With the start of the General Assembly’s new session, PennEnvironment is calling on elected officials to make open space protection a top priority during this legislative cycle. From the Poconos to Lancaster County’s Amish farmlands, Pennsylvanians are all too familiar with overdevelopment and the negative environmental effect and deteriorating quality of life that it brings with it.

While recent steps have been taken to protect Pennsylvania’s most threatened family farms and open space from encroaching overdevelopment—including the passage of the Growing Greener II Initiative and a variety of county and municipal-level funding proposals—thousands of acres of the state’s pristine open space continue to be destroyed each year.

“We’ve created the foundation for protecting Pennsylvania’s open space. Now we need to give local residents the legal tools and authority to implement smart development and open space protection in their communities,” said PennEnvironment’s David Masur. “Only then will we be able to truly preserve Pennsylvania’s rich natural heritage for future generations.”

PennEnvironment is calling on elected officials to take the next steps to protect our threatened open space, including designating permanent protection for our most ecologically important open space and economically vital agricultural lands; implementing policies that promote smart and sustainable development in Pennsylvania’s communities; guaranteeing sustainable and dedicated funding to our open space conservation programs; and giving Pennsylvanians more control in local land use decisions.

“We need to take immediate steps to protect Pennsylvania’s remaining open space,” said Masur. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.”