Senate Passes SB 1020, House Vote Encouraged

PACD is pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed SB 1020 and sent the legislation to the House of Representatives for consideration. The bill, scheduled for a vote by the House Agriculture Committee on May 14, 2008, updates Act 217, the Conservation District Law, which is the Pennsylvania statute that created the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and provided the authority for county governing bodies to create conservation districts. Although the original law was outstanding in its visionary approach, there is a need to update some of the contents of the law.

SB 1020 designates conservation districts as a primary local government unit responsible for the conservation of natural resources in the Commonwealth. It specifically states that districts are responsible for implementing programs, projects, and activities to quantify, prevent, and control non-point sources of pollution.

An important provision incorporated into SB 1020 delineates the roles and responsibilities of the PA Department of Agriculture (PDA) and the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in assisting the SCC to fulfill its duties. For other key points of the legislation, click on http://www.pacd.org/about/legactivities/Act217.doc.

PACD urges members to contact their Pennsylvania House Representative, asking them to support SB 1020. Conservation districts will greatly benefit from the passage of this legislation, which has support from the Governor's office, the PDA, the DEP, and numerous trade associations.

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