Renew Growing Greener

Renew Growing Greener logo

Northeast Pennsylvania Educational Forum
Endless Mountains Heritage Region and Pennsylvania Environmental Council co-hosted an educational forum on Thursday evening, June 23rd. People representing local government and nonprofit organizations attended the meeting at the Lackawanna County Electric City Trolley Museum where we provided information about the achievements of Pennsylvania's Growing Greener program and the opportunities to safeguard the program's future.

Why Growing Greener?
Pennsylvania's Growing Greener Programs have been responsible for heritage development, agricultural land preservation, threatened natural areas conservation, abandoned mine reclamation, outdoor recreation and parks enhancements and state park and state forest infrastructure improvements. The available funding from the Growing Greener I and II programs are depleting and Growing Greener II will soon expire. Pennsylvania has no other means to help counties and local communities save open space and agricultural land, remediate brownfield sites, restore impaired rivers and streams or protect valuable heritage resources.

Endless Mountains Heritage Region is a supporting organization of the Renew Growing Greener initiative in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and member of the advocacy coalition. A basic introductory flyer on the issue and the need to have Pennsylvania establish a Growing Greener III program to ensure the continuation of needed conservation and preservation efforts is available for you now.

As the statewide coalition reaches out to organizations and municipalities for support of the programs' renewal, the Endless Mountains has had a very positive response. The following municipalities have adopted the resolution supporting the Renewal of Growing Greener: Sullivan County Commissioners, Wyoming County Commissioners, Susquehanna County Commissioners, Asylum Township, Athens Borough, Athens Township, New Milford Borough, New Milford Township, Nicholson Borough, Noxen Township, Rome Borough, Troy Township, and Tunkhannock Borough. French Azilum, Inc. and Endless Mountain Outfitters are supporting organizations.

As this campaign begins to grow, we will include updates so that individuals and organizations of the Endless Mountains Region and Susquehanna River North Branch can help in the advocacy efforts. We are currently looking for individuals willing to serve as county coordinators to assist us in identifying opportunities for advocacy and program promotion. Anyone living or working in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna or Wyoming Counties interested in helping is encouraged to call Phil Swank at (570) 265-1528 or email him at emhr@epix.net.

Learn about Growing Greener History and Economic Impacts

Additional information can be obtained from www.renewgrowinggreener.org.