Protect PA Waters-Letter to Gov. Rendell

Hello World Family,
As some of you know, Falcon and Dove are strong proponents of conservation, green jobs, and protecting wildlife...and our lives, too. In Falcon's official position, I penned this letter earlier this week, and delivered it to the governor's office.

Falcon encourages all Pennsylvania residents to speak out about protecting our beautiful streams and waterways. The fax number for Gov. Rendell's office is listed below. Those of you who visit Pennsylvania, I would also encourage you to let the Governor know how you feel.
Thank you, Cousins!
Peace,
Falcon

Governor Ed Rendell
225 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-772-8284 (Fax)

Governor Rendell,
I applaud your efforts to continue to protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources. Thank you for standing up for all of Pennsylvania’s residents with respect to health care by protecting all our children, helping seniors better manage their prescription costs, and working to provide heath care for all. It is in the spirit of those efforts that I ask you to ensure that buffers to protect our waterways continue to be integral to the DEP’s review and permitting process.

Our Commonwealth has many riches, but among its greatest, and most sacred, are its waterways. We are a water rich region, and are very fortunate. It is sometimes easy to forget how fragile our relationship to that richness is when there are so many competing interests for our land use.

It is imperative to keep in the front of our minds that without mandatory buffers, it is likely that industry and developer interest, however well intended, may neglect safety and water quality for ease or profit. All of us have seen the collapse of many businesses and the struggles on Wall St. with balancing the need to make a profit with conscience and consistency. If the buffers of moral conscience failed to hold back the tide of foolish expenditures, Ponzi schemes, and worthless paper bundles, then we should not trust that in Pennsylvania those who answer more to bottom lines than pristine headwaters will not also fail in their ability to police themselves. We are given a great gift and with that comes huge responsibility.
The DEP must continue to review all stormwater plans from every developer because frankly, it is illegal not to. It is not asking too much to require 1oo feet of buffers on most streams and 150 feet on small headwater streams. A mere 300 feet of buffer to protect our most exceptional waters is sensible and lucid. Buffers help us maintain and improve water quality, reduce flooding, and control sediment. Technical reviews are necessary to keep a system of checks and balances in place. Public review and comment is essential to the process as well as maintaining the quality of life we have here in the Commonwealth. This is no time to abandon reasonable review and inquiry.

We are at a place in our history where the most important currency we will possess is our natural resources. If we do not have water of high quality, proper soil and breathable air, every thing else we will do for the rest of our lives will be in an attempt to make up for it. How high would the costs be to our state in health care, remediation, and land management if we degrade our standards? I ask you to please ensure that all Pennsylvanians for generations to come may enjoy the beauty of our waterways the way we do now. It is a promise to our future. I thank you for supporting the beauty and quality of life we enjoy in Pennsylvania.

Yours sincerely,
The Falcon and the Dove