The Department of Environmental Protection kicked off Earth Month Monday with the launch of its Earth Day Central webpage and the announcement that the agency will display its interactive “DEP at Home” exhibit in the East Wing Rotunda of the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, from April 22-26.

The Tribune Review reported Wednesday the state will collect about $6 million less in drilling fee revenues for the 2012 reporting year than during the first year of collections-- $198 million versus $204 million-- bringing the total collected so far to $402 million.

Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday announced that 19 organizations involved in 16 environmental projects from across the state will receive the 2013 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

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

Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) circulated a memo this week asking House members to sign on to a bill which would prohibit DEP from applying its anti-degradation rule to the consideration of onlot sewage modules in High Quality and Exceptional Value watersheds.

Sen. Tim Solobay (D-Washington) is again introducing a resolution-- Senate Resolution 38-- urging the Department of General Services to study whether it should convert more state vehicles to run on natural gas.

The House Finance Committee on April 9 and the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on April 10 are scheduled to consider an eight bill package designed to promote the conversion of vehicles and fleets to natural gas called Marcellus Works.

At its April 16 meeting, DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council will hear a presentation from PUC Commissioner Pamela Witmer on revenue received from the Act 13 drilling impact fees and how those monies were distributed.

Thanks to the Department of Environmental Protection’s successful Hollywood acid mine drainage treatment plant, the Bennett Branch and Toby Creek watershed associations and the Potter County Anglers’ Club will celebrate the waterway’s rebirth on April 6 and stock 1,000 trout above and below the plant near the Clearfield-Elk counties border.

The Wildlands Conservancy is seeking nominations for its Friend of the Lehigh River Awards which annually recognizes individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, institutions, or government entities for their commitment to preserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Lehigh River and its watershed.

The Conemaugh Valley Conservancy’s Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team has published its 2012 annual report, which is available for download on its website.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association in Montgomery County are joining forces to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom on April 27 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has partnered with the Community Action Commission to plant 20 street trees along Derry Street in Harrisburg on April 27 starting at 1:00.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notices inviting public comments on proposed total maximum daily load plans for Doylestown Stream and Dry Run Watersheds in Franklin County (PA Bulletin page 1931).

An environmental attorney, with experience working for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, has been named as the new director of the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State Extension is delivering an important message to pesticide applicators in Pennsylvania this year on the impact of water quality on pesticide performance.

The Bucks County Audubon Society and the Heritage Conservancy will present a symposium on May 4 entitled, “A History of Protecting the Future: The Story of the Honey Hollow Watershed,” at the Buck County Audubon Visitor Center at 2877 Creamery Road in New Hope.

The Environmental Quality Board meets on April 16 to consider a series of regulation changes, including final rulemaking changing some water quality standards.  The agenda items include--

Project Learning Tree is now accepting applications from schools and nonprofit organizations for environmental service-learning projects.  Deadline for applications is September 30.

The PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture, already at the forefront of farm-based education in Pennsylvania, Tuesday announced an expanded list of partners offering courses for consumers interested in living more sustainably.

Attention Pittsburgh apartment dwellers and friends of apartment dwellers - does your building recycle? Tell Zero Waste Pittsburgh your story and your building could be selected to participate in a multi-family housing recycling program made possible through the generous support of the Alcoa Foundation. 

The PA Resources Council and its partners are sponsoring special collection events in Pittsburgh in April and May.  Here’s a list of upcoming events--

The Professional Recyclers of PA will host a recycling certification class on May 2 in Harrisburg entitled, “Plastics: Beyond the Bottle.”

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday released detailed sampling and quality assurance plans for its ongoing comprehensive radiation study of oil and gas development.

The Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday it will host an open house and formal public hearing on May 1 to discuss a proposed air quality plan approval for MarkWest Liberty Midstream and Resources LLC to install and begin temporary operation of new equipment at its Smith Compressor Station. 

FirstEnergy will sponsor a webinar on April 10 on Sustainable Lighting Basics-Where to Begin starting at Noon.

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting and hearing on May 2 to discuss a proposed Air Quality plan approval for En-Tire Logistics of Milton PA LLC for a new tire-derived fuel steam and power generation plant to be constructed in White Deer Township, Union County.

The creation of the banana split, a Civil War prisoner of war camp and the inventor of the first practical artificial blood vessel replacement are among the subjects of 12 new state historical markers approved by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission .

The Delaware & Lehigh Trail—a 165-mile rail-trail through eastern Pennsylvania—generates an annual economic impact of more than $19 million in the communities it passes through, according to new findings published by the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy.

By: Tom Sexton, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

TreeVitalize Pittsburgh has launched a spring season will that will move the partnership closer to its current goal of planting 20,000 trees in the region.

Spring has sprung! The Appalachian Audubon Society will hold a Spring Native Plant Sale on Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m at the Meadowood Nursery in Hummelstown near Harrisburg. 

Charles Bier, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy senior director of conservation science, just created a new episode of Field Notes, the Conservancy’s periodic podcast.

The Game Commission plans to use prescribed fire this spring to improve forest and wildlife habitat on several State Game Lands in Dauphin County and Schuylkill County.

Rhyolite, a geological feature of South Mountain, will be the topic of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on April 10, at Penn State Mont Alto in Franklin County.

The West Branch of the Susquehanna River is calling you. Answer by signing up for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership’s annual sojourn that has been slated for May 14-19.

Anglers from across the state are gearing up to fish their favorite spots at 8 a.m. on April 13, which marks the traditional statewide opening day of trout season.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice of an opportunity to bid on construction projects in Bucks County.

The Fish and Boat Commission is seeking individuals interested in a career as a fisheries biologist. The PFBC currently has one vacancy each for a Fisheries Biologist 1, Fisheries Biologist 2 and Fisheries Biologist 3 in Centre County.

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  Environmental Quality Board meets on April 16 and will consider-- Proposed Medical and Chemotherapeutic Waste Regulations; Consideration of Rulemaking Petition on Cranberry Creek, Monroe County; Consideration of Final Rulemaking Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards; and Statement of Policy On Site-Specific Water Quality Criteria For Toxic Substances

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.