The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 2012 State of the Bay Report released Wednesday shows the health of the Bay improved one point over the last report in 2010, and is up four points since 2008, a 10 percent improvement in less than five years.

Click Here to watch an interview with Harry Campbell, a Senior Scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation based in Harrisburg, on the State of the Bay report issued by CBF on January 2. 

A continuing budget resolution passed by Congress at the end of last year fixed the funding allocation in the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program which would have reduced mine cleanup funding to Pennsylvania by $200 million over the next 10 years, according to John Dawes at the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

Pennsylvania collected $2.4 billion in General Fund revenue in December, which was $112.4 million, or 4.8 percent, more than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue Daniel Meuser reported Wednesday.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Adults throughout Pennsylvania have a new opportunity to become volunteers for the 4-H Stream Teams Program.

Pennsylvania has been a leader in improving the quality of its environment after many years of mismanagement. Forty-five years ago this month, Pennsylvania passed the Land and Water Conservation and Reclamation Act, the first act to address abandoned mine reclamation.

Did you know that milk is made up of 87 percent water?  While many people never step foot on an actual dairy farm, they do reap many benefits from the items produced there.

The Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery County are inviting the public to participate in their long-range planning process with a questionnaire on their website.

The PA Section of the American Water Works Association is offering a variety of certification courses this Spring for water and wastewater system operators.  Click Here for a list of courses, dates, times and registration information.

The Delaware River Basin Commission is pleased to announce the launch of an online reporting system for its Water Supply Charges Program.  Designed to simplify surface water use reporting for WSCP participants, the new system eliminates the need for the currently used paper reports.

The Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research will be offering a series of courses starting in late January on issues related to Marcellus Shale development.  The courses scheduled so far include--

With the movie Promised Land opening in theaters across the nation Friday, the Marcellus Shale Coalition is launching a campaign in Pennsylvania theaters and on social media channels to respond to the work of fiction with real facts and responsible conversation around the issue of natural gas development.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council announced the winners of its first annual Don’t Trash My Turf! “Cleanup Your Turf for Supplies” Contest in Pittsburgh.

The PA Resources Council this week reminded consumers that beginning January 24, a disposal ban on covered electronic devices goes into effect in Pennsylvania.

The Department of Environmental Protection will host a public hearing on January 22, to receive comments about PA Waste LLC’s proposal to construct a new municipal waste landfill in Boggs Township, Clearfield County.

Mark C. Pedersen, a manager with Republic Services, has been named president of the PA Waste Industries Association, which represents private-sector waste haulers, landfill operators, and recyclers and serves as the state chapter of the National Solid Wastes Management Association.

Each year the PA Association of Environmental Educators presents awards during it annual conference to individuals and organizations are recognized for the contributions they have made to the field of environmental education.

The Southwestern PA Air Quality Partnership, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, invite students to enter the 3rd Annual Let’s Clear the Air Poster Challenge.  The deadline for entries is March 1.

The Public Utility Commission will hold a Special Electric Reliability Forum on January 10 to hear from the state’s electric utilities that were affected by Superstorm Sandy.

A sculpture made from nearly 1,000 pounds of butter was unveiled today at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, paying tribute to Pennsylvania’s diverse agriculture industry.

The Department of Environmental Protection will host a “Meet the Experts” afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. on January 6, at the Main Hall of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as LIHEAP, started offering crisis grants on January 2 to provide emergency home heating support to those struggling to heat their home this winter.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority has won a “Pioneer in Housing Award” in recognition of its commitment to tackling critical environmental and energy issues with an entrepreneurial approach to financing development.

The Pennsylvania Sustainable Energy Board, in conjunction with the Public Utility Commission will hold its annual meeting at 11 a.m., on January 10 in Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Board of Coal Mine Safety published its schedule of meetings in 2013 beginning on March 26. (formal notice)

The Citizens Advisory Council to the Department of Environmental Protection meets on January 15 to, among other items, continue its discussion of which issues the Council will consider during 2013.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources forester Gary Gilmore talks about how sustainable forestry practices used on state forest land can apply to private landowners in this iConservePA.org online video.  Click Here to watch the video.

The Friends of the Wissahickon invite the public to come in from the cold for free lectures this winter presented by FOW Trail Ambassadors at The Cedars House, Montgomery County. All lectures are free to the public. Registration is not required but is recommended, as seating is limited.

The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited, Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide magazine and Bass Pro Shops of Harrisburg are once again sponsoring the Pennsylvania State Fly Tying Championship to be held on February 9 at the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show at the State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy/Eagle Institute on any one of seven guided eagle-viewing bus trips, scheduled on multiple weekends throughout January and February.

The Berks County Conservation District is seeking applicants for two positions: Agriculture Resource Conservation and an Administrative Assistance.  Applications will be accepted until January 31.  Click Here for details.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published a notice of opportunity to bid on state park projects in Elk, Clarion and Indiana counties.

This section gives you a continuously updated thumbnail sketch of issues to be considered in upcoming advisory committee meetings where the agendas have been released

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other recognition programs.  NEW means new from last week.

Here's a selection of NewClips on environmental topics from around the state--

Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling---

Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--

The Public Utility Commission formally published its order implementing Act 13 Marcellus Shale drilling fee requirements and a notice of correction to implementing the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards demand side management technical manual.

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage.

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to:  DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.