Jim Eckert

This webinar presents the Pennsylvania State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, a five-year strategy to guide outdoor recreation investments and priorities across Pennsylvania. The plan addresses funding and economic development by protecting investment sources, seeking new capital, and promoting outdoor recreation as a key economic driver. It also focuses on building strategic coalitions, marketing Pennsylvania as an outdoor recreation destination, and demonstrating the community benefits of nature-based solutions. The overarching vision is to provide welcoming and accessible outdoor recreation for all Pennsylvanians, supporting their health and well-being.

Key discussion topics included the status of Council appointments, noting current vacancies and pending reappointments for members nominated by the Governor and the House, with plans to send encouraging letters to expedite these processes. Another significant area of focus involved updates on registration fee work groups for ATVs and Snowmobiles, aiming to establish user-pays funding models and address gas tax refund allocation for off-highway use, suggesting pending legislation. Furthermore, updates were provided on the establishment of the new Office of Outdoor Recreation, which will involve outreach through nine Regional Meetings to gather stakeholder input on structure and priorities. Discussions also covered the recent Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing for DCNR, noting positive sentiment regarding outdoor recreation and conservation priorities, including infrastructure maintenance and the role of the recreation economy. Lastly, an update was given on developing a two-part webinar series concerning carbon storage (underground and in trees/wood products) and the Council's internal restructuring into five umbrella areas to become more action-oriented.

This tutorial provides guidance on utilizing web map tools to assess outdoor recreation access and identify areas of need within Pennsylvania. It details the methodology of combining data on parks, trails, water access points, and public open spaces with U.S. census data to analyze access based on demographic factors. The document demonstrates the use of both DCNR's and The Trust for Public Land's ParkServe web maps, enabling users to explore current access, pinpoint high-need locations, and dynamically model the impact of new recreation facilities to enhance statewide outdoor recreation planning.

The fall meeting focused on reviewing recent operational and financial performance, alongside updates on key initiatives. Discussions included the high level of outdoor recreation observed across all user groups due to the pandemic, and plans by DCNR to hire an Outdoor Recreation Leader to better coordinate the recreation sector. Significant progress was noted on the Renovo Connector trail project, emphasizing collaboration with local government and private land owners. The council addressed the need to increase ATV and snowmobile registration fees, which necessitates legislative action. Furthermore, the implementation and impacts of the revised ATV policy, finalized in November 2020, were reviewed, highlighting flexibility for designating temporary seasonal trails and supporting land acquisition for motorized use, such as the planned 5,600-acre Butler Tract restoration project. A pilot program for a regional connector trail utilizing segments of PennDot and DCNR roads, which ran from July through September, was also discussed, focusing on public engagement and monitoring outcomes. The fiscal report covered ATV revenues of approximately $3.9 million for FY 2021 and detailed expenditures by bureau, alongside the current fiscal year budgets for both ATV (approx. $7 million) and snowmobile (approx. $1 million) programs.

The meeting commenced with housekeeping announcements, noting the potential transition to hybrid meetings starting in September. Key discussion points included an update on summer season visitation at state parks, which remains very high, leading to capacity closures and strain on staff. The council also discussed upcoming hosting of national conferences for state park directors and foresters in September. Significant time was dedicated to fiscal matters, including the passage of the cost-to-carry budget, ongoing high demand for the grants program, and the potential impact of Senate Bill 525 on environmental stewardship funding. Furthermore, the council reviewed the recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision regarding the use of oil and gas lease fund dollars, clarifying that bonus rents and fines belong to the public trust corpus for long-term, intergenerational use. The challenges in hiring 25 new environmental field rangers due to non-competitive state pay scales were also addressed. There were preliminary attempts to facilitate public comment from registered participants, although technical difficulties were encountered.