Future

Growing Greener has been hugely successful in directing critical investments to every county in the state.  Pennsylvania has been transformed through the work of Growing Greener projects – communities have been empowered to protect working farms and special places, to clean up rivers and streams, to create and improve parks and trails and to revitalize cities and towns.

Unless our elected officials act, Growing Greener funds will be almost gone in just over a year.   Total funds for this ongoing and important work will drop from $200 million in 2007-2008 to as little as $15 million post 2012.

To meet the needs of Pennsylvanians, and the natural resources on which they depend, members of the General Assembly must renew Growing Greener with a dedicated, sustained investment of $200 million annually.

Almost all of the Growing Greener Bond Funds are committed to projects and soon most of the Growing Greener Environmental Stewardship Funds will be diverted for debt service.  This will leave only $15 million per year for future projects.

Source: Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, “Review of the Commonwealth’s Growing Greener II Initiative,” March 2010