by Joe Neville, KTA Executive Director
On April 21, 2016, Representative Brian Ellis (R-Butler) introduced HB 2013 known as the Conservation and Natural Resources Act, providing for the Public-Private State Park Partnership Pilot Program. The legislation as originally proposed would create a politically appointed board to oversee DCNR’s Public-Private Partnerships including possible development of facilities such as amusement parks, golf courses, hotels, office buildings and other facilities on our state parks.
On June 21st, The House Tourism and Recreation Development Committee voted the bill out of committee and the environmental and conservation community, including KTA, took notice.
KTA, along with PennFututure, Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter, Natural Resources Defense Council, PennEnvironment, Pennsylvania Forest Coalition, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, sent this letter to the PA House of Representatives expressing our opposition to this bill.
The bill then was amended to eliminate the advisory board but added language replacing the board with a consultant. This change was still not acceptable to the groups involved so as the bill moved toward a vote before the entire PA House of Representatives, KTA sent out an Action Alert to encourage our members to oppose this legislation. KTA staff sent out 203 emails, one to each representative on the day of the vote outlining our opposition to development on PA’s state parks.
At approximately 6:50 PM, on June 28th, the emails, phone calls and letters from KTA and all of the groups involved led to the defeat of HB 2013! This very misguided and unwanted piece of legislation was defeated by your efforts on a vote of 77-123.
At the time of this writing it seemed like we had been victorious in our attempt to keep state parks from becoming commercialized and developed. However, as the voting ended on the evening of the 28th, the House implemented a procedural maneuver which allows the bill to be reconsidered.
The coalition of groups opposed to this legislation then sent the following thank you letter to the legislators who stood with us and opposed this bill:
PennFuture * Sierra Club * Natural Resources Defense Council * Clean Water Action * PennEnvironment * Pennsylvania Forest Coalition
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania * Keystone Trails Association
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June 29, 2016
Re: Thank you for voting NO on House Bill 2013
Dear Representative:
On behalf of our hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania members – many, if not most, being outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, hikers, and those that simply appreciate Pennsylvania’s state parks – the undersigned organizations write to thank you for voting NO on House Bill 2013. We also request your continued opposition if a reconsideration vote is held.
We opposed House Bill 2013 because it would have advanced private recreational development of our state park system, including the potential for golf courses, office buildings, and amusement parks. In particular, it would have directed the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to hire a consultant to assess Pennsylvania’s state park assets and recommend new public-private projects for recreational uses.
However, DCNR already has the authority to enter into public private partnerships and did not need this bill or a consultant to continue to do so – in fact, DCNR has already executed more than 150 public-private partnerships in state parks in the form of concessions and other facilities. As a result, this bill is duplicative of existing authority, would result in less investment in state parks, and lead to more decisions being made outside of the professional managers overseeing Pennsylvania’s award winning parks already.
By voting against House Bill 2013, you stood up for one of Pennsylvania’s most defining and valued characteristics. Our state parks are a source of unmatched natural beauty, state pride, and economic growth. They are not broken and your NO vote ensures that present and future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy our state parks. We thank you.
We also look forward to your continued opposition to House Bill 2013, if a reconsideration vote is held in the coming days or by the end of session.
Sincerely,
Matthew Stepp, Director of Policy
PennFuture
Joanne Kilgour, Executive Director
Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter
Mark Szybist, Senior Program Advocate
Natural Resources Defense Council
Steve Hvozdovich, Pennsylvania Campaigns Coordinator
Clean Water Action
David Masur, Executive Director
PennEnvironment
Richard Martin, Coordinator
Pennsylvania Forest Coalition
Josh McNeil, Executive Director
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
Joseph Neville, Executive Director
Keystone Trails Association
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Please continue to let your local representative and senator know that you oppose HB 2013 and want our parks to remain a place to enjoy our natural world and we don’t need them to become amusement parks or golf courses.
Your local legislator can be found here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/