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Registration is open for 2012 Schuylkill Watershed Congress
Sign up now for the 2012 Schuylkill Watershed Congress on Saturday, March 10! The 2012 Congress will feature sessions on native plants, green infrastructure, monitoring & evaluation in the Hopewell Big Woods, geology of the Schuylkill watershed, dam removal, American Shad restoration, sustainable stormwater management, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in the PA Delaware River Basin, chemical-free lawn management, constructed wetlands for on-lot wastewater treatment, and more.
For full information and to register online, go to: www.delawareriverkeeper.org/Pdf/2012_WC_Online_Detail.pdf
Registration is $40 through Feb. 17, $50 through March 2, and $60 thereafter. The 2012 Watershed Congress is made possible in part by grants from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Recreation and Conservation's Environmental Stewardship Fund, and from Pennsylvania Sea Grant.
Growing Greener Funding and Marcellus Impact Fee
Governor Corbett’s proposal of a shale gas impact fee has evoked a variety of answering bills from legislators across the state, bills that would protect the environment and allocate drilling impact fees to a variety of programs. GreenSpace Alliance urges legislators to include funding for Growing Greener in any proposed legislation.
This extremely successful environmental funding program has directed over $82 million in environmental funding to our region, which has been matched by millions of dollars of local support to generate a massive environmental investment in communities across our region.
GreenSpace Alliance's "Return on Environment" study demonstrates that protected open space in Southeastern Pennsylvania generates billions of dollars for the region in the form of enhanced property values and property taxes, stormwater control, air and water purification, free recreation, jobs, and avoided medical costs. Growing Greener is an essential tool for creating these benefits in our region and statewide, and continued funding for this program should be included in any impact fee legislation.
Final Report Released: Return on Environment
Return on Environment, the final version of The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Southeastern Pennsylvania report has been released by the GreenSpace Alliance and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
The final report includes the appendices and an analysis of stormwater runoff in four sub-watersheds and estimates the value of stormwater retention provided by local open spaces which can retain more water than if the land is developed. The estimated capital costs for constructing manmade stormwater detention facilities in the four areas total $87 million. An additional annual investment of $2.6 million would be required to maintain the new infrastructure. Given that the area studied is only 9% of southeastern Pennsylvania, this is a fraction of the total impact of protected open space.
This report is the first to quantify the economic value of protected open space in the five-county Philadelphia metropolitan area. Preserved open spaces are so much more than just pretty places. They contribute to our local economies and property values. They help us save on everything from health care to recreation, and they perform valuable ecosystem services that naturally clean the air we breathe and the water we drink.
We encourage you to find out more by reading the full report or the study summary through the links below. After reading it, we hope you will spread the word about the value of open space.
Pennypack Greenway Slideshow
Download the Pennypack Slide Show (93 mb)
Pennypack Greenway Partnership Video
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Pennypack Greenway while you learn about the challenges facing it. Click here to view the video and hear about the vision of the Pennypack Greenway.
Updated Regional Green Plan
The Regional Green Plan has been updated. Visit www.regionalgreenplan.org for complete information.
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