After allowing the Land and Water Conservation Fund to expire on September 30, 2018, all eyes have been on Congress as PA Highlands Coalition partners and conservation advocates across the country worked to permanently reauthorize the program and to secure full and dedicated funding.
Signed by the President on February 15th, the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Omnibus Appropriations package has allocated $20 million for the Highlands Conservation Act, a 100% increase from Fiscal Year 2018 levels.
On Friday October 26th, the PA Highlands Coalition was happy to sponsor a legislative breakfast panel with the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape and its partners at the Connections on High Café in Pottstown.
Tinicum Township, in Bucks County, is located entirely within the Eastern portion of the Pennsylvania Highlands. Abutting the Delaware River, Tinicum is an active and engaged community. The Tinicum Civic Association automatically includes all residents, giving everyone a chance to get involved. The Association puts on the annual Arts Festival, which last year was supported by over 200 volunteers and raised over $100,000 dollars for local non-profits.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) serves as the main funding mechanism for the Highlands Conservation Act, allowing for the yearly allocation to protect the Pennsylvania Highlands and the rest of the four-state Highlands region. Congressional authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund expires on September 30, 2018, and must be reauthorized in order for funding to continue.
Located on the Southeastern edge of the Pennsylvania Highlands, Valley Forge National Historic Park is a major attraction for history buffs and recreationists alike. The site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army, the park is filled with historic structures and monuments as you wind your way through the vast array of trail offerings.
A major victory for land conservation in the four-state Highlands region was won late last week when the President signed the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Omnibus spending bill, which included both funding and reauthorization for the Highlands Conservation Act (HCA) through 2021.
