Here are 117 stories from the PA Environment Digest about hundreds of individuals, businesses, farmers, schools, local governments, students of all ages, nonprofit groups and organizations just like you honored for doing great things to protect and restore our environment in every corner of the Commonwealth during 2014.  Will we find YOU on this list in 2015?

Davitt Woodwell, President and CEO of the PA Environmental Council, this week announced the launch of the organization’s new website he called The PEC Channel to help fulfill the group’s mission to protect and restore the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education and advocacy through partnerships with the private sector, government, communities and individuals.

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--

Several members of the Senate and House this week circulated memos this week seeking co-sponsors for a variety of environmental proposal--

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced it has signed a Consent Order and Agreement with Vantage Energy Appalachia, LLC, fining the company $999,900 for more than a dozen violations of environmental regulations stemming from a landslide and illegal waste disposal at their Porter Street well pad in Franklin Township, Greene County, earlier this year.

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced a settlement with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC for multiple violations of the Clean Streams Law during the construction of a natural gas pipeline in 2011 and 2012 through four counties in northeast and northcentral Pennsylvania.

Capital Region Water is seeking public comment on proposed stormwater rules and regulations that will guide how Capital Region Water manages stormwater in the City of Harrisburg to protect local waterways and meet permit requirements.

The Penn State Master Well Owner Network recently added 24 new volunteers who completed the Fall 2014 online training courses. These volunteers join over 600 others who are dedicated to providing unbiased, research-based education on the proper management of private water wells, springs and cisterns.

PA American Water Tuesday announced the lifting of the voluntary conservation notice for customers in its Nazareth Service Area in Northampton County. The conservation notice was issued for PA American Water customers on November 13 due to below-normal rainfall.

The December 22 Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring articles on--

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday extended the public comment period to January 9 based on requests received since a December 10 meeting and hearing on the proposed Elcon Recycling Services liquid hazardous waste treatment facility in the Keystone Industrial Port Complex in Falls Township, Bucks County.

The December 23 issue of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring stories on--

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the 2015 schedule of meetings for advisory committees and boards under its jurisdiction in the December 27 PA Bulletin starting on page 8057.

The Public Utility Commission Monday released the results of its annual Cold Weather Survey, which showed that about 23,213 households will enter the winter season without heat-related utility service compared to 19,653 this time last year.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the December 27 PA Bulletin announcing the continued availability of rebates for alternative fuel vehicles.  The following rebates are still available:

Helping visitors ring in 2015 with healthy exercise and a glimpse of nature’s winter beauty, the Bureau of State Parks again will sponsor free, guided hikes in 22 state parks on New Year’s Day as part of America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states.

Thousands of guided outdoor recreation events across the state – from after work hikes to family fishing programs to night time paddles – connect people to enriching outdoor experiences through the Get Outdoors PA program.

Moving to meet mounting invasive insect and plant threats, while fine-tuning resource management techniques at its 120 state parks, the Bureau of State Parks has announced formation of a new Natural Resource Program Specialists unit tasked with a wide range of field activities and projects.

DCNR has a new online calendar intended to make the site more user friendly. Listed on the site are outdoor recreation programs going on at Pennsylvania’s state parks, forests and partner locations at all times of year.

$3 million in federal funding has been approved to advance open space preservation across the Schuylkill Highlands area of southeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the multi-state Highlands Region.

The December issue of the eCONNECTIONS newsletter is now available from the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership featuring articles on--

The December 24 issue of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice of an opportunity to bid on State Park and State Forest projects in Blair, Forest 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.  It also gives you a heads-up on House and Senate Committee meetings, conferences and other interesting events.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.

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--

No new regulations were published this week.  Pennsylvania Bulletin - December 27, 2014

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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.