The Pennsylvania Alliance for Restoration and Conservation, a coalition of conservation, sportsmens and parks organizations, was joined by a bipartisan group of House members and representatives of libraries to oppose part of the budget agreement that would take $40 million annually from the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund to support the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund over the next two years.

The transfer from the Keystone Fund is part of the budget agreed to by Senate and House leaders and Gov. Rendell.

Speakers at the press conference said the proposal was “robbing Peter to pay Paul” by diverting funds from one environmental program to another, although during the last year’s budget settlement $75 million earmarked for the Keystone Fund was diverted to the General Fund to balance the budget and for the last two years HSCA was funded by taking $50 million from another environmental fund – the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund—taking a total of $125 million from environmental programs.

The budget also includes provisions for taking about $25 million in debt service payments for the Growing Greener II bond issue from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund, taking money away from watershed restoration, mine reclamation, State Park and recreation projects.

A bipartisan group of legislators, including Representatives Harper (R-Montgomery), Gerber (D-Montgomery), Ross (R-Chester), McIlvaine-Smith (D-Montgomery), Rubley (R-Chester), Quigley (R-Montgomery), Mensch (R-Montgomery), O'Neill (R-Bucks), Vitali (D-Delaware), Moyer (R-Montgomery), Quinn (R-Bucks), McIlhattan (R-Clarion), Hornaman (D-Erie), M. O'Brien (D-Philadelphia), Leach (D-Montgomery), Scavello (R-Monroe), DePasquale (D-York), Surra (D-Elk), Killian (R-Chester), W. Keller (D-Philadelphia), Freeman (D-Lehigh), Mackereth (R-York), McGeehen (D-Philadelphia) and Curry (D-Montgomery) participated in the press conference.

“The Keystone Fund provides critical funding for local parks, recreation projects, and for conserving what is left of our open space and natural heritage,” said Brian Hill, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and co-chair of PARC.

“We know that it is vitally important to find funding for HSCA,” continued Hill. “But it should not be at the expense of another crucial conservation program. There are several alternatives for funding HSCA already under consideration in the General Assembly; the PARC Coalition strongly believes that one of these proposed new funding mechanisms should be utilized.”

Hill added, “Each year we find ourselves fighting off proposals to rob Peter to pay Paul when it comes to protecting and conserving the environment. The citizens of Pennsylvania have been clear in their support of providing more funding for conservation, not less.”

Hill concluded, “At a time when the state is developing a response to climate change, we should not cut the Keystone Fund, a nationally recognized conservation program. Forests, farms and open space store carbon and offset global warming. Protecting these lands is in the Commonwealth’s best interest.”

Video Blog: Brian Hill Speaks Out Against Transfer from Keystone Fund

“Costs for local park and recreation projects increase every day, and the cost of preserving open space escalates as development pressure increases,” said Andy Loza, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association. “If funding is taken away from Keystone, it will mean fewer local athletic fields, fewer park improvements and thousands of acres of land lost to development. That is simply unacceptable to us and to the people of Pennsylvania.”

Several legislators proposed alternatives to the transfer include Rep. Ross (R-Chester) who suggested funding HSCA by setting aside revenue from the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and later the Corporate Net Income Tax and Rep. McIlvaine-Smith (D-Montgomery) supported Gov. Rendell’s proposal to raise the fee on municipal waste disposed in Pennsylvania by $2.25/ton.

NewsClips: Rendell Plan Draws Fire From Environmentalists and Officials

Editorial: Fix the Keystone Fund With Part of Surplus

Groups Oppose Recreation Funds Shift

Realtors Oppose Raiding Keystone Fund

Op-Ed: Save Our Parks

House Panel Checks Environmental Programs

Land Conservation Funds at Risk

Big Cut Frees Dollars for Cleanup Programs

Keystone Fund Cut Hang-Up for Budget

Editorial: Budget Cuts Money for Parks

Links: Environmental Groups Ask for Restoration of Growing Greener Fund

90% Strongly Support Clean Water, 95% Link With Economic Competitiveness

Groups Concerned About State Environmental Funding, Federal Cuts

More Environmental Groups Express Concern About Environmental Funding

Environmental Funding Needs Highlighted by Chesapeake Bay Foundation

7/13/2007