Public News Service

A Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership survey found 92% of Pennsylvania sportsmen and women support designating streams for protections when they meet the right criteria. (Adobe Stock)

A push to update PA stream designations for wild trout protection

Pennsylvania's wild trout streams are getting some much-needed attention and outdoor enthusiasts across the state can voice their views on safeguardin…

The Spotted lanternfly is native to China and was first spotted in Pennsylvania in September 2014. They are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. (ondreicka/Adobe Stock)<br />

USDA Warns Pennsylvanians to Protect Plants from Invasive Pests

April is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is warning Pennsylvanians that it's the best time of …

Two major rivers in Pennsylvania are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: the Susquehanna, with a watershed of 21,000 square miles, and the Potomac, with 1,600 square miles. (Michael/Adobe Stock)

Report: PA Lags in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Goals

The Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint has deadlines for Pennsylvania, and other states in the watershed, to implement practices to reduce water-…

According to the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation named for its forests.

Healthy Lands Week: Statewide Initiative to Strengthen Volunteer Activities

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to visit and volunteer at one or more of the Keystone State's more than 6,000 local and state parks during Healthy Lands…

In a national survey, 82% of adults agree Parks and Recreation is an

">

Workers in PA State Parks, Recreation Centers Honored for Service

Pennsylvania has more than 6,000 local and state parks, and the people who manage them and run all the park activities are being honored this week…

Natural gas pipelines can often release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, due to leaks or during maintenance repairs. (Adobe Stock)

Monday Deadline for Comments on PA Gas Pipeline Expansion

Pennsylvanians have until Monday to submit public comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement for a gas pipeline expansion in Northeastern Penn…

Pennsylvania has 17 million acres of private and state-owned woodlands. (Adobe Stock)

PA Officials Warn of Increased Risk of Woodland Fires in Spring

In Pennsylvania, April is one of the months with the highest risks of wildfires. As the weather warms and more residents go camping, state officials …

The rural and forested Pennsylvania Wilds are home to lots of wildlife species, including elk, white-tailed deer, bobcat and black bear. (Adobe Stock)

PA Groups Concerned About Maryland Nat'l Guard Flyover Proposal

The Maryland Air National Guard is considering a proposal to establish airspace where military planes would fly as low as 100 feet over the Pennsylvan…

According to guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, American Rescue Plan Act dollars can be used to create new trails and parks, along with making improvements to those already existing. (Adobe Stock)

PA Municipalities Consider Using ARPA Funds for Outdoor Recreation

As local municipalities consider ways to use an influx of funds from the American Rescue Plan, some communities see it as an opportunity to support …

Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources encourages visitors to

PA Parks Make Switch to Paper, Compostables at Concession Stands

Pennsylvania state parks are making a move to go plastic-free and reduce waste, starting with their concession stands, to help meet the …

In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Allegheny National Forest is Pennsylvania's lone national forest. (Adobe Stock)

Group Petitions Allegheny National Forest to Ban Bikes on Non-Motorized Trails

WARREN, Pa. -- A Western Pennsylvania conservation group is petitioning the Allegheny National Forest to prohibit bike riding on all non-motorized …

Northern Pennsylvania counties such as Potter, McKean, Susquehanna and Wayne are experiencing peak fall foliage this week, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (Adobe Stock)

PA's Warm Fall, Rainy Summer Might Be Impacting Autumn Foliage

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- October is usually the best time of year to see the bright, changing leaf colors that ring in autumn in Pennsylvania, but …

Organizers with the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership say they hope to hit their halfway goal of plating 5 million trees by the end of 2022. (Adobe Stock)

PA Groups Planting Trees as Part of "10 Million By 2025" Goal

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Now through November, Pennsylvania groups will plant an estimated 300,000 trees for fall, as part of a goal of 10 million new …

A majority of residents surveyed said parks and outdoor spaces were essential for their mental health, especially during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Report: How COVID, DEI Impact Pennsylvanians' Relationships with Parks

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania's parks and outdoor recreational spaces became havens for many in the state looking for safe activities during the …

More than 2 million acres of state forest land in Pennsylvania is protected by public ownership. (Adobe Stock)

State Foresters' Group Celebrates 100-Plus Years in PA

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The National Association of State Foresters was formed in 1920, with its first meeting in Harrisburg amid an increase in large …

Tropical Storm Ida left towns like Conshohocken, in Montgomery County, completely submerged in floodwaters. (Michael Stokes/Wikimedia Commons)

PA Forest Action Could Help Prevent Damage from Extreme Weather, Like Ida

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania's creeks and rivers flooded at historic levels last week after Tropical Storm Ida decimated the Northeast. In the …

Chronic wasting disease can be transmitted between deer, along with food and soil contaminated by bodily fluids. (Adobe Stock)

Wildlife Feeding Ban Proposed in Allegheny National Forest

WARREN, Pa. -- A temporary animal-feeding ban is being proposed for the Allegheny National Forest after a captive deer tested positive for chronic …

Pennsylvania's parks and recreation economy provides an estimated $1.9 billion annually in state and local tax revenue. (Adobe Stock)

PA Mayors Call on Congress to Pass Parks, Jobs & Equity Act

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A petition signed by 19 mayors from across Pennsylvania urges the state's congressional delegation to pass the Parks, Jobs…

ATV environmental impacts include noise pollution, damage to vegetation, soil degradation, and disturbance to wildlife. (Adobe Stock)

PA Pilot Program Expands ATV Trail Connector Access

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- North Central Pennsylvania will soon have 70 miles of new roads open to all-terrain vehicles, connecting the existing Potter and …

The administration wants to review the Trump EPA's weakening of vehicle-emission standards. (Nady/Adobe Stock)

Biden's Clean-Air, Climate Actions Seen as Benefit for PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Environmental advocates say President Joe Biden's actions on clean air and climate will make a big difference for air quality in …

Hunters can help states with wildlife management plans by observing and reporting on the effects of climate change and other impacts on wildlife habitat. (Neil/Adobe Stock)

Conservation Groups Work to Recruit New Hunters

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Conservation groups say encouraging more people to go hunting and fishing is vital to keeping conservation efforts alive. Until …

Friends of Allegheny Wilderness hopes to protect 50,000 acres of the Allegheny National Forest under the Wilderness Act. (Daniel/Adobe Stock)

Recognizing a PA Wilderness Hero

WARREN, Pa. -- Wilderness areas are under threat across the United States, but now advocates of preserving open space are hoping to raise awareness …

A NEPA review helped stop a recent proposal for mountain biking in the Allegheny National Forest. (Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

Conservationists: Proposed NEPA Changes Threaten PA Forests

WARREN, Pa. -- Conservation groups say proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, would let potentially damaging projects …

Winter backpacking gives hikers a unique perspective on the beauty of wilderness areas. (xerox123/Adobe Stock)

Winter Camping Highlights Wilderness Preservation

WARREN, Pa. -- An upcoming winter backpacking trip on mountain trails will help raise awareness about the need to protect Pennsylvania's remaining …

Pennsylvania's clean water plan has an annual funding gap of more than $300 million. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

EPA Fails to Hold PA Accountable as Clean Water Plan Falls Short

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania's Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan for reducing pollution flowing into Chesapeake Bay can't meet its 2025 goals…

Conservation groups fear that if one state is exempted from the federal Roadless Rule, others will follow. (scharfsinn86/Adobe Stock)

Roadless Rule Exemption Called Threat to Natural Areas

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Roadless Rule protects almost 60 million acres of national forests from road construction and logging, but the Trump …

The 513,000-acre Allegheny National Forest includes 25,000 acres protected under what is known as the Roadless Rule, which has been in place since 2001. (Cred Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

Exemption to Federal “Roadless Rule” Faces Opposition

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Congress is hearing from opponents of a plan to exempt an Alaskan national forest from protection under the Roadless Rule, the same …

The Friends of Allegheny Wilderness has maintained a wilderness trail in the Allegheny National forest for nearly two decades. (Friends of Allegheny Wilderness)

Group Heads into Penn’s Woods This Weekend to Clean Wilderness Trail

HARRISBURG, Pa. – This Saturday and Sunday, a volunteer group will be embarking on its 19th season of trail stewardship in a wilderness part of …

Pennsylvania sites such as Valley Forge and the Flight 93 Memorial have benefited from LWCF funding. (Jade0626/Pixabay)

Conservation Fund Moving Toward Permanent Reauthorization

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A package of public-lands bills that would preserve and strengthen the nation's most popular conservation program has broad…

From Valley Forge to local parks, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has supported more than 1,500 projects in Pennsylvania. (ljwong/pixabay)

PA Candidates Support Conservation Fund

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A federal program vital to conservation efforts in Pennsylvania expired last month, but there's bipartisan support for its …

Money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund helped create the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe County. (National Fish and Wildlife Service/Flickr)

Groups Call for Making Conservation Fund Permanent

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Environmental groups are concerned that a long-standing conservation program that has benefited every state could expire next …

Land and Water Conservation Fund money helped create the Flight 93 National Memorial. (NPS/Brenda Schwartz)

Veterans Call for Reauthorization of Conservation Fund

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Veterans are raising concerns that a fund supporting U.S. public lands, recreational areas and monuments may be in jeopardy…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

Money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund helped create the Flight 93 National Memorial site in Shanksville, Penn. (pxhere)

Veterans Call for Reauthorization of Fund Used for Parks, Monuments

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – More than eight thousand veterans from across the country have signed a letter urging Congress to reauthorize a program that …

Gettysburg National Military Park needs more than $50 million worth of repairs. (Pixabay)

PA National Parks Need Repair

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Community groups are calling on Congress to fully fund maintenance at National Park Service sites in Pennsylvania that have …

National Park Service sites in Pennsylvania draw more than 10 million visitors a year. (National Park Service)

Deferred Maintenance Takes a Toll on National Parks

HARRISBURG, Pa. — As part of National Infrastructure Week, advocates are calling on Congress to fully fund maintenance at national parks here …

Drought-fueled wildfires have burned millions of acres this year in several states. (skeeze/Pixabay)

Climate Change Tops Environmental Year-in-Review

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Catastrophic hurricanes, severe flooding and raging wildfires fueled by drought have been prominent features of an eventful year …

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is habitat for migratory birds, polar bears, moose and herds of caribou. (LoveToTakePictures/Pixabay)

Wildlife Advocates Condemn Drilling Plan

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Conservationists say opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling would be forcing wildlife to pay for tax …

The Trump administration wants to open some national monuments to mining, logging and grazing. (skeeze/Pixabay)

PA Trump Supporters Want National Monuments Protected

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Most Trump voters in Pennsylvania think the president is doing a good job, but when it comes to protecting national monuments …

Populations of monarch butterflies and other pollinators have declined sharply. (bbarlow/Pixabay)

Child’s App Boosts Gardens for Pollinators

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Conservation and gardening groups are getting help from a nine-year-old Pennsylvania boy in their efforts to stop the decline …

Polen Run is one of the few remaining water features in Ryerson Station State Park. (Center for Coalfield Justice)

Environmental Hearing Board Overturns Mining Permit

GREENE COUNTY, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) has ruled that a revised underground mining permit violates the state's …

Environmental groups have documented 61 spills in two months associated with construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project. (Clean Air Council)

Groups Call for Halt to PA Pipeline Drilling

PHILADELPHIA – Environmental groups say drilling for the construction of Sunoco's Mariner East Two pipeline has contaminated wells, and they …

About 4 million people visit the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area every year. (James Hicks/NPS)

Analysis: Public Lands Bring Big Benefits to PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Public lands, national parks and monuments add billions of dollars to the economy and create thousands of jobs in …

Pennsylvania is missing goals for reducing agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. (Dincher/Wikimedia Commons)

Report Shows PA Missing Clean Water Goals

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Chesapeake Bay is getting cleaner, but Pennsylvania is falling significantly short of meeting some of its goals for reducing …

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the state must act at all times as a trustee of public natural resources. (Nicholas A. Tonelli/Flickr)

Court Ruling Called Victory for Environmental Rights

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Environmental advocates are calling a ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court a landmark decision for public natural …

Longwall mining beneath streams can drain water through cracks in the streambed. (Lock the Gate Alliance/Flickr)

PA State Senate Gives Coal Mine Green Light to Damage Streams

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The state Senate this week passed a bill that would allow a mining company to knowingly damage streams. Senate Bill 624 …

Long-wall coal mines can drain the water from streams on the ground above. (Helen Simonsson/Flickr)

Environmentalists Tell Legislators: Protect Our Streams

HARRISBURG, Penn. -- Environmental advocates want state lawmakers to reject a bill they say would create a loophole in Pennsylvania's Clean Streams …

Leaks, venting and flaring on federal lands releases 110 billion cubic feet of gas a year. (Tim Evanson/Flickr)

Federal Methane Rule Survives Challenge

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected an attempt to overturn a rule meant to stop the release of billions of cubic …

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Public News Service (podcast)"
	"Hey Google, play the Public News Service podcast"
	"Alexa, play Public News Service podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Alexa, play 2000 24 Talks podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Alexa, play the Yonder Report podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

PNS Daily Newscast - April 16, 2024

2024Talks - April 16, 2024

The Yonder Report - April 11, 2024

PA: Public Lands/Wilderness