pa-DCNR
Capital-Star Q+A: Nathan Reigner, Pa.’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation
To learn more about him, the role, and the future of outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania, the Capital-Star joined Reigner on a hike in Weiser State Forest in northeastern Dauphin County.
POLL: Pennsylvanians support funding hike for parks, forests
The poll, commissioned by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research between Feb. 21-27, 2022, surveyed 701 registered Pennsylvania voters across eight geographical areas statewide. The poll had a margin of error of +/-3.7 percentage points.
Federal relief funds ‘critical’ to state park repair needs, DCNR says | Friday Morning Coffee
In a visit to Westmoreland County's Keystone State Park earlier this week, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn continued her call for funds to address infrastructure needs across Pennsylvania's state park system.
DCNR, Bureau of Forestry urges caution as seasonal risk of wildfires increases
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) warned residents on Tuesday that the spring months of March, April and May presented a heightened risk of wildfires across the commonwealth.
Deep in Bedford Co., Pa. protects its 19th old-growth forest
The area, which covers more than 1,500 acres in Sweet Root Natural Area near Chaneysville in Bedford County, was recognized this week as the commonwealth’s newest, old-growth forest.
Pa. Budget 2022: DCNR says $638M budget ask will add staff, address aging infrastructure
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn told the Senate Appropriations Committee that her agency would use the funds to address current infrastructure needs, which total more than $1.4 billion, according to the department, and complete other recreation and conservation projects.
‘We’re almost at a crisis point’: DCNR reiterates $1.4B in infrastructure needs at state parks, forests
With budget talks set to begin in the House Tuesday, Norbeck is hopeful that DCNR’s continued calls for action will be heard, citing a “convergence of understanding” gleaned from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DCNR outlines 2022 priorities, banks on the future of outdoor recreation in Pa.
This year, “2022 is going to be our biggest and best year yet,” state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn told an agency advisory panel. She added that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for an “elevated” investment in Pennsylvania’s public spaces, which saw record use during the COVID-19-induced lockdowns.
DCNR opens 2022 grant season for park, recreational development projects | Five for the Weekend
“DCNR grants have a tremendous impact in helping communities with local park acquisition and improvements, trails and river access each year and we expect them to have a greater impact as a result of the increased use of the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “We will continue to assist as many worthy projects as we can to ensure that we retain the new users who have turned to parks, forests and trails in the past two years to help maintain their mental and physical health.”
DCNR seeks applicants for new public input council
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said in a statement Thursday that it is seeking applicants for its new Next Gen Council, an advisory group that would “inform the agency’s work, advance diversity, equity and inclusion and create lasting change and necessary conditions to ensure all Pennsylvanians feel welcome on public lands.”
New contract provisions aim to help Pa. parks reduce plastic waste | Five for the Weekend
The new provisions will prevent the use of plastic bags, straws and cutlery at state park concession stands, calling for them to be replaced with "compostable, paper, wood, or plant fiber alternatives, according to a statement from DCNR.
The need for fees? DCNR says ‘no’ to visitor fees for infrastructure repair costs
The visit comes a week after Dunn made a stop at Shikellamy State Park in Northumberland and Union counties, which needs $56 million in repairs. All told, Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks need a total of $1.4 billion in infrastructure repairs and upgrades, but DCNR doesn’t have the money to pay for them.