The largest proposed cut to conservation and recreation in PA history

Governor Corbett’s proposed 2012-13 budget eliminates all recreation, park, and conservation funding from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. The budget goes on to propose that the cut be made permanent. This means a loss of $30M in 2012-13 and the same–or more–in every year thereafter. It is the biggest cut to conservation funding ever proposed in Pennsylvania. (Keystone funding for libraries and historic preservation would remain intact.)

Governor Corbett’s budget is a proposal. You have the power to stop it from becoming law. Your actions are critical to showing legislators that Keystone is important to their districts.

We must be vocal! Please reach out to your state senator and representative. Old-fashioned letters and face-to-face meetings deliver the best results. Calls are next best. (Emails are okay but are considerably less effective than the other approaches — unless you have your legislator’s private email address.)

View Sample Letters

• Tell them that Keystone stimulates and leverages private and local investments in park and conservation projects in their district ($2.28 for every state dollar expended) and is crucial to making new projects happen.
• Tell them you oppose the Governor’s budget proposal to divert community park and land trust grant money from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund to general state operations.
• Tell them to tell their legislative leaders and colleagues that the protection of the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund must be a top budget priority.

Next Steps:

1. Invite your legislators to visit your conservation and park projects that received grants from DCNR. This will provide them with a tangible reminder of the benefits Keystone funds deliver to their district.
2. Please forward this information to colleagues, volunteers, friends, and family. We need MANY STRONG VOICES to fight these cuts!

Please view this effort as a campaign. It is best to contact legislators now. But you should also plan to check in every couple weeks to reaffirm your concern and to ask your legislators what they have done to help Keystone in the intervening time. It is crucial that the pressure be maintained on senators and representatives. They are hearing from a lot of interest groups and will quickly forget about helping conservation if they aren’t constantly reminded.

The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund is Pennsylvania’s only funding source that directs money specifically to community park and recreation grants and land trust grants. We simply can’t afford to lose it. Please take action.