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 -