The PA Senate budget, in short

Remember when we said goodbye to nature?

Well, we didn't think it was this bad.

The DCNR released a substantially large list (a little less than half of PA's total) of state parks that would be at risk of closing under the proposed budget.

Say goodbye to Bendigo, Elk, Kinzua Bridge, Blue Knob, Clear Creek, Colonel Denning, Fowlers Hollow, Big Spring Delaware Canal, Ralph Stover, Evansburg, Greenwood Furnace, Penn Roosevelt, Whipple Dam, Kettle Creek, Ole Bull, Linn Run, Laurel Summit, Laurel Mountain, Little Pine, Hyner Run, Pine Bottom Memorial, Lake Swatara, M K Goddard, Mt Pisgah, Oil Creek, RB Winter, McCalls Dam, Sand Bridge, Ravensburg, Reeds Gap, Poe Paddy, Poe Valley, Ryerson Station, Sizerville Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro, Big Pocono, Yellow Creek, White Clay, Norristown, Warriors Path, Trough Creek, Prompton, Salt Spring, Archbald Pothole and Sam Lewis state park, if these obscure and borderline insignificant state legislators have their way.

I wonder; if all of these parks close, won't there be other repurcussions?

The department said the Senate budget plan also would require a $1 million reduction in central and regional office staffing, elimination of a tree seedling program that sells 400,000 seedlings a year to landowners, and cut $3 million from the state forest road maintenance program, resulting in the closing of 1,000 miles of forest roads used for hunting, fishing and other recreation.

Shit.

State Senator Mary Jo White is the Chair of the PA Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee. Her Harrisburg Office number is (717) 787-9684. Her district office is (814) 432-4345. Her email is mwhite@pasen.gov

Do your worst.