Preface

To understand Pennsylvania Heritage Parks one must think beyond the confines of the traditional concept and understanding of a "park" to something more expansive in size, more inclusive in terms of the variety of resources contained within, and much broader in regard to the goals it is designed to achieve. One must think big.

State Heritage Parks are large geographic regions or corridors of the Commonwealth that span two or more counties. These areas contain a multitude of cultural, historic, recreational, natural and scenic resources of state and national significance that collectively exemplify the industrial heritage of Pennsylvania. Through regional partnerships and public grassroots planning strategies, these resources are identified, protected, enhanced and promoted to strengthen regional economies through increased tourism, creation of new jobs and stimulation of public and private partnerships for new investment opportunities. This holistic and bottoms-up approach to planning ensures that the industrial legacy of a region -- and the cultural, educational and recreational values inherent to it -- are preserved for future generations.

A Pennsylvania Heritage Park is a process as well as a product. It is both the means and the end to substantially enrich the quality of life in Pennsylvania and the communities and regions of the state where these initiatives are pursued. It is also about partnerships. The foundation upon which a heritage park is structured involves building and strengthening regional coalitions of community leaders, nonprofit interest groups, the private sector, state agencies and the federal government. Its success is dependent upon partners being able to erase governmental and institutional boundaries while planning and acting regionally.

Pennsylvania's Heritage Parks System is almost complete. Most major industrial themes are being addressed through designated parks or will be addressed in the future by areas now under consideration for designation. Therefore, the main focus of the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program over the next several years will be to continue to support activities and projects that are integral to the implementation of the heritage development, conservation and promotion strategies crafted and refined by the regional coalitions within each heritage park.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/heritageparks/manual.htm

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More reading:

The Resource

May 30, 1997

Vol. 1 No. 13

Jacobsburg connects Delaware River to world

DCNR's Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center held the National Global Rivers Environmental Education Network Student Congress May 3-7 at Mt. Bethel, located on the Delaware River. Estelle Ruppert, program coordinator at Jacobsburg, coordinated teams from New York, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Washington, and Florida as they presented workshops and floated on the river for four days.

Students from 25 area schools, which were conducting studies on the river, hosted the teams in their homes. Guest speakers on the trip included U.S. Rep. Paul McHale and Dr. William Stapp, Nobel Prize nominee and founder of GREEN.

The Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center also provided the setting for a two-day workshop, April 18 and 19, on multicultural environmental education for teachers, using the Delaware River as a model for watersheds throughout the world. Attendees included members of the United Nations Environment program and the United Nations International School.

The workshop, also organized by Ruppert, encouraged social studies and geography teachers to place river studies within their curriculums. Twenty-one participants examined cultures from Africa and India and comparisons were made between Pennsylvania river watershed regulations, partnerships, water quality and education around the globe.

For more information, contact Estelle Ruppert at 610-746-2806.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/polycomm/may/jac53097.htm

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The Resource

October 1999

Vol. 3, Issue 10

Brett takes helm as sportsmen's adviser

In international circles, he's known as a renowned conservationist with a long list of degrees and honors. Closer to home, Pennsylvania outdoors enthusiasts recognize him as a man who shares their love for this state's wealth of natural resources.

James J. Brett can discuss the decline of a raptor before a global audience with the same ease that he presents an elk hair caddis to a surface-feeding brown trout. He may tell you exactly where monarch butterflies spend the winter, but his favorite fall ruffed grouse coverts likely are to remain a secret.

Brett finds challenge in his environmental work, rewards in his outdoor pursuits. And that's a relationship Gov. Tom Ridge applauded when he named Brett, 59, of Kempton, Berks County, to be his new sportsmen adviser.

"Jim's a hunter, angler and naturalist who knows firsthand the benefits of Pennsylvania's proud heritage of outdoor recreation," Gov. Ridge said. "His closeness with the land, and career in conservation, habitat preservation, and forest stewardship give him the necessary tools to serve the Commonwealth and our sportsmen and women as my sportsmen adviser."

Formerly a member of the Governor's Sportsmen's Advisory Council, Brett was appointed adviser in mid-August. He succeeds Vern Ross, who resigned to become the state Game Commission's executive director.

Charged with coordinating communication between the governor and outdoor sports enthusiasts, Brett said he will draw heavily upon his background in conservation to foster a spirit of cooperation among naturalists, anglers, hunters, hikers and others.

"I want to build a stronger cooperative spirit between the sportsmen and women of Pennsylvania and the conservation community," Brett said. "This cooperation only can strengthen our abilities to protect and conserve Pennsylvania's superb wild resources."

Cooperation also will be his watchword in working with the state's wildlife and conservation organizations, said Brett, who was named to the advisory council in 1995.

"Jim has the right background to foster that needed cooperative effort," said DCNR Secretary John C. Oliver. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in wildlife conservation to the position and is highly respected in the environmental community."

A former curator at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Berks County, for 25 years, Brett serves as a trustee of the Berks County Community Foundation's Jim Brett Global Conservation Education Fund. He has served as a U. S. delegate to the International Council for Bird Preservation, a conservation group chartered by the United Nations.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/polycomm/oct/brett1099.htm

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Ridge Administration Launches Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy

April 28, 2000

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commonwealth News Bureau Room 308, Main Capitol Harrisburg, PA 17120

Contact: Darlene Crawford, Deputy Press Secretary 717-787-1323

Gretchen Leslie, DCNR Press Secretary 717-772-9101

Harrisburg - On behalf of Gov. Tom Ridge, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary James M. Seif and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary John C. Oliver today announced the creation of a new consortium that will draw upon the resources of government and higher education to address environmental issues of the 21st century.

"Seeing environmental challenges ahead, and mindful of the expertise at Pennsylvania's many colleges and universities, we are forming the Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy," Seif said. "This new organization will encourage government decision makers and academia to work together to enhance environmental protection in Pennsylvania."

"The consortium has been created because the environmental problems of the 21st century will challenge both decision makers and academic institutions in new ways," Oliver said. "For this reason, greater cooperation between government and higher education is needed to protect and restore the environment for present and future generations."

The following organizations have agreed to join DEP and DCNR in the new consortium: California University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, Clarion University, Drexel University, Duquesne University, Duquesne University School of Law, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Juniata College, Mansfield University, Millersville University, Penn State University, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Villanova University, West Chester University, Widener University School of Law and Wilson College.

Another 14 colleges and universities either have indicated that they intend to join or have entered into discussions about joining the consortium.

DEP and DCNR also have invited the RAND organization to participate in the consortium. RAND is an internationally known think-tank dedicated to improving policy and decision making through research and analysis. RAND also is the world's largest Ph.D.-granting institution in public-policy analysis and recently opened a Pittsburgh office out of which it will be working on public-policy questions like those under consideration by the consortium.

Initially the goals of the consortium are:

- To describe the courses and environmental interests of participating colleges and universities;

- To describe major cutting-edge policy issues and needs of DEP and DCNR, and

- To begin a dialogue about how Pennsylvania environmental decision-makers and Pennsylvania colleges and universities might productively cooperate around specific issues.

Don Brown, senior counsel for sustainable development with DEP, has been designated as the acting director of the consortium. Brown has served in various positions during his 20 years with Pennsylvania's environmental agencies. Brown also served as the program manager for the United Nations Organizations at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of International Environmental Policy, in several senior management positions with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and as an engineer for Leeds and Northrup Corporation.

Brown also brings a strong interdisciplinary academic background to the work of the consortium: a degree in commerce and engineering sciences from Drexel University, a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law and a master's degree in philosophy and art from the New School for Social Research where he also was enrolled in the Ph.D. program in philosophy.

For more information about the consortium, visit the consortium web site at www.pciep.org , or contact Brown at 717-783-8504 or email brown.donald@dep.state.pa.us .

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/polycomm/pressrel/consortium0400.htm

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Now, a search of the main website using the word 'roadless' turned up the following:

Miller Run Natural Area consists of 4,000 acres of second growth oak and northern hardwood forests. The roadless watersheds of three streams dissecting the plateau are protected in this area.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/forests/tiadaghton/tiadwild.htm