Earth Day
This afternoon Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), DEP Secretary John Hanger, the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association and dozens of kids participating in the state’s annual Bring Your Child to Work Day gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
Secretary Hanger, who previously ran the environmental advocacy group PennFuture, said Earth Day has changed how people think about the environment in its forty years of existence. He said Pennsylvania has “a great story to tell” in regard to its work developing green energy.
Rep. Briggs, whose resolution HR 734 recognizing April 22 as Earth Day in Pennsylvania was passed unanimously by the House, said “it is our responsibility, and the responsibility of all future generations of Pennsylvanians, to protect and preserve the natural resources of this Commonwealth.”
The Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association, in commemoration of the event, is donating 25 sugar maple seedlings to be planted around the Capitol grounds and at state facilities throughout Harrisburg. Government Relations Director Chad Forcey said that through the education of the state’s youth and a re-commitment to the task of conservation and responsible use, “we will keep Pennsylvania’s environment strong and healthy for many years to come.” He noted PLNA and its partners in the state are calling for the passage of Growing Greener III to meet the challenges posed by Marcellus Shale drilling and the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay.
