Guest blog by Donna Kohut, CDRW PA State Lead, PennFuture
The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed joined PennFuture, the Choose Clean Water Coalition, policy leadership from the Lake Erie Watershed, and other partners from throughout PA for 7th Annual PA Clean Water Education Week.
In Pennsylvania, 2023 is turning out to be a year of transitions. Governor Josh Shapiro began his first term in office, along with a large group of freshman members of the legislature. Understanding the potential momentum that a new Governor and state legislature could offer, Coalition members joined forces to build upon the successes of last year's historic state budget, which included major victories such as the Clean Streams Fund, an initiative that targets the major sources of water pollution in Pennsylvania - stormwater runoff, agricultural runoff, and acid mine drainage.
Collaborating with the Choose Clean Water Coalition (Chesapeake Bay Watershed) and policy leadership in the Lake Erie Watershed, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed partnered on the 7th annual Clean Water Education Week to provide valuable opportunities to educate lawmakers about Pennsylvania’s precious waterways, reminding them of the importance of investing in clean water.
The four major policy asks included:
Support full “fair share” funding for the Interstate Basin Commissions responsible for protecting and monitoring our waterways. These commissions include the Delaware River Basin Commission, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin, Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission, and Great Lakes Commission.
Support increased funding for state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the Department of Agriculture (PDA).
Support sustainable annual funding for the Clean Streams Fund, the first Pennsylvania fund dedicated to water protection and restoration, created in last year’s budget.
Support legislation that bolsters the PA DEP Office of Environmental Justice (SB 158/HB 742).
Coalition members met with three senators' offices in Harrisburg, including Senators Kearney, Hughes, and Comitta. And members were able to connect with the offices of three representatives via Zoom, including Representatives Harris, Schlossberg, and Brennan. Lawmakers included members of the Appropriations Committee, the Majority Caucus Committee, and one freshman representative.
Clean Water Education Week is more than holding meetings with lawmakers to discuss deficiencies in funding for resource agencies and modernizing conservation practices. It involves a number of tools and events in order to successfully champion clean water funding for all:
Joint Sign-On Letter - We are thankful for the support of 29 partner organizations that signed on to a letter to Governor Shapiro and all members of the General Assembly outlining our Clean Water Education Week requests.
Legislative Meetings - Collectively, the Coalitions and Western PA partners held 23 meetings with legislators representing portions of all of Pennsylvania’s major watersheds.
Rotunda Press Conference - On Wednesday, May 3rd, we held a press conference in the main Rotunda of the Capitol Building. The recording can be watched on our Facebook page. Speakers included:
Patrick McDonnell, President & CEO, PennFuture
High Garst, State Policy Advocate, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed,
Sara Ramotnik, Senior Membership and Program Coordinator, Choose Clean Water Coalition,
Representative Mandy Steele (D-33, Allegheny),
Representative Joe Webster (D-150, Montgomery),
Doug Wolfgang, Executive Secretary, PA State Conservation Commission, and
Anna Kilius, Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission.
News & Social Media Outreach - We helped raise public awareness by celebrating some of the incredible waterways in Pennsylvania on social media. These posts covered the Susquehanna River, Allegheny River, Delaware River, and Lake Erie. By localizing our efforts to regional press throughout Pennsylvania, several media outlets interviewed our team members and ran stories on Clean Water Education Week, including the PA Capital-Star, Erie News Now, WFMZ-TV 69 News Allentown, and WENY-TV.
Coalition Collaboration - Clean Water Education Week would not be possible without several months of collaboration between the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed and the Choose Clean Water Coalition. PennFuture staff, including those that are coalition state leads, and coalition staff coordinate to produce talking points for joint priorities, communications materials, training, and social media content.
Clean Water Education Week is an important part of our statewide efforts to champion Pennsylvania’s rivers, streams, and waterways. Now, more than ever, we need to protect and preserve these natural resources for generations.