PRINTER'S NO. 3892
No. 711 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY ADOLPH, HARPER, HERSHEY, ROSS, REED, ARGALL, BAKER, BALDWIN, BEBKO-JONES, BEYER, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHART, HESS, JAMES, W. KELLER, KILLION, LEACH, LEDERER, LEH, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANN, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, McGILL, MILLARD, MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SEMMEL, SHANER, SIPTROTH, B. SMITH, SONNEY, STABACK, STERN, R. STEVENSON, STURLA, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI, WALKO, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, PICKETT AND McILHINNEY, APRIL 24, 2006
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, APRIL 24, 2006
A RESOLUTION 1 Designating the month of May 2006 as "Watershed Awareness Month" 2 in Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, The land, rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and 4 groundwater resources of this Commonwealth are interconnected to 5 form a rich mosaic of watersheds; and 6 WHEREAS, These treasured water resources provide citizens 7 with clean drinking water and recreational and business 8 opportunities; and 9 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth contains 83,000 miles of rivers 10 and streams, making Pennsylvania second only to Alaska in the 11 number of rivers and stream miles for all to enjoy and treasure;
1 and 2 WHEREAS, There are eight distinct river basins in 3 Pennsylvania, including Lake Erie, Ohio River, Genesee River 4 (Lake Ontario), Susquehanna, Delaware, Potomac, Elk and 5 Northeast/Gunpowder; and 6 WHEREAS, There are 104 watersheds, the basic building blocks 7 of the natural environment, in this Commonwealth; and 8 WHEREAS, Over 10,762 miles of streams and rivers in 9 Pennsylvania are so impaired that they do not meet current water 10 quality standards; and 11 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth invests enormous resources to 12 restore and protect water, including the remediation of drainage 13 from thousands of abandoned coal mines which contaminates more 14 than 3,000 miles of streams and associated groundwater and which 15 is the most extensive problem affecting Commonwealth water 16 resources; and 17 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth is committed to a watershed 18 approach to resource management where concerned community 19 members come together as watershed guardians to address and 20 resolve problems; and 21 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth empowers and assists local 22 watershed organizations working in partnership as watershed 23 guardians to resolve or remediate current water quality and 24 water quantity problems within watershed boundaries; and 25 WHEREAS, This watershed approach to environmental protection 26 leads to cleaner rivers and streams, safer drinking water and 27 greater protection of aquatic wildlife habitats; and 28 WHEREAS, There are more than 400 active watershed groups in 29 this Commonwealth and new watershed groups are forming 30 continuously; and 20060H0711R3892 - 2 -
1 WHEREAS, Watershed groups have reclaimed over 5,000 acres of 2 abandoned mines, planted over 1,000 miles of stream buffers and 3 created or restored over 3,000 acres of wetlands since 1999; and 4 WHEREAS, Local watershed groups are a cost-effective 5 investment in environmental cleanup for the Commonwealth: for 6 every $1 invested by the State, watershed groups have matched it 7 with $1.25 of their own funds, more than doubling the 8 Commonwealth's investment; and 9 WHEREAS, Educational forums connecting adults and children to 10 their watersheds, including the land, water and people, 11 ultimately provide long-term protection for these important and 12 valuable water resources; and 13 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth recognizes and celebrates the 14 efforts of hardworking volunteers within watershed groups who 15 improve their communities today and for future generations; 16 therefore be it 17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the 18 month of May 2006 as "Watershed Awareness Month" in 19 Pennsylvania; and be it further 20 RESOLVED, That the theme "The Power of Positive Action is 21 Restoring our Watersheds" guide the many volunteer community 22 organizations, educators and other groups conducting watershed 23 education and awareness activities throughout the month. C24L82DMS/20060H0711R3892 - 3 -