An email came this week from the Earth Day Network noting that we were (at that time) 100 days from the 50th anniversary. That little factoid made my hair stand on end. There is MUCH to do before then!
And the State Parks Facebook page reminded us that summer won't be far behind; recruitment for lifeguards in the park pools has begun.
Congratulations to the Ghost Town Trail, named Trail of the Year for 2020. Check out this story from local TV station WJAC ("Serving Millions from Atop the Alleghenies" was its slogan when I was a little kid and was amazed at the idea of "millions" of people out there).
 Our office staff and volunteers spent the morning on January 15 making sure a copy of the "Penn's Parks for All" report is in the hands of the members of the General Assembly. Have you read the report and commented?
Marci followed up the Capitol excursion with a pointed post:
"Fact: Outdoor recreation benefits Pennsylvania both from a human health view point and from an economic perspective. Consumer spending in outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania is over $29.3 billion, supporting over 219,000 jobs and generating more than $1.3 in tax revenue. People who spend time in the outdoors tend to be more active. According to the website Healthy Communities, Healthy Future website from the National League of Cities, the estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illness are a staggering $190.2 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the United States. By investing in our parks and forests, we not only bring tax payer revenue into the state and employ people, we can reduce health care costs.
Help me to understand why we are not investing in the maintenance of our state parks and forests?"
Well, that's a question we seem to need to ask over and over and over again. A small cadre of legislators are once again setting their sights on the voter-approved money (the Keystone Fund and Environmental Stewardship Fund) that funds so much local and statewide recreation, education, and infrastructure. We know that you are every BIT as tired of hearing about this as we are of saying it. But, here we go again!
More media resources are hearing the question as well. PAPost noted this week the need for $500 million for parks (please let's not forget an equal amount needed for state forests) and editorial pages like the Erie Times-News (reprinted by the Somerset Daily American editorial staff) will agree with us that "Investment in parks [and forests] is overdue."
Kudos to the Friends of Kings Gap for proactive planning - they have launched a SurveyMonkey for feedback on the kinds of events and programs fans would like to see at the top of the mountain. Let them know - and volunteer when you can!
The Friends of Parker Dam are in need of someone to fill the treasurer's position on the board. It's not a difficult job and you'll work closely with me and our new bookkeeper when hired in keeping track of income and outgo. Contact Justin Carns, the Friends' chair, to find out more about their needs.
We hope that among the many donations you'll be tracking for the Friends will be contributions to the Freeze a Friend campaign. Justin has agreed to participate in the YMCA Clearfield's Polar Swim at WinterFest at the end of January if the Friends can raise $500 between now and then. And as an added bonus, if they raise $1,000 he's taking Park Manager Jim McCorkle down with him! So click that link and make it happen! |
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Are you a private woodlot landowner? A land stewardship webinar series just for you and sponsored by PSU Extension begins on January 29.
