Pennsylvania Legacies

A 250-foot gap in Carbon County has been holding back the Delaware & Lehigh Trail for years, earning a spot on DCNR's top-ten list of critical trail gaps statewide... until now. Wednesday's groundbreaking brought the 25-year planning phase of the Jim Thorpe Pedestrian Bridge to a close. We look at the effort's long history -- and its expected economic impact -- with D&L National Heritage Corridor President & Executive Director Elissa Garofalo.

Little by little, Philadelphia is building a 750-mile regional trail system. As the Circuit Trails Coalition celebrates spring with new trail openings, we get to know one of the many small groups that are accomplishing big things by working together. Plus: an update on the federal RECLAIM Act, Three Mile Island anniversary, and the latest bald eagle news from across the Commonwealth.

Reaction to the Trump administration's budget proposal, recognition for PEC's illegal dumpsite cleanup program, and a preview of Carnegie Mellon University's "Energy Week."

On March 15 & 16 PEC hosted "Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions," a regional conference devoted to the subject of deep decarbonization. This week's show is the first of several featuring highlights from the sessions and interviews with the speakers.

Watershed groups from across the Commonwealth were represented at this week's Watershed Connections conference in State College. Davitt Woodwell spoke with some of them for this week's show.

Most people in Philadelphia know Wissahickon Creek as a bucolic setting for outdoor recreation, easily accessed via the city's Fairmount Park. But the real story of the Wissahickon begins 23 miles upstream in Montgomery County, where the picture isn't always so pretty. Repairing years of damage to the stream will be a massive and complex challenge, but communities and organizations throughout the watershed are teaming up to do just that. in the first part of a series examining this collaborative effort, we take a tour of the creek with our friends at the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association.

The campus of Pittsburgh's Phipps Conservatory is home to some of the world's greenest buildings -- in more ways than one. We learn about Phipps's 124-year evolution from public botanical gardens to R&D lab for sustainable building and design. Plus: your monthly update on bald eagle news from across PA.

The history of Pennsylvania's public lands is closely intertwined with African American history. Before they were state parks and forests, many of these areas were crisscrossed with Underground Railroad routes, and dotted with abolitionist strongholds and communities of freed slaves. This month, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is honoring that legacy and recognizing some of the Black Pennsylvanians who've played a role in preserving it. But spokeswoman Chris Novak says DCNR still has work to do when it comes to diversifying its workforce.

Governor Tom Wolf's 2017-2018 budget includes no substantial funding increase for the Department of Environmental Protection, an agency that's been understaffed for more than a decade. As budget season gets underway, we look to former DEP Secretary David Hess for context.

Millions of dollars from the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund could soon reach Pennsylvania, if Congress approves the bipartisan RECLAIM Act this year. The legislation is about to be reintroduced, and its backers are excited about the prospect of funding for reclamation projects throughout coal country. Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds director John Dawes explains why in this week's episode.