Protect Our State Parks and Forests
Our state parks and forests are some of the most extensive in the country, a symbol of our commitment to preserve Pennsylvania’s natural heritage for generations to come. But now, one of the most important programs for protecting and maintaining our state parks faces elimination, and with it, the future of our parks.
Pennsylvania’s 120 state parks under threat
Each year, our state parks and forests give millions of visitors an opportunity to hike, camp, fish, boat or just relax. From Erie’s Presque Isle to Ridley Creek State Park outside of Philadelphia, and everywhere in between, Pennsylvania’s 120 state parks and 20 state forests are some of the crown jewels of our natural heritage.
Sadly, our state parks and forests face major threats from all sides: potential privatization, severe funding cuts and budget shortfalls, a backlog of maintenance and repair projects, and the threat of Marcellus Shale gas drilling and the clearcuts and pollution that accompany it.
We must protect our state parks and forests
Our elected officials in Harrisburg have allowed funding for state parks and forests to be slashed, and have opened up more than 700,000 acres of state forestlands to Marcellus Shale gas drilling. And now Gov. Tom Corbet is pushing to eliminate the Keystone Fund, a program dedicated to protecting our state parks.
PennEnvironment is standing up for the parks and forests that we love — and making sure that they get the protections that they need and deserve. Alongside our citizen members and activists, PennEnvironment is working to make sure that our state parks and forests are protected and properly maintained for generations to come.
Thousands of concerned citizens have joined our efforts, calling and emailing their elected officials, and making sure that our state parks and forests have a voice and a constant watchdog. Join our campaign and urge your legislators to protect our state parks and maintain the Keystone Fund.
Urge your legislators to protect our state parks by maintaining the Keystone Fund.
Key Facts
- Pennsylvania’s state park system was created with the vision of having a state park within 25 miles of every Pennsylvanian.
- Pennsylvania is the 33rd largest state, but only Alaska and California have more state parks.
- State parks are found in 61 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
- 700,000 acres of state forestland have been leased out for Marcellus Shale gas drilling — a full 40% of our state forestlands.
- In 2008, state parks hosted more than 33.5 million visitors who spent $738 million on their trips. This spending helps support more than 10,000 jobs in Pennsylvania’s economy.