(5) State programs and State funding should provide
maximum flexibility for elected county and municipal
governmental officials to identify, prioritize and address
local environmental concerns, including odor abatement
problems at sewage treatment plants.]
(1) As stated in section 27 of Article I of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania:
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.
(2) The Commonwealth has an obligation to provide
greater investments to conserve land and water resources,
restore damaged waterways and land and to create prosperous
and sustainable communities.
(3) Clean water is vital:
(i) to the continued economic growth of this
Commonwealth;
(ii) to support tourism, agriculture, industry,
power generation and recreation;
(iii) for drinking water supplies; and
(iv) to protect public health and aquatic life.
(4) This Commonwealth has over 19,000 miles of streams
and rivers that do not meet Federal and State water quality
standards to protect aquatic life and provide swimmable
rivers and drinkable water supplies.
(5) Nonpoint sources of pollution continue to have a
negative impact on this Commonwealth's environment.
(6) This Commonwealth continues to have water and sewer
infrastructure needs. New and improved water sources,
treatment and distribution systems are necessary for public
drinking water supplies.
(7) As noted in the Commonwealth's award-winning 2014-
2019 Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation
Plan, our 5,600 local parks and recreation areas are the most
frequently visited recreational assets in this Commonwealth,
and most need additional funding to address aging
infrastructure, deferred maintenance and capacity to carry
out programs and services.
(8) The Commonwealth owns approximately 2.5 million
acres of State park and State forest lands. Our State park
system has estimated many of these parks have environmental
projects and infrastructure and deferred maintenance needs,
such as dams, roads, bridges, water and wastewater treatment
facilities, buildings and boat launches.
(9) Conservation of public and private forest lands is a
cost-effective method for protecting water quality. Forest
lands function as a reserve of clean water for this
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