Our mission: To inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.


Thanks to everyone who took part in our first Take Action Tuesday and sent a letter to their representatives and senators on why the state parks and forests deserve their support at budget time (and beyond). This week's Take Action Tuesday centered around the Growing Greener III initiative which we and our partner organizations believe should be preserved and expanded. We ask you to contact your elected officials and thank them for being a co-sponsor of the legislation (or encourage them to do so if they have not already). Check out the second GGIII video, a snippet on protecting water quality.

In the meantime, word comes that the Senate is poised to move on the budget very quickly and it's looking more and more likely that they will follow the House's lead and many budget cuts included (in Senator Corman's words, "looking at a FY 2017-18 spend number about the same as the House." Please, if you have not written to your senator (at least) do so as soon as possible (with suggested text from the Take Action Tuesday blog). We're in this for the long haul. President Marci and Pennsylvania Recreation and Parks Society CEO Tim Herd joined forces on an op/ed posted to our blog.

And speaking of being in for the long haul, this week's special masthead photo comes from Worlds End State Park. Our Improvement Award winner in 2015 was Warren Renninger whose volunteer energies on behalf of Worlds End trails seem limitless. This has now been demonstrated once again as the clearing here ("Warren's Window" on the blue-blazed Canyon Vista Trail) bears his special stamp.



Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator


News of note

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Sharing sad news is never the fun part of this column - and last week we received some very sad news indeed. Jim Delesandro, the founding and long-time chair of the Friends of Keystone, passed away unexpectedly on June 3. Jim and his wife Pat guided the Friends from their very earliest meetings through growing pains and expansion. Jim was passionately devoted to the twin ideas of legacy and stewardship - if there was a young person to be taught fishing and boating and love of the outdoors, Jim was there to see that they had that opportunity. Granddaughter Danielle was his eager first and forever pupil. The Friends will miss his leadership, devotion, and heartfelt friendship - next time you're out on the boat or drop a line, think of Jim!

Thanks to Troeg's for making PPFF the recipient of its Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) for the next two-year cycle. 

Warm as it's been (at last), maybe this news story from WNEP-TV in the Scranton area on cooling off at Tobyhanna State Park will make you feel a bit better! (Hmmm. What if the budget gets slashed and the beaches have to close early this year?)

That story came quickly on the heels of a new video from ABC27 in Harrisburg, the first in a series called Adventure PA in which reporter Kendra Nichols goes out to enjoy our state parks. First up? Ricketts Glen State Park. (My goodness, a National Natural Landmark. You have to hope it will have enough money to operate.)


At work and play in the parks and forests

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With Sunday being Father's Day, you have plenty of opportunities to explore the parks and forests with Papa.

North

The Friends of Lyman Run invite you and Dad for a Breakfast Tour. In kayaks!

South

A Dad's Day Hike at Prince Gallitzin will also fill the bill.

East

Stream Exploration at Hickory Run is the perfect bonding exercise for you and Pop.

West

The summer solstice is just about here. So let your eyes adjust to the dark and you and Father can take a night hike at Ohiopyle to practice staying outside late.

No matter what region of the commonwealth you want to visit, our website Events and the DCNR Calendar of Events are great sources for things to see and do. Bookmark them!

Picture of the week

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Just after I sent last week's Take Five with the restored Pyamatuning State Park gatehouse and dam on the masthead, CCC John sent this photograph of Pymatuning from the air taken by his father, Jim Eastlake, in the 1930s. Pretty cool stuff!

Take five for trivia

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Sigh. Even the simplest questions seem to wind up being inordinately hard! I said that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is made up of seven bureaus and asked you to name them. Well, lo and behold, the DCNR website still says there are eight! It would appear that the Bureau of Information Technology has been subsumed into Something Else as there now are only: State Parks, State Forests (everybody got those), Facility Design and Construction (my ol' fave BOFDAC), Topographic & Geologic Survey (amusingly - at least to us baby boomers - called TopoGeo), Recreation & Conservation (funders of lots of wonderful trails and other things we love), and Human Resources and Administrative Services (both of which without whom nothing functions at all).

In tribute to Fathers Day, name the Father of Pennsylvania State Parks, the Father of Pennsylvania Forestry, and your favorite TV Dad. (Just because!)

Send in your answer and we'll enter your correct response into our monthly prize drawing. All correct answers each week will go into the hat and at the end of the month we'll draw one lucky winner. The more correct answers you submit in a month (up to four or the occasional five depending on the month), the more chances you'll have to win.

In closing
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Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.


Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare and is a Gold GuideStar Participant.

  

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