PA Environment Digest

Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware), Majority Chair of the Appropriations Chairman, introduced a budget proposal for the 2011-2012 fiscal year this week that would restore a half-billion dollars to basic and higher education that was reduced in Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget plan.

“We are committed to easing what we believe was an unfair burden placed on local school districts, colleges and universities,” Rep. Adolph said.

House Republicans are positioning their proposal for a vote in the full House the week of May 23 when they return from their Primary Election break.

The proposal-- House Bill 1485 (Adolph-R-Delaware)-- does not exceed $27.3 Billion and has no tax increases. The $27.3 Billion represents a 3 percent reduction compared to the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget which was supplemented by nearly $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars distributed throughout the state budget. The areas which received the largest percentage of stimulus Money: Welfare with $1.7 billion, Education with $1.1 billion, and Corrections $180 million.

The House Republican budget spreadsheet is available online.

Environmental Funding

The House Republican budget maintains the cuts proposed by Gov. Corbett in March and further reduces funding to the Department of Agriculture personnel line item by $567,000 and the budget for the Department of Environmental Protection by just over $2 million ($1.67 million in a personnel line item and $390,000 for the West Nile Virus Program.

The budget for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources would remain the same as proposed by Gov. Corbett.

Corbett's Budget Proposal

As a refresher, here's a quick summary of Gov. Corbett's proposed budget:

DEP Proposal: Funding for the Department of Environmental Protection was decreased to $679.3 million from $839.3 million, most as a result of the federal stimulus project funds not being available. The General Fund portion was reduced to $139.9 million from $147 million this year.

These reductions take the General Fund appropriations below the 1994 levels DEP was cut to over the last two years. (See Rendell Environmental Funding Record)

Authorized complement for DEP is proposed to be reduced by 69 positions (vacancies) to 2,770.

Conservation District funding in the budgets for DEP and Agriculture would remain the same, the first time in 8 years a Governor did not propose a cut.

In other major cuts, $3.4 million was eliminated for flood control projects.

DCNR Budget: The budget for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources largely remains the same due to increased use of special funds like the Oil and Gas Lease Fund.

The overall budget for DCNR was increased to $284 million from $282 million, with the General Fund portion decreasing to $58.3 million from $82.4 million this year. Funding levels remain about where they were last year equaling DCNR's appropriation in 1995. (See Rendell Environmental Funding Record)

DCNR would see an increase in funding available from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund to $43 million from $27.7 million in the current year. Funds available for Parks and Forestry Facility Rehabilitation would increase to $19.8 million from $12.7 million, Local Recreation Grant funds would increase to $16.5 from $10.6 million and funding for Land Trusts would increase to $6.6 from $4.2 million. There is no transfer of funds proposed from the Keystone Fund to the General Fund.

Funding available to DCNR from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund would increase to $65 million from $35 million this year, including $15 million specifically for State Parks. There is no transfer of funds from the Oil and Gas Fund to the state General Fund.

In DCNR the number of positions will stay the same at 1,389.

Agriculture Proposal: The budget for the Department of Agriculture will decrease to $247 million from $262 million this year. Staff positions would be reduced by 7 to 611.

The Resource Enhancement and Protection Tax Credit was increased to $10 million from $4.5 million from this year.

Growing Greener Fund: The Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund is proposed to support $69.8 million in debt service payments and projects, down from $112.8 million this fiscal year as a result of the end of bond funding from Growing Greener II.

Debt service payments would increase from $36.8 to $42.5 million.

Watershed grants would decrease from $42.2 to $10.2 million. Funding for abandoned mine reclamation and sewage and drinking water grants would be zeroed out. DCNR Community Conservation Grants would be reduced from $18.8 to $5.7 million. Funding for PennVEST would be reduce to $6.4 million from $7.4 million.

Growing Greener support for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program would decrease slightly to $4 million from $4.6 million.

Environmental Education: In the budget for the State System of Higher Education, funding for the PA Center for Environmental Education and McKeever Environmental Education Center is proposed to be eliminated.

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