Category Archives: Opinion

We must fully fund America’s best conservation program

Bucks County Courier Times

Guest Opinion by Jessica Bellwoar

Posted Jul 2, 2019 at 11:34 AM    

As many of us get ready to kick off our July Fourth vacations, sightseeing and picnics, it’s the perfect time to celebrate America’s commitment to preserving the outdoors and our access to it.

But protecting and maintaining these iconic outdoor destinations don’t happen by accident. That requires sustained stewardship, as well as money. Right now, Congress has a chance to make sure Pennsylvania’s outdoor treasures are protected for generations to come.

That means fully funding America’s best conservation program: the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy came up with the idea for the program, later signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The promise? To invest hundreds of millions of dollars in outdoor projects for the benefit of all Americans.

In the 54 years that the fund has been around, it has supported over 41,000 projects in all 50 states, whether national parks (think Valley Forge, the Appalachian Trail, Gettysburg and Delaware Water Gap), hiking trails or youth sports fields.

All Americans benefit from Land and Water Conservation dollars. Despite how long the fund has been around, most Pennsylvanians are unaware of how it enhances our quality of life and the environment around us. For example, the fund is the reason we could create the Flight 93 Memorial to both honor the victims from 9/11 and restore the surrounding area in Shanksville by planting hundreds of trees to build a new forest alongside the memorial.

Over the years, Congress has had to reauthorize the fund multiple times, but legislators have only twice fully funded the program at $900 million. Instead, common practice has been to divert the money elsewhere. In fact, Congress has raided $22 billion from the fund since its inception.

But in 2019, hope rises like spacious skies over amber waves of grain.

With overwhelming majorities, Congress passed a bill signed by President Donald Trump in March that permanently reauthorized the fund. Then, two weeks ago, a bipartisan group of representatives, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick from Bucks County, unveiled a bill in the House that would allocate the full annual allotment of $900 million. That bill has passed out of committee and now heads for a full floor vote. The Senate also held a hearing on June 25 on a similar bipartisan bill for full funding.

Fitzpatrick continues to be a vocal champion for Pennsylvania’s public parks and our outdoor treasures. If we are going to protect the Land and Water Conservation Fund for years to come, we need all of our Pennsylvania senators and members of Congress to fight for secure, permanent, long-term funding so that Bucks County can benefit from places like Neshaminy State Park, Tyler State Park and Core Creek Park.

So while we’re enjoying celebrating our nation’s birthday, we should remember that one of the reasons we have so many beautiful destinations to choose from is the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I think we can all agree that a dollar spent to protect America’s iconic landmarks today and for generations to come is a good investment.

I’m encouraged and inspired by the overwhelming public support behind the fund. Now it’s time for our elected officials to finish the job and fully fund America’s best conservation program.

Jessica Bellwoar is the conservation associate for PennEnvironment, a citizen-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

Photo Credit: Jackie Brochman

Zero Waste PA Plan Deserves Support

PA House Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler speaking at Zero Waste PA press conference in April 2019, alongside 10 other PA House Reps. Photo Credit: Author

Letter to the Editor of The Delco Times:

Published 04/27/19
Dear Editor,

As the nation celebrates Earth Day this week, it’s important to applaud the leadership of our local elected officials working to protect our environment.

In particular, I was excited to hear about Chester County Reps. Danielle Friel Otten and Melissa Shusterman introducing legislation to create composting systems and improve systems for “hard to recycle” items like plastic and styrofoam packaging.

The representatives proposals are part of a larger package of bills being introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly called the “Zero Waste PA” legislation.

In total, the Zero Waste Pa. legislation will promote more recycling across the state, address pollution from single use plastics and chronic litter problems facing many communities, and help divert waste from our landfills and incinerators.

This Earth Day, Reps. Friel Otten and Shusterman deserve a pat on the back from their constituents for their work to make sure that every day is Earth Day.
Jessica Bellwoar
Conservation Associate
PennEnvironment

Help to preserve our places of natural heritage

Photo Credit: Valley Forge National Historical Park in Autumn (VFTCB)

Letter to the Editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Published 09/01/18

Dear Editor,

 Labor Day is a special weekend for families, and many Pennsylvanians will spend time outside visiting the state’s scenic landscapes and national parks.

 What many Pennsylvanians may not realize is that many of these important natural heritages have been preserved through a program called the Land and Water Conservation Fund. They include places like Valley Forge, Gettysburg and the Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset County. Locally, it has helped fund more then $1.32 million in protection and maintenance of Settlers Cabin Regional Park, Brentwood Borough Community Park and North Shore Park.

Unfortunately, without congressional action this fall, LWCF will expire and put many of the greatest places here and across the country at risk. For decades, LWCF has protected the places we love and cherish. Now we must protect LWCF.

 I hope concerned citizens will call and email Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and ask them to reauthorize LWCF this fall.

JESSICA BELLWOAR
Conservation Associate
PennEnvironment
Philadelphia, Pa.