That's down from a program that has offered nearly $40 million in watershed group support annually.

So the message is this: If the Legislature fails to support the Governor's initiative, most watershed groups will be left high and dry

this year. We simply will not have the funds to offer.

We at DEP have been like a broken record with this message. But still our warnings seem not to be heeded. We have not been popular in sounding this alarm. But we will be even more unpopular when so many grant applications will have to be denied for insufficient funds because the Governor's proposal was not passed by the Legislature.

All of us over the years have stood up to celebrate the good work our watershed groups do. Now we need to stand up to ensure the funds are there for our volunteers. The stakes are high for Pennsylvania's environment and economy.

6/22/2004