From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):
Some of the best parts of Pennsylvania are the awe-inspiring streams that crisscross the state. These are the places we hike, fish, or go to just to get away from it all. But sadly, many of them are regularly threatened by encroaching development, fracking, and other harmful activities that do irreparable harm to their streambanks.
Help protect these beloved waterways by asking your state representative to support a proposal that will preserve Pennsylvania’s forested streambanks for future generations at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=42430.
Destroying the forested buffers along our waterways leads to more pollution in our rivers and streams. A 2017 study by Penn State Extension showed that buffer zones along our rivers and streams can reduce nitrogen pollution from agricultural run-off by 68%.1
That’s why state Representative Joe Webster (Montgomery County) is working to protect our streambanks by introducing a proposal — House Bill 714 — to preserve at least 100 feet of existing forested buffers from development projects along all of our waterways and at least 300 feet along Pennsylvania’s most pristine, clean streams.
Ask your state representative to cosponsor this legislation today.
Forested buffer zones along our rivers and streams also have other benefits, including helping to minimize flooding — a crucial benefit with the extreme downpours that have become more commonplace in Pennsylvania due to climate change. They also are essential for providing shelter, travel paths, and food for more than 95% of our wildlife species.2
So ask your state representative to sign on today!
Together, we can preserve Pennsylvania’s great streambanks and riverfronts now and for future generations.
1. “Riparian Buffers: Pennsylvania’s Best Solution for Protecting Its Waters,” The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, March 30, 2017.
2. “Riparian Buffers: Pennsylvania’s Best Solution for Protecting Its Waters,” The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, March 30, 2017.
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