On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) honored Franklin Kury for his extraordinary contributions to conservation. Kury received the award at the annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, held this year at The Desmond in Chester County.
Elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for three terms (1966-1972), Kury was a leader in the enactment of fundamental environmental laws.
He was the author and lead advocate for the 1971 amendment to the state constitution that declares the people’s right to a clean environment and requires government to steward parks and other public lands in trust for the people. His finely crafted work, largely ignored by the courts for decades, is now fundamentally reshaping Pennsylvania law as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirms the intent and prudence of the Environmental Rights Amendment.
“Great effort can take time to deliver results, and Franklin Kury’s excellent research, writing, and advocacy more than four decades ago is a prime example,” said Andy Loza, executive director of PALTA. “The courts are finally recognizing the crystal-clear environmental rights provided to all Pennsylvanians. We are thrilled to celebrate this and honor Franklin for his tremendous work to make these rights a fundamental part of our constitution.”
