Forested Buffers Focus of PA House Hearing

This article appeared in the Friday, March 13, 2010 issue of Lancaster Farming.  I thought some of my readers might find it interesting.  It deals with the prospect of mandating a specific minimum width forested buffer on all strreams of the Commonwealth.  Currently, there is no specific buffer width required by law.

Forested Buffers Get a Hearing in the House

Chris Torres, Staff Writer

HARRISBURG, Pa. — When it comes to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, the discussion usually centers around a few solutions: getting wastewater treatment plants up to date and getting farmers to manage their nutrients better.

But at a meeting Monday at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, the discussion centered on something that often gets overlooked: trees.

The House Majority Policy Committee hosted the meeting, which included representatives from several environmental groups as well as the group representing the state’s building industry, the Pennsylvania Builders Association.

The talk centered on the importance of tree buffers in tributaries and whether or not the state should require minimum buffers along waterways.

To read the full story click here.