Summer has just begun and Pennsylvanians from across the state are heading outside to enjoy our state forests and our award-winning state parks. Unfortunately, our legislature is currently considering allowing private development on these important public lands.
To learn more about House Bill 2013, which would encourage the use of “public-private partnerships” to facilitate the development of golf courses, water parks, hotels and other private development on state park and forest land, please click here. The types of private development this bill would encourage would detract from the natural experiences Pennsylvanians have come to expect from our award-winning state park system. Can you imagine how inappropriate an amusement park would be in Ohiopyle or Laurel Hill State Park?
With tens of thousands of acres of public land in the Yough River watershed, this proposal has the potential to drastically impact the landscape of our watershed and parks including Kooser, Laurel Hill, Laurel Ridge, and Ohiopyle, not to mention important and sensitive habitats in Forbes State Forest.
House Bill 2013 sailed out of committee but thanks to the quick action taken by thousands of Pennsylvanians who contacted their Representatives it failed 73-123 in a floor vote yesterday. However, there has already been a motion to recommit the bill and we don’t expect we’ve seen the last of it.
Please, if you have not yet contacted your Representative ACT NOW to help stop this attempt to turn over our state parks to developers. Contact your Representative to let them know you oppose House Bill 2013. Phone calls are best, but you can also use this action alert from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club. Parks are for the people, not for private profit!