Moshannon Group of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club

February 2005 Issue 1

Moshannon Group News

EVENTS CALENDAR

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

Public Presentations are held at the Inter-pretive Center of the Centre County Solid Waste Authority—253Transfer Road—just north of the Nittany Mall off Route 26, and are open to both mem-bers and non-members.

Tuesday, February 22: I-99 Construction, Pyretic Rock: the evening will include two films by Mary Vollero, a slide presentation by CDT reporter Mike Joseph, and discussion. See article on page 1.

BANFF FILM FESTIVAL

Sunday, April 10: The Moshannon Group and Penn State Eco-Action will host the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at 7PM in Eisenhower Auditorium on the Penn State Campus. Our website will have details and the next Newsletter will list the films to be shown. See the article on page 3.

OUTINGS

Sunday, February 6: Cross country skiing in the Black Moshannon Area. We will plan a short ski outing as well as a longer ski outing both ending with dinner at 4PM at our Winter Party. For details, see our website, or call an Ex-com member.

Saturday, March 26: Hike of about five-six miles at Quehanna Wild Area, Elk and Cam-eron Counties, taking in Beaver Run Lake and some unique ecosystems on the Alle-gheny Plateau. Contact Ben Cramer at 237-4187 or dooms-dayer520@yahoo.com.

(Continued on page 2)

Construction and the alignment of I-99 in Centre County have been and continue to be a source concern for the Sierra Club as well as other con-servation groups. The environmental impacts of unearthing massive amounts of pyretic rock during the construction of the roadway as it crests the Bald Eagle Ridge at Skytop

has presented an ongoing dilemma for the road builders. One year after the Centre Daily Times brought the situation before the public in a front page story by Mike Joseph, the prob-lem, the pollution, and the future im-

pacts remain. The mess has also raised questions of how this could have happened and accountability for the impact to the nearby homeown-ers, and to the natural environment. The Moshannon Group’s February Public Presentation will feature the screening of two short films by Mary

Vollero about I-99 construction in Centre County, as well as a slide presentation by Mike Joseph the Cen-tre Daily Times reporter who in Feb-ruary 2004 broke the story of the en-

(Continued on page 5)

February 22 Public Presentation:

I-99, PYRETIC ROCK: GETTING THE PICTURE

There is never a lack of work to be done in fighting the good fight, in working to protect our environment, in devoting our time to the real work, to what matters. What the Moshannon Group can accomplish at the local level depends on how many of us are willing to pitch in. The Executive Committee of the Moshannon Group is at the heart of what gets done. I would like to introduce you to the Ex-com and to the others who make the Moshannon Group work. Stan Kotala is the newest member of the Ex-com. Stan has been contributing articles to the Newsletter, and along with his wife and daughter has been a familiar face at outings and Public Pres-entations. Stan brings energy, passion, and a wide range of inter-ests and expertise to our Ex-com. Ben Cramer and Bill Tanner were re-elected to the Ex-com. Ben has done a fabulous job at reinvigorating our website, and at keeping it up to date. If it has been a while since you have looked at the website, check it out. The website includes articles concerning local conservation issues, an archive of past Newslet-ters, and if you are looking for a place to explore or enjoy, an archive of past On The Trail columns. Ben is one of the writers of On The Trail. Ben has also expanded our outings program into a wider range of locations, and he has helped to focus the outings on places where conservation issues have arisen. Bill Tanner’s involvement and commitment to the Moshannon Group goes way back and Bill will continue to serve as our Treasurer. Judy Tanner, Ron Johnson, and Ronn Brourman are the other members of the Ex-com. Judy’s involvement and support also goes way back. Judy serves as our Secretary, and as our Political Chair helped to shape the Moshannon Group involvement in Election 2004. Bill and Judy are also responsible for the refresh-ments at our Public Presentations. Ron Johnson, along with his wife and son, are also frequent par-ticipants on outings and at our Public Presentations. A member of the Ex-com for the past year Ron has continued to grow in his role as Conservation Chair. Ron works to shape our approach to local conservation issues. Ronn Brourman is our Program Chair. Ronn had a large role in setting up the Public Presentations that we have had in the past year. Ronn’s persistence in getting, and then in promoting, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour was a primary reason that the event was such a success last year. Ronn and the rest of us are looking forward to making the event an even bigger suc-cess this year as we have moved it to Eisenhower Auditorium on Penn State’s main campus. The commitment of the members of the Ex-com should be ap-preciated by every member of the Moshannon Group. However, there is a limit to what seven people, even seven highly energetic people, can do. If we can expand the number of Moshannon

Group members that are in-volved we can accomplish even more.

We are working to get others actively involved. Hilary Vida, a member of the Ex-com for many years, decided not to run this year, but also decided to remain involved. Hilary brings years of experience with many State issues and agencies to bear on the discussions that we have. Dave Coleman, the previous Moshannon Group Chair, is our Chapter Delegate. Dave’s energy is devoted primarily to chapter business, but he is always there to help the Moshannon Group whenever we need him. Dave continues to share in the responsi-bilities of writing the On The Trail column. Joe Banks, another long time activist and past member of the Ex-com, is our Fundraising and Calendar Chair. Our annual calendar sale continues to be an important source of funds for us each year, and I would like to express a big thank-you not only to Joe, but to all of you who purchase the calendars. For the past several years Nancy de Streel has prepared the Newsletter for mailing and she has now taken over as Member-ship Chair. Nancy and her husband are also regulars at our Pub-lic Presentations. There is room for each of you to help the Moshannon Group to grow, to thrive, and to become an important presence in local conservation issues. Hard work and the good fight are only part of what we do. We also take time to explore and to enjoy the vast woods and waters that make up so much of the area in-cluded by the Moshannon Group, and I firmly believe that through exploring and enjoying each of us will want to fight to protect the environment. So I extend an invitation to each of you—join us on our outings, at our Public Presentations, at our Winter Party, and at the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Contact any of the Ex-com members, listed on the back of this Newsletter, and tell us how you would like to get involved. Or ask us what you can do to get in-volved. There is not only a place for each of you, but a need for each of you!

Moshannon Group News Page 2

Check our website for the most current additional outings & information http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/moshannon/

FROM THE CHAIR Gary Thornbloom

Saturday, April 16: Multiple short hikes adding up to about six miles at Parker Dam State Park, Clearfield County, utilizing the Quehanna Trail and the park's nature trails. Contact Ben Cramer at 237-4187 or doomsdayer520@yahoo.com.

WINTER PARTY

Sunday, February 6: For details, see the last Newsletter, our website, or call an Ex-com member.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Held on the first Tuesday of the month; open to all members. Call an Executive Committee Member for the next meeting location.

EVENTS CALENDAR (Continued from page 1)

Page 3 Moshannon Group News

The Moshannon Group is pleased to bring the best in outdoor and ad-venture films to State College on Sunday April 10 at 7PM at Eisen-hower Auditorium on the main campus of Penn State University where we, along with Penn State Eco-Action, will be hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. In the twenty nine years of the Film Festival, screenings are held in the chill of an Iceland autumn and the heat of an African sunset. The World Tour spans the globe visiting twenty-five countries on six conti-nents. In North American over 120,000 will attend 285 screenings in 185 cities. The Moshannon Group, in its second year of hosting the tour, has the potential of having the largest single screening on the entire tour! Over half of the World Tour screenings benefit an outdoor program, a community cause, or a not-for-profit organization like the Moshannon Group. The Road Tour begins each No-

vember in the Ca-nadian Rockies with the Banff Mountain Film Festival where in this majestic land-scape the world’s best mountain films are shown and an interna-tional film festival jury awards prizes in eight categories. Prior to the week of the festival 330 films from 46 countries are winnowed to 57 final-ists. From the finalists come the winners and a selection of about 30 films that local hosts draw upon to put together a program that reflects interests of their audience. Films vary in length from 3 to 72 minutes. Films include big snow skiing and snow boarding in Italy, Alaska and British Columbia; white water in China, Uganda and South America—some first descents; river running in Russia; mountaineering in France, Poland, and of course on

Everest; ice and rock climbing; paragliding and base jumping; and mountain biking like you have never seen it. The films are not all the high adrena-line rush of ex-t reme spo r t s . Some films tell stories of the chal-

lenge and response to adversity. Other films take a look at mountain cultures and the mountain environ-ment. The films can be intense, humorous, moving, and enlighten-ing. The World Tour captures the spirit of mountain adventure and moun-tain culture. Join us in making this event even bigger than the success it was last year when 900 of us spent a great evening watching some of the best mountain films in the world. Six to eight films will be shown at the State College screen-ing and will be listed on our web-site in February. Be part of the adventure when the festival comes to State College, PA on April 10th, 2005!

FOR INFORMATION: http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/moshannon/, or Ronn Brourman: 814-867-0624, ronnb@adelphia.net.

THE BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR RETURNS TO STATE COLLEGE

by Gary Thornbloom

Last Year’s Festival Crowd in State College

One of this year’s films.

Moshannon Group News Page 4

SUPPORT GROWING GREENER II By Stan Kotala

Five years ago, Governor Ridge signed the original Growing Greener legislation into law. Called the Environmental Steward-ship and Protection Act, funds were allocated for farmland pres-ervation, state park and local recreation projects, waste and drink-ing water improvements and watershed restoration programs.

Governor Rendell has proposed new funding that will stabilize and expand the original Growing Greener program, enacted un-der Governor Ridge, and the Hazardous Sites Cleanup program, signed into law by Governor Casey. Called Growing Greener II, Governor Rendell's proposal will protect farmland and open space from development; clean up polluted streams and reclaim abandoned mines; and improve state and community parks and fish and wildlife infrastructure. Growing Greener II will accom-plish these goals while making critical investments in community revitalization and the promotion of the use of clean energy.

A blend of budget reallocations and fee-based funding is pro-posed, with a portion of these fees supporting an $800 million bond that would, during a four-year period, be used to:

• Clean Up Pennsylvania's Polluted Streams: $80 million to improve the health of our rivers and streams affected by run-off from mines and other pollution, restoring these waters to full use for our communities and outdoor enthusiasts.

• Reclaim Abandoned Mines and Toxic Waste Sites for Productive Uses: $140 million to clean up mines that are public safety or environmental hazards, and to prepare con-taminated industrial sites, known as "brownfields," for rede-velopment.

• Invest in New Alternative Energy Sources: $80 million for investments in alternative energy production including wind farms, solar cells and alternative fuels. These cutting-edge sources of energy are less damaging to the environment than production with conventional fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

• Preserve Farmland, Protecting Open Space and Improv-ing Recreation Resources: $330 million to preserve farm-land and open space, and to improve state parks and infra-structure that support fish and wildlife habitat so tourists and Pennsylvanians can fully enjoy these treasures again.

• Restore Communities and Expand Affordable Housing: $170 million to improve community parks, and invest in housing and community redevelopment.

The Growing Greener II bond issue will add less than one per-cent now, and no more than six percent in later years to Pennsyl-vania's total debt portfolio. Therefore, the impact on our debt rating – if any – should be minuscule. The impact on our quality of life, however, will be immeasurable.

This proposed spending would be funded by increasing and ex-

panding current fees on waste and pollution. These fees would be used to prevent funding shortfalls in current environmental pro-grams, pay the operating and debt service on the proposed Grow-ing Greener II bond that would be utilized to meet the capital costs of these initiatives, and fund several new Growing Greener items to be included in the state's operating budget. The fee in-creases would be:

• Raising Fees on Garbage Dumping: Increase landfill "tipping" or dumping fees, which are charged to garbage haulers to deposit municipal trash, by $5 per ton. Half of the state's trash comes from out of state, so half of the $100 mil-lion the state would get from the increased dumping fees would be paid by those who live in other states, but dump their trash here.

• A Dumping Fee on Industrial Waste: This $4-per-ton fee on "residual waste" is new revenue for our state. Residual waste is typically debris left after manufacturing such as sludge, demolition debris and coal ash. Such waste is now dumped without a fee.

• A 15 Cent Per Pound Fee on Release of Toxic Chemicals into the Environment: Each year more than 1,400 power plants, mines, paper mills, chemical companies and other industries in Pennsylvania release thousands of tons of toxic chemicals into the environment. They must pay a little more for the price we pay in contaminated air, water and land.

This bond issue will have to be approved by the voters through a ballot initiative. The first opportunity for voters to consider this ballot question will be during the November elections. To date, the Governor has received over 20,000 letters of bipartisan sup-port from every area of Pennsylvania.

Growing Greener II offers enormous benefits at minimal cost. Existing businesses will grow and new firms will come when we show faith in our future by using our own funds to invest in Pennsylvania businesses. We must do everything in our power to put Pennsylvanians to work in high-skill, high-wage jobs.

Growing Greener II is our best chance to invest in our economy, preserve our environment, and create new, high-quality jobs all across the state. If we can make our cities and towns more liv-able, offer sportsmen clean streams and healthy game lands, re-spond to growing needs to preserve farmland and open space and to repair the environmental damage of our industrial past, Penn-sylvania will be a more attractive place for families and employ-ers to come and to stay.

The Moshannon Group of the Sierra Club strongly supports Growing Greener II. It's now up to each member to contact his or her state legislators and write letters to the editors of their local papers to support Growing Greener II. Please act quickly, since this matter must be acted on this month in order to be placed on the ballot this spring!

vironmental mess that has been a major news story in Cen-tral Pennsylvania for the past year. Vollero teaches Art at Penn State Dubois and describes her films as experimental documentaries. Her first film about I-99 was completed in 2001. The five-minute short is a photographic narrative using still photography and audio interviews. Vollero says the I-99 project evolved out of her photo-graphic process. For many years before the construction she photographed the landscape on her drive to work, compulsively; after construction began–she continued shooting. In 2001, Vollero received a grant to exhibit her photographs and at that point she realized she wanted to communicate more about the I-99 construction than her photographs alone were able to communicate. She decided to make a short film using her photographs and interviews from friends, activists, and PennDot. Vary-ing, often opposing commentaries can be heard while her photographs change in slow dissolves, one image to the next. I-99 was completed in 2001 and was screened in numerous film-festivals including MOUNTAIN FEST in Telluride, CO., the Green Film Festival in Los Angeles, and the Conscious Projector, in Seattle WA. This past spring, after Mike Joseph's stories in the Centre Daily Times informed the public about how pyretic rock from the construction over Skytop contaminated streams and wells in the vicinity, Vollero decided to revisit I-99 in

another video project. Vollero and her husband, Peter Warren, explored the Sky-top region collecting photographs and video, even flying over the site, but in the editing room Vollero made the de-cision to approach part 2 as she did the original film using still photography with a soundtrack of various people speaking about the construction. Voices on Part 2 "explain" the situation on Skytop Mountain today, and leave us with questions about how this happened and what the resolution may be. Vollero says: Part 3 is looming. The power-point slide presentation by Mike Joseph will show various aspects of the environmental hazard at Sky-top. For the past six years Joseph has covered transporta-tion, politics and growth issues for the CDT. He has also worked for the Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, Pa., the Bridgeport Post in Connecticut and for two English-language newspapers in Taipei, Taiwan. Join us for an informative evening on February 22 at 7PM wi t h Mar y Vo l l e r o a nd Mi k e J o s ep h . …………………………………..

I-99—GETTING THE PICTURE (Continued from page 1)

Moshannon Group News Page 5

—NOTE— A low resolution version of Vollero's first I-99 video can be

seen on her Website at: http://art.net/~mary/i99movie.html

Other work can been here: http://art.net/~mary da (Centre County)

See the compendium of Mike Joseph I-99 investigative

articles at http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/special_packages/i99/.

If you can see as far as 60 yards when you're hiking in the woods, it's probably because the deer have browsed so much that they've destroyed the understory (that's the new trees that are supposed to be coming up to replace the ma-ture ones). A new study, unveiled at the Farm Show in Harrisburg January 12, is a new vision, based on three years of hard work by a team of ten experts. The 300 page study is the most complete research ever on the subject of Whitetail Deer in Pennsylvania. The title is long (to suit the telephone book size of the report). "Managing White-tailed Deer in Forest Habitat From an Ecosystem Perspective: Pennsylvania Case Study" is something that you have to read if you're going to win any arguments about deer at your favorite watering

hole. Yes, you have to read it and you have to read it with an open mind. You can find the report on the Audubon web site: http://pa.audubon.org/deer_forum_report_main.htm You can download the ten-page summary for starters, but you also have to promise to give up a little TV time to look at the meat in the study. It is an eye-opener. If you spend "the other ten months of the year" out there scouting, you know that it's all a matter of habitat - and a visionary approach to deer management is habitat management. And habitat management is for all the crit-ters. Doing this will involve more than hunter's dollars; it will take a fresh new approach , based on science.

PENNSYLVANIA WHITETAIL vs. PENNSYLVANIA FORESTS By R. Martin, Coordinator, Forest Coalition

P.O. Box 513 State College, PA 16804

Moshannon Group of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club

Moshannon Group Directory *members of the Executive Committee

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid State College, PA 16801 Permit No. 154

Chair &Newsletter *Gary Thornbloom 353-3466 bearknob@chilitech.com

Vice Chair , Website &Outings *Ben Cramer 237-4187 doomsdayer520@yahoo.com

Treasurer, Energy *Bill Tanner 542-8519 billtann@penn.com

Secretary, Political *Judy Tanner 542-8519 billtann@penn.com

Programs *Ronn Brourman 867-0624 ronnb@adelphia.net

Conservation *Ron Johnson 355-5434 cavenkenu@wmconnect.com

Agriculture, Env Education Hilary Vida 371-3277

Chapter Delegate Dave Coleman 234-0839 dyatesc@aol.com

Fundraising (Calendars)

Joe Banks

234-4266

Monday-Friday mornings.

Membership Nancy deStreel 422-0636 Nancy_de_streel@hotmail.com

Intern Position Available

Endangered Species/Wildlife *Stan Kotala ccwiba@keyconn.net

Printed On Recycled Paper

4110

We’re on the web!—http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/moshannon/

Sunday April 10, 2005!

THANK YOU… The Moshannon Group would like to extend sincere appreciation to those of you who par-ticipated in supporting our annual Calendar Sale by purchasing calendars. And a special thank you to those who pur-chased additional calendars for friends, asso-ciates, and gifts!