Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 16, 2013 02:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Legislation Providing for Transparency in the Purchase of Wetlands |
| MEMORANDUM TO: All House Members FROM: Representative Tina Davis DATE: January 15, 2013 SUBJECT: Legislation Providing for Transparency in the Purchase of Wetlands In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation that would require the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) to hold a public hearing 90 days prior to the purchase of land by DGS for the purpose of preserving or mitigating wetlands as required by federal law. Whether you live on the shores of Lake Erie, the banks of one of the Three Rivers, along the Susquehanna River, or are lucky enough to live beside the Delaware River, waterfront development and wetland mitigation should be a primary concern. A couple of years ago, DGS purchased a stretch of land in my district that is riverfront property. Federal law requires DGS to purchase wetlands in order to preserve or mitigate them because our Commonwealth is engaged in a number of projects in the Philadelphia region that are displacing wetlands or disturbing the Delaware River’s natural habitat. This could be described as a wetlands land swap. To my knowledge, this purchase was undertaken without public comment or a public hearing in the municipality where the land was purchased. I have heard from numerous constituents who were upset that this purchase occurred and were not informed as to what was happening in their backyards. The legislation that I will be re-introducing would require DGS to hold a public hearing 90 days prior to the purchase of land by the Commonwealth and provide public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality where the purchase is occurring. With these added layers of transparency and notification, we could avoid the frustration and difficulties that can occur when we preserve or mitigate wetlands. Previous Cosponsors: CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, DALEY, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, HENNESSEY, JOSEPHS, KULA, MAHONEY, QUINN, VULAKOVICH AND YOUNGBLOOD |
Introduced as HB856