In a major development for the Delaware River Watershed, Laura Sparks, chief financial officer of the William Penn Foundation, announced Tuesday the Foundation is directing significant funding toward impacting the entire watershed and is interested in creating a "Vision for the Watershed."

By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Of DEP

Lamonte Garber, Agriculture Program Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Pennsylvania, offered a Lessons Learned In Chesapeake Bay Farm Restoration presentation at the October 29 session of the William Penn Foundation’s two-day Accelerating Action: The Delaware River Watershed Forum.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Just go to your Google+ page and search for DHess@CrisciAssociates.com, the email for the Digest Editor David Hess,  and let us join your Circle.

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--

Pennsylvania collected $2.1 billion in General Fund revenue in October, which was $29 million, or 1.4 percent, more than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue Daniel Meuser reported Friday.

The PA Resources Council will present its 2013 Environmental Leadership Awards to four outstanding companies and organizations during the Annual Wine Tasting & Awards Dinner November 14, at the Radisson Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, Pa.

The Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Wednesday announced the recipients of $9.2 million in grants for restoration and outreach initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed’s six states and the District of Columbia, including $1.6 million in Pennsylvania.

The October 28 issue of the now weekly Chesapeake Bay Journal is available featuring articles on keeping pharmaceuticals out of water, striped bass reproduction and much more.

Congressional Conferees began work Wednesday on resolving differences between the Senate and House provisions in the Farm Bill, but Andrew McElwaine, President and CEO American Farmland Trust, noted the federal shutdown has not ended for many farm programs because the existing Farm Bill expired on September 30.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Dominion are accepting proposals for the 2013-14 Watershed Mini Grant Program, which provides assistance to the region’s grassroots watershed groups.  Proposals are due December 20.

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday awarded Minichi, Inc. of Dupont, Luzerne County, two contracts totaling more than $3 million for work on abandoned mine reclamation projects in Hanover Township and the city of Pittston.

The first issue of DEP News was published by the Department of Environmental Protection October 31 and featured stories on an innovative mine drainage treatment project in Cambria County, the PA Brownfields Conference in December and a new video on DEP’s laboratory services.  Click Here to read this edition.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.

The Delaware River Basin Commission Thursday announced the release of two new interactive maps on its website to allow the public to access select commission docket and permit holder information, as well as certain data from non-tidal Delaware River Basin water quality monitoring locations.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary this week published the Fall issue of Estuary News providing the latest updates of estuary activities and initiatives.

Most private, non-profit organizations and small aquaculture businesses in Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties are eligible for federal economic injury disaster loans as a result of excessive rain, related flooding, winds and hail last May.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding eligible private non-profit organizations in Pennsylvania of the December 2 deadline to submit disaster loan applications for damages caused by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding between June 26 and July 11, 2013. 

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday issued the fourth update on the Permit Decision Guarantee Program which reported 95 percent of the permits covered by the program were decided within the required decision schedule.

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced the opening of a supplemental 30-day public comment period on the Permit Decision Guarantee Policy as part of its annual review.  (formal notice)

EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin Tuesday joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Sen. Michael Stack (D-Philadelphia), Rep.  John Taylor (R-Philadelphia), City Councilman Bobby Henon and Philadelphia Park & Recreation Commissioner Michael DeBerardinis at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Port Richmond Trail, a riverfront greenway, in Pulaski Park at Delaware and Allegheny Avenues.

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for its 2014 Environmental Education Grants Program.  The deadline for applications is January 6.  (formal notice)

The PA Association of Environmental Educators will hold its 2014 Annual Conference on March 14-15 with a theme of “Spheres of Influence: Shaping The Curve of Environmental Education” at the Antiochian Village, near Ligonier, Pa.

The PA Section-American Water Works Association announced this week college students can apply for a Charles Roberts Scholarship in the amount of $5,000 for those pursuing undergraduate degree programs in the water science field.  The deadline for applications is January 6.   Click Here for the application and details on the scholarship.

The October newsletter of the PA Association of Environmental Educators features information on their 2014 conference, the Crayola ColorCycle Program and the November 9 PA Wild Resources Symposium.

Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful have reduced cigarette litter by 57 percent at 25 locations in downtown Erie, five locations at Erie State Parks, and 20 locations covering the entire coastal zone from the New York border to the Ohio border.

Don’t trash that campaign sign!  Bring it to the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority and have it recycled.

The PA Resources Council  has partnered with the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police to pilot a new Don't Trash My Turf! Litter Hotline that will enable citizens to report incidences of trash being tossed from vehicles onto the streets of Pittsburgh.

The Professional Recyclers of PA are sponsoring an Introduction to Zero Waste workshop on November 18 in Philadelphia for those organizations working towards a zero waste goal.

The PA Resources Council, ECOvanta and other partners completed another year of successful electronic waste recycling collections and is excited to report the total pounds processed this year are 50 percent more than last year!

The November edition of the PA Resources Council online newsletter is now available featuring stories on the 2013 Leadership Awards dinner, a new Pittsburgh Litter Hotline, southwest PA school recycling challenge, PRC East electronics waste recycling and much more.

PPL Electric Utilities customers were instrumental in helping Pennsylvania recently reach a milestone of recycling 200,000 outdated refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners by recycling more than 63,000 appliances.  UGI said its customers recycled 600 appliances have been recycled to date through the Appliance Recycling program, representing over 600,000 annual kilowatt hours of electricity savings.

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced has signed a consent order and agreement with Ecopax, LLC of  Forks Township, Northampton County which requires the company to pay a civil penalty of $192,085.78 for violations of the Air Pollution Control Act.  

Gov. Tom Corbett and the Department of Environmental Protection Thursday urged residents and small businesses to act now to take advantage of the remaining $1 million in rebates available through the agency's Sunshine Solar Program, ending December 31 or when funds are exhausted.    

Coal's affordability and reliability as an energy source, coupled with American emission reduction technology, could give the U.S. a significant competitive edge over other countries, the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance told a Congressional Committee Tuesday.

The Department of Public Welfare will be accepting applications for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance starting November 4.  Click Here for details.

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ Forestry Department has begun its fall prescribed burns to reduce the risk of wildfire at Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon County.

Visitors to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, Berks County will have a guaranteed chance to see North America’s largest predatory bird on “Golden Eagle Saturday,” November 9 with one-day-only eagle programs presented at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

With deer becoming increasingly active, and daylight saving time about to put more vehicles on the road during the hours when deer move most, the Game Commission is advising motorists to slow down and stay alert.

When sunny days and fall foliage tempt the boater in you, don’t forget about your life jacket, especially if you are planning to use a canoe, kayak or similar small boat.

The Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery County will host a public meeting to discuss progress to date on the Sustainable Trails Initiative and upcoming projects for 2014 on November 25 at 6:00 p.m. at Cathedral Village. A representative from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is expected.

PPL’s Holtwood hydroelectric plant recently transferred nearly 300 acres of land to the Lancaster County Conservancy for long-term preservation.

With a chance to reach people at their computers without making them travel, DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation will be hosting two web seminars within the next two months.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is now seeking grant applications for new projects to improve canoe and kayak access to the region’s waterways.  The deadline for applications is November 15.

The Fall issue of Penn’s Stewards from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation is now available featuring articles on pets and the outdoors, the 5th annual Great PA Outdoor Challenge, the winners of the Parks and Forests through the Seasons Photo Contest and much more.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Thursday announced Dan Devlin has been named acting Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry effective November 4.

The Berks County Conservation District is looking for a person who is motivated, enthusiastic and a team player to fill an Agriculture Resource conservationist position.  The deadline for applications is November 27.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice of an opportunity to bid on State Park projects in Crawford, Cumberland and Luzerne 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 NewsClips 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 Department of Environmental Protection is seeking public comment on proposed fine particulate nonattainment area designations including areas the Greater Philadelphia Area (which includes Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia Counties), Northampton County Area, Lancaster County Area, Cambria County Area, the Greater Pittsburgh Area (which includes Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties) and the Liberty/Clairton Area.  The proposed designations will be available through DEP’s Air Quality webpage.

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.