About 90 minutes before midnight on June 30, Gov. Tom Corbett signed the 2013-14 budget-- House Bill 1437 (Adolph-R-Delaware), Corbett’s third on-time budget. Corbett said the budget helps our children receive the best education possible, helps those who need it most, and helps employers grow jobs - without raising taxes for working families.

Before adjourning for the summer on July 1, House Republicans amended and sent back to the Senate bills that amend the Tax Code, Fiscal Code, Welfare Code and Education Code with provisions implementing parts of the General Fund budget or other provisions Senate and House Republicans agreed to include.

The PA Growing Greener Coalition, the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth, Sunday praised the Corbett Administration and the House and Senate for including critical conservation programs in the 2013-2014 state budget.

With the FY 2013-14 General Fund budget now on the books (see related story), we now know $1.9 billion has been cut or diverted from environmental programs over the last 11 years, starting with the record budget and staff cuts by Gov. Rendell in each year of his administration.

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

The following bills were given final approval by the Senate and House and are now on the Governor's desk for action--

The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

Senate Bill 259 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) requiring natural gas companies operating in Pennsylvania to standardize all deductions on royalty check payment stubs has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and now heads to Gov. Corbett’s desk, according to bill sponsor Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

On June 28 the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee unanimously amended and reported out Senate Bill 555 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) that would create a Marcellus Shale Health Advisory Panel.

Harry Campbell, PA Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, issued this statement Wednesday urging Gov. Corbett to sign Senate Bill 351 (Erickson-R-Delaware) into law--

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Monday announced registration is open for the 2013 Susquehanna Water Science Forum – From Science to Sustainable Water Resources Management.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Northeastern Regional Field Office, 2013 survey of tillage practices for major field crops found 62.3 percent Pennsylvania farmland used no-till practices, up from 59.8 percent last year..

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) asked the Delaware River Basin Commission to finalize natural gas development standards so that Pennsylvanians may increase economic activity, create jobs, and cultivate a new energy source. 

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful would like to congratulate Matthew Casturo, age 18, from Elizabeth Forward High School in Allegheny County, who was chosen as the 2013 Sue Wiseman Scholarship recipient.

Do you have leftover, unusable, or unwanted paint and paint products, aerosol cans, gasoline, kerosene, nail polish and remover, hair color, household cleaners, batteries, pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals, mercury, photo chemicals or other hazardous materials taking up space in your home?

The PA Resources Council, ECOvanta and other partners have published an updated schedule of e-waste collection events in Southeast PA.  Click Here for the schedule and items to be dropped off.  Also check out a new video from a recent collection event in Philadelphia.

The second annual ReuseFest, presented by the PA Resources Council with support from the American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, will take place on August 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Goodwill Workforce Development Center (Lawrenceville), 118 52nd Street, Pittsburgh PA 15201.

The PA Association of Environmental Educators is now accepting presentation proposals for its 2014 annual conference.  The conference will be held on March 14-15 at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA. Proposals are due July 15.  Click Here for an overview of the conference.  Click Here for instructions on submitting a proposal.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is now accepting nominations for its Community Green Award to recognize greening and beautification efforts throughout Pennsylvania.  The deadline for nominations is July 15.

The Governor’s Office published the agency-by-agency Regulatory Agenda for the next six months in the July 6 PA Bulletin starting on page 3813.  Some of the significant regulatory proposals listed in the Agenda include--

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania Tuesday announced a call for presentations and speakers for the annual Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference to be held December 9-11 at the Radisson Valley Forge Hotel, King of Prussia.

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for the Small Business Advantage Grants to fund pollution prevention and energy efficiency grants.  Applications are due September 6.  (formal notice)

The Department of Environmental Protection, along with its partners at Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities, will hold free workshops in Erie and Clearfield counties for private and municipal fleet owners and operators, trucking companies, school districts, and alternative fuel station developers.

CONSOL Tuesday hosted a "Declaration of Energy Independence" celebration, during which company leaders, along with representatives from Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities and General Motors, unveiled an electric vehicle charging station at the company's headquarters in Canonsburg, PA as part of the "Energy 376 Corridor" project.

The PA Emergency Management Agency published a notice announcing it will start accepting applications for its Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Services Grant Program on September 9 and applications will be due on October 23.

Two busy boat launches on the West Branch of the Delaware River are closed after sustaining heavy damage during flooding in late June, and the Friends of the Upper Delaware are urging government officials to repair and reopen the sites as quickly as possible.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy reached a land conservation milestone when it completed a conservation easement on a family farm in Donegal Township last week. All told, the organization has permanently protected more than 10,000 acres in the Ligonier Valley through voluntary conservation easements since the 1970s.

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and Lacawac Sanctuary for a Moonlight Paddle on Lake Lacawac, located at the Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, Wayne County.

The Friends of the Wissahickon encourage families to join Susan Charkes, author of Outdoors with Kids Philadelphia and the Appalachian Mountain Club's Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia, for a guided hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on July 13 at 2 p.m.

A bald eagle soaring high on the Fourth of July. It’s about as American an image as one could conjure.

Stephanie Eisenbise has been promoted to Pennsylvania Watershed Restoration Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In this capacity she will oversee all of CBF’s restoration efforts within Pennsylvania.

Walter Lyon, 89, an environmental engineer who held a variety of management positions in local, state and federal government during the second half of the twentieth century, and specialized in environmental and health issues, passed away on June 27

The PA Environmental Council is seeking candidate to fill the position of Project Manager to support PEC’s sustainable development and transportation program in Philadelphia.  Click Here for details.

The PA Resources Council is seeking candidates to fill the position of Western Regional Director based in Pittsburgh.  Application deadline July 31.  Click Here for details.

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 Governor’s Office published the agency-by-agency Regulatory Agenda for the next six months in the July 6 PA Bulletin starting on page 3813.

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.