Public Policy Accomplishments

PALTA leads in advocating for the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. PALTA’s continuing efforts, including turning back numerous efforts to eliminate or slash the Fund, have enabled the Fund to invest $100s of millions in conservation and outdoor recreation in the new millennium.

PALTA defends and seeks to expand other state conservation investments including Growing Greener and farmland preservation.

The Association works in partnership with LTA on various federal issues.

Governor Wolf signs Act 98 of 2018, which better protects from liability those who open their land to public recreation, a culmination of PALTA efforts begun in 2006.

After a whirlwind campaign, Governor Wolf signs Act 45 of 2018, which requires school districts, local governments, and others to prove to court that there is no reasonable and prudent alternative before taking a conservation easement by eminent domain.

PALTA agrees to lead a reboot of the Growing Greener Coalition and serve as its managing partner.

The PA Supreme Court adopts the arguments made by PALTA in its amicus curiae briefs (2014 and 2016) in defense of parks and other open space lands held by government. The court rejects the arguments of the developer and municipality who sought to liquidate a portion of a park for a housing development.

PALTA advocates for and achieves changes in state tax law to broaden realty transfer tax exclusions to include more types of conservation projects.

PALTA leads a successful charge to stop a fast-tracked bill that would facilitate large-scale commercial development in state parks.

Governor Corbett signs Act 115 of 2013, an amendment to the open space law. PALTA achieves its goals of ensuring that voter-approved open space taxes may be repealed only through referenda and accommodating municipal demands for spending flexibility while keeping dedicated open space money focused on open space.

PALTA leads the campaign that derails the fast-tracked “sell-parks-for-cash” bill that threatened the permanence of parks.

Governor Corbett signs Act 44 into law. The product of a multi-year campaign by PALTA, the Act amends the Agricultural Area Security Law to ensure that state-funded agricultural easements can’t be extinguished after 25 years.

Governor Corbett signs Act 8 of 2011 to prohibit private transfer fees in real estate transactions. PALTA succeeds in carving out an exception for conservation easements, strengthening the ability of land trusts to raise funds for stewardship.

The 9th Circuit Court rules for PALTA and its six partners, who challenged the DOE’s designation of the Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (a designation that ignored good energy planning and conservation).

The PA Supreme Court rules for conservation in the Erie Golf Course case, preventing municipalities from liquidating their protected open spaces for easy revenue. In its ruling, the court quotes PALTA’s amicus curiae brief and other briefs inspired and supported by PALTA.

PALTA co-leads coalition that successfully protects Pennsylvania State Forests from a drilling free-for-all.

PALTA co-founds coalitions to renew Growing Greener and advocate for a natural gas severance tax with revenues dedicated to conservation.

PALTA takes national lead with Piedmont Environmental Council to stop a new conservation threat: Federal condemnation powers for the first time can over-ride state control on the placement of high voltage lines. Federal preference is given to eminent domain and coal plants over proven energy alternatives.

Governor Rendell signs Act 154 into law. The Act, a PALTA legislative priority, empowers local governments to give land, easements and cash to land trusts in support of conservation.

PALTA’s initiative and continued efforts lead to President Bush signing expanded conservation easement tax incentives into law.

After PALTA and partners worked tirelessly to educate, Pennsylvanians vote 60.5% to 39.5% to authorize a $625M Growing Greener bond. PALTA’s advocacy results in $80 million dedicated to farmland preservation and $90 million to open space protection – dwarfing the open space monies previously available under Growing Greener.

PALTA initiates an ambitious push to expand federal conservation easement tax incentives – this at a time when most of the land trust movement had taken defensive positions as a result of Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation proposals to gut incentives.

The Rendell Administration adopts the concepts and prose championed by PALTA in its strategy paper Protecting Special Places and Building Healthy Communities.

PALTA plays a lead role in the establishment of a dedicated funding source – a landfill tipping fee – to support the extension of Growing Greener.

Governor Ridge signs Act 29. PALTA led the effort to enact the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act in order to strengthen the enforceability of conservation easements.