Stand up for trails today! Here are current actions you can take to help protect Pennsylvania’s hiking trails.
Support the Keystone Fund: Protect Conservation Funding in Pennsylvania
Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling: Protecting Our State Forests
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Protect Conservation Funding in Pennsylvania
Brief Overview
The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund was originally established in 1993 to create a dedicated and permanent funding source for investments in recreation, parks and conservation in Pennsylvania. Since it was established, the Keystone Fund has become a major funding source for our state’s parks, trails and open spaces. More than 3,000 projects have been completed in Pennsylvania with the Keystone Fund including:
- 850 trail projects for walking, bicycling and other recreation uses
- The development and rehabilitation of more than 2,500 community parks and natural areasThe protection of more than 120,000 acres of open space for parks, greenways and wildlife habitat
- Improvements to facilities in our national award-winning state park and forest systems
Now Governor Tom Corbett is threatening to permanently eliminate the Keystone Fund. This measure is the largest proposed cut to conservation funding in Pennsylvania’s history and will have a lasting and devastating impact on recreational opportunities and conservation. The governor’s proposed 2012-2013 budget diverts the Keystone Fund to general government operations and leaves zero Keystone dollars for statewide recreation, park and conservation projects.
Help protect conservation funding in Pennsylvania! Please contact your legislators before the state budget is finalized and ask them to preserve the Keystone Fund for conservation, recreation and trails.
Keep reading to learn more and Take Action!
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Protecting Our State Forests
Brief Overview
The development of Marcellus Shale gas drilling across Pennsylvania presents a serious challenge to the well being of our state forest system. Our state forests – and the many miles of hiking trails that are located within them – are being threatened by fragmentation from new roads, pipelines, well pads and storage areas, as well as increased air, water and noise pollution from the drilling activities.
According to the Pennsylvania Constitution:
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” (Article 1, Section 27).
The Keystone Trails Association believes that current Marcellus Shale gas drilling regulations are not sufficient to protect our state forests as described in the Pennsylvania Constitution. Fortunately, there are many actions that Pennsylvania citizens and the hiking community can take to help protect our state forests.
Keep reading to learn more and Take Action!
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Protect the Trails 
