Pennsylvania Legacies

It's not just Pennsylvania -- trails and greenways are becoming must-have amenities for communities throughout the U.S. and around the world. But the trend isn't universal, and the scarcity of trails in many areas is reflected in lower public health, wellness, and quality-of-life ratings. We assess the global trails landscape in conversation with Mike Passo of American Trails, the national nonprofit behind the International Trails Symposium. Plus: a forthcoming state Senate bill would cap greenhouse-gas emissions from Pennsylvania's electricity sector and create a new market for zero-carbon energy produced in the commonwealth. We kick off this week's episode with details and analysis from the PEC Policy program.

Through research, activism, and thought leadership, colleges and universities have always been the vanguard of the sustainability movement. But, like any large enterprise, most are also voracious consumers of energy and resources. The University of Pittsburgh is one in a growing number of schools that are leveraging their operational scale to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. Pitt’s newly seated Director of Sustainability, Aurora Sharrard, explains how.

As Ben Franklin wrote, “when the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” But how do you calculate the value of water resources in dollars and cents? Researcher Spencer Phillips, Ph.D., unpacks the far-reaching economic impacts of water quality in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. Phillips is the lead author of an innovative new study funded by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and partners in DCNR’s Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape.

Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s most extensive state park-and-forest systems, and for decades it’s been growing in size as well as popularity. But funding for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) hasn’t kept pace with that growth. As a result, a new Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) report warns, DCNR is facing a $1 billion backlog in delayed maintenance and repairs to park and forest infrastructure. We look at the state of our state parks and forests with PPFF president Marci Mowery.

The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership is a small organization with a big name, and even bigger ambitions. Executive Director Julie Slavet explains how TTF works across urban/suburban boundaries to educate and engage residents, and how they leverage collaborations like the Delaware River Watershed Initiative to better steward their corner of Greater Philadelphia.

Here's a pretty good reason to root for the Philadelphia Eagles (even you, Steelers fans): under the team's award-winning Go Green initiative, every field goal they put on the board means another ten trees planted in Bucks County's Neshaminy State Park. We celebrate another tree-planting season with the greenest team in pro sports, and share more opportunities for Pennsylvanians to get involved in reforestation projects.

How do you talk about potentially divisive environmental topics with a hostile audience? Tora Johnson, a University of Maine geographer and keynote speaker at last month’s Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations, says the key is affirming the dignity of everyone involved. Conversation with Dr. Johnson -- and much more from the watersheds conference -- on this episode.

Who are the creatures in your neighborhood? We go in search of urban wildlife with writer, podcaster, and naturalist Billy Brown. Don’t miss his upcoming Nature Talks lecture hosted by Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership.

The Senate passes a massive public lands bill including permanent reauthorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Pennsylvania's native trout are flourishing thanks to the state- and national-level work of Trout Unlimited. We talk with TU President Chris Wood and Mid-Atlantic Organizer Rob Shane.

Pennsylvania is home to hundreds of small, people-powered organizations dedicated to protecting and restoring local watersheds. These groups are accomplishing great things in their communities, typically on a shoestring budget. But could they be even more effective by coordinating their efforts? PEC's sister organization, the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), is forging a statewide community of watershed groups through initiatives like the upcoming "Watershed Connections" conference. Program manager Tali MacArthur previews the conference and the future of POWR.

Patriots Cove, along Beaver Run in Wyoming County, is more than just a great fishing spot. It's a refuge for brook trout and human beings alike, where injured veterans are healing themselves and one another while helping to restore an impaired stream. Patriots Cove co-founder Jeff Swire is our guest.

There's been plenty of talk about climate in Pennsylvania. Now it's time for action. Davitt Woodwell and John Walliser discuss PEC's just-released policy proposal for putting the Commonwealth on a path to zero carbon emissions.

Despite what you may have heard, environmental causes resonate with Pennsylvanians from all walks of life, throughout the state, and across the political spectrum. Recent polling from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership shows Pennsylvania hunters and anglers in particular are passionate about conservation, irrespective of party affiliation -- and they vote their values.

Vermont Law School is home to the nation's top-ranked environmental law program. Its graduates are also among the best prepared for the real world, thanks to the Semester in Practice program. Davitt Woodwell chats with Vermont Law's Johanna Thibault and fall 2018 PEC legal intern Ethan Story.

With new urgency around the unfolding climate crisis, policy discussions at the state level are intensifying. PEC's policy team has an update and analysis on recent and forthcoming proposals to tackle Pennsylvania's carbon emissions.

As voting begins for 2019 Pennsylvania River of the Year, a chat with Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper's Carol Parenzan about last year's winner, Loyalsock Creek. Then: plenty of groups and government agencies are working independently to restore Pennsylvania's forest lands. Could they make a bigger impact by coordinating their efforts? We explore an emerging statewide reforestation partnership with PEC program manager Laura Bray.

In working to clean up one of Pennsylvania's most impaired urban watersheds, the members of the Wissahickon Clean Water Partnership face a daunting challenge. But the coalition also has a major advantage: a shared recognition that working together is the only way forward. As the initiative pivots to focus on community engagement, we drop in on a public forum held recently in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are both on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ list of 20 American cities being recognized for leading the way on climate action, each receiving up to $2.5 million to accelerate existing sustainability work. We talk with the director of Philly’s Office of Sustainability, Christine Knapp, and Pittsburgh’s Chief Resilience Officer, Grant Ervin. Plus: what does a new state law limiting landowner liability mean for outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania?

Cambria County's business, government, and nonprofit sectors are teaming up with citizens to reinvent the historically flood-ravaged city of Johnstown. We explore Johnstown's evolution through the work of the Vision 2025 initiative and the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape.

Participants in the 2018 Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition Summit talk about meeting the challenges of a growing trail network in this excerpt from the Pennsylvania Legacies podcast.