PA  

Environment  Timeline:  
By  Lindsay  Phillips,  Ed  Charles,  and  RJ  Phiambolis  
 
10,000  BC  –  Around  a  dozen  different  Native  American  peoples  call  Pennsylvania  home  
(e.g.,  Erie,   Honniasont,  Huron,  Iroquois,  Leni  Lenape  (Delaware),  Shawnee,  Woodland  
Periods).   http://www.ushistory.org/pennsylvania/pennsylvania.html  
1524  –  Italian  Captain  Giovanni  da  Verrazano  is  the  first  recorded  European  to  enter  the  
Chesapeake  Bay.  
1606  –  Captain  John  Smith  and  a  first  wave  of  colonists  set  sail  from  England  on  
December  20   to  colonize  Virginia.  
1607  –  On  May  13,  Captain  John  Smith  and  his  settlers  land  at  Jamestown  ready  to  begin  
life   in  the  new  environment.  
1609  –  The  Delaware  River  is  first  visited  by  a  Dutch  East  India  Company  expedition  
led  by   Henry  Hudson,  an  English  navigator.  
1643  –  Swedes  establish  the  first  permanent  European  settlement  in  Pennsylvania  with  
their   capitol  in  Tinicum  Island.  
1644  –  William  Penn  is  born  in  London  on  October  14.  
1681  –  William  Penn  requires  purchasers  of  land  made  available  through  his  royal  land  
grant  to  preserve  one  acre  of  trees  for  every  five  acres  of  land  cleared,  making  it  
Pennsylvania’s  first  conservation  law.  
1683  –  Hunting  permitted  on  all  lands  under  William  Penn'ʹs  Charter.  
1687  –  Nicholas  Scull  II  is  born  in  Philadelphia.  Scull  serves  as  the  Surveyor  General  of  
Pennsylvania  from  1748  until   his  death  in  1761  and  is  responsible  for  the  creation  of  
many  maps  throughout  the  Philadelphia   region.  
1690  –  William   Rittenhouse  establishes  the  first  paper  mill  in  the  United  States  on  
Monoshone  Creek  near  Germantown  (outside  Philadelphia) .    
1699  –  John  Bartram  is  born  in  Darby  (Delaware  County)  on  May  23.  Bartram,  while  
never  formally  educated  in  the  science,  becomes  known  as  the  “Father  of  American  
Botany.”    
1700  –  Fur  trade  begins.  
1716  –  Thomas  Rutter  establishes  the  first  forge  in  Pennsylvania,  a  bloomery  forge,  
along  the  Manatawny  Creek,  a  Schuylkill  River  tributary.  A  bloomery  forge  is  a  water-­‐‑
powered  mill  where  workers  heat  the  iron  ore  and  hammer  it  into  small  iron  “blooms,”  
separating  the  iron  in  the  ore  from  other  elements.  The  bloomery  is  replaced  four  years  
later  with  a  more  efficient  refinery  forge  that  produces  better  quality  iron.  
1718  –  William  Penn  dies  on  June  30.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Pennsylvania’s  
population  is   30,000.  
1721  –  Pennsylvania’s  first  game  law  is  enacted  on  August  26  establishing  deer  season  
from  July  1  to  January  1.  The  fine  for  shooting  a  deer  out  of  season  is  20  shillings;  Native  
Americans,  however,  are  exempt  from  this  law.  
1724  –  Colonial  Assembly  enacts  a  statute  requiring  the  removal  of  impediments  to  fish  
moving  upstream  on  the  Schuylkill  River.  
1728  –  John  Bartram  builds  the  first  botanical  garden  in  America  located  near  
Philadelphia.  The   garden  becomes  the  foundation  of  the  first  serious  study  of  plants  
and  their  agricultural,   ornamental,  and  scientific  purposes.  
1739  –  William  Bartram,  son  of  John,  is  born  on  April  20.  Bartram  travels  throughout  the  
American  Southeast  from  1773  to  1777  recording  plants,  animals,  and  indigenous  people  
of  the  region.    
1741–1827  –  Charles  Willson  Peale  establishes  the  first  natural  history  museum  in  the  
western  hemisphere  in  the  Old   State  House  in  Philadelphia.  
1743  –  Benjamin  Franklin,  John  Bartram  and  others  form  the  American  Philosophical  
Society  in  Philadelphia  for  the  pursuit  of  scientific   research.  After  this,  Philadelphia  
becomes  the  leading  center  for  scientific   exploration  in  the  Colonies  and  early  years  of  
the  United  States.  
1750  –  European  settlers  discover  the  first  anthracite  coal  in  America  near  Richmond,  
VA,  although  Native  Americans  already  know  of  and  widely  use  this  “black  rock  that  
burns.”  
1751  –  Christopher  Gist  is  hired  by  the  Ohio  Company  to  explore  the  southwest  corner  
of  what  would  become  Pennsylvania.  Gist  set  out  on  November  4,  1751,  from  Wills  
Creek  (Maryland).  The  route  he  took  is  known  as  “Nemacolin’s  Path”  and  develops  
eventually  into  the  National  Road.  
– John  Bartram'ʹs  Observations  on  the  inhabitants,  climate,  soil,  rivers,  productions,  
animals,  and  other  matters  worthy  of  notice  made  by  Mr.  John  Bartram,  in  his  travels  
from  Pensilvania  [sic]  to  Onondago,  Oswego  and  the  Lake  Ontario,  in  Canada  is  
published.  
1752  –  Bituminous  coal  deposits  are  identified  on  a  map  of  Pittsburgh  along  the  
Kiskiminetas   River.  
http:/www.alleghenyconfehttp://www.rrmuseumpa.org/education/historytimeline1.sht
mlrence.org/PennsylvaniaEconomyLeague/PDFs/EconomicImpactAnalyses/EconomicI
mpactOfCoalIndustryInPa0410.pdf  
– Benjamin  Franklin  conducts  his  famous  kite  experience  to  prove  lightning  is  
electricity.  
1755  –  General  Braddock  leads  an  army  to  capture  Fort  Duquesne  from  the  French  and  
create  a  proper  roadway  in  anticipation  of  western  expansion.  This  road,  Braddock’s  
Road,  is  the  first  road  to  be  opened  to  the  public  in  the  Western  Country.  
1760  –  It  is  made  unlawful  to  hunt  or  trap  on  Native  American  lands.  
1761  –  Pennsylvania’s  bituminous  coal  industry  is  born  at  “Coal  Hill”  (now  Mount  
Washington)  across  the  Monongahela  River  from  Pittsburgh.    
1762  –  Settlers  from  Connecticut  (who  owned  the  Wyoming  Valley  under  a  grant  from  
King  Charles  II)  discover  the  region’s  anthracite  coal  seams.  
1763-­‐‑1767  –  Charles  Mason  and  Jeremiah  Dixon  complete  their  survey  of  the  southern  
Pennsylvania  border,  a  length  of  233  miles.  http://www.udel.edu/johnmack/mason_dixon/  
1766  –  Alexander  Wilson  is  born  in  Scotland  on  July  6.  Wilson  relocated  to  Philadelphia  
in  May  1794  and,  with  encouragement  of  William  Bartram,  set  about  researching  and  
illustrating  all  the  birds  of  North  America.    
1769  –  Ben  Franklin  attempts  to  start  the  silk  industry—which  required  the  introduction  
of  mulberry  trees  to  feed  the  silk  worms-­‐‑-­‐‑-­‐‑with  little  success.  
1775  –  The  state’s  first  anthracite  mine  near  Pittston  is  opened.  
1785  –  John  James  Audubon,  ornithologist,  naturalist,  and  painter,  is  born  in  Haiti  on  
April  26.  
1786  –  On  July  20,   the  first  steam  powered  vessel  journeys  across  the  Delaware  River  at  
Philadelphia.  
1791  –  The  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  Canal  Company,  the  first  public  canal  company  
in  this   country,  is  chartered  in  Philadelphia.  Financial  difficulties  bring  the  project  to  an  
end  after  only  a  few  miles  between  Myerstown  and  Lebanon  are  built.    
1792  –  The  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster  Turnpike  Company  is  incorporated,  establishing  
the  first  turnpike  road  to  be  built   in  Pennsylvania.  
1796  –  By  this  year,  timber  and  grain  are  being  transported  by  raft  down  both  the  North  
and  West  branches  of  the  Susquehanna  as  far  as  Norfolk,  VA.  
1797  –  John  Chapman  (aka  Johnny  Appleseed)  plants  his  first  nursery  along  Broken  
Straw  Creek  in  Warren  County.  
http://pabook2.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Chapman__John.html  
– Conewago  Canal,  the  first  canal  to  be  constructed  in  Pennsylvania,  is  completed.  
1797  –  Albert  Gallatin  builds  Gallatin  and  Company  (later  known  as  New  Geneva  Glass  
Works)  what  is  believed  to  be  the  first  glass  factory  west  of  the  Alleghenies  in  New  
Geneva,  Fayette  County.  At  nearly  the  same  time,  General  James  O’Hara  and  his  
partners  establish  Pittsburgh  Glass  Works  on  the  City’s  South  Side.  By  the  time  of  the  
Civil  War,  western  Pennsylvania  was  the  center  of  the  nation’s  glass  industry.  
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/pittsburgh/patentees/pghglassindustry.html  
– Margaretta  Hare  Morris  is  born  in  Philadelphia  on  December  3.  Morris  is  a  self-­‐‑
taught  entomologist  whose  study,  in  her  own  home  and  garden,  yields  
important  research  on  the  life  cycles  of  several  agricultural  pests,  including  the  
Hessian  fly,  17-­‐‑year  cicada,  and  curculio.    
1798  –  Twin  brothers  Joshua  and  Samuel  Peirce  plant  the  first  specimens  of  an  
arboretum  at  their  home  near  Kennett’s  Square.  By  1850,  Peirce'ʹs  Park  becomes  a  
popular  outdoor  gathering  place.  The  property  is  purchased  by  Pierre  S.  duPont  in  1906  
to  save  the  trees  from  being  cut  for  lumber,  and  has  been  open  to  the  public  
continuously  as  Longwood  Gardens  since.  
1801  –  One  of  the  first  municipal  water  systems  in  the  United  States  provides  public  
water  to  Philadelphia  residents.  
 – Lucy  Way  Sistare  Say  (nee  Lucy  Way  Sistare),  naturalist  and  artist,  is  born  on  
October  14  in  New  London,  CT.  
1803  –  John  James  Audubon  emigrates  from  France  to  Mill  Grove,  near  present-­‐‑day  
Audubon,  PA.  http://johnjames.audubon.org/mill-­‐‑grove-­‐‑property-­‐‑history  
1809  –  Thomas  Leiper'ʹs  horse–drawn  wooden  tramway  connects  quarries  in  Delaware  
County  to  a  boat  landing.  It  is  the  first  time  rails  are  utilized  for  freight  transportation.  
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/education/historytimeline1.shtml  
1810  –  The  first  recorded  flood  on  the  Susquehanna,  though  local  Native  Americans  
have   witnessed  frequent  flooding  decades  before.  
1806  –  Enabling  legislation  for  a  national  highway  from  Cumberland,  MD  to  Wheeling,  
WV  is  signed  by  President  Jefferson.  The  road’s  surface  is  to  measure  32  feet  in  width  
and  have  a  maximum  grade  of  8.75%.  
1811  –  Construction  begins  on  the  first  phase  of  the  National  Road  at  Cumberland,  MD.    
1812  –  The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  formed  in  Philadelphia  “for  the  
encouragement  and  cultivation  of  the  sciences,  and  the  advancement  of  useful  
learning.”  The  Academy  opened  to  the  public  as  a  museum  in  1828  and  is  now  part  of  
Drexel  University.    
1814  –  The  last  volume  of  Alexander  Wilson'ʹs  nine-­‐‑volume  American  Ornithology  is  
published  (1808-­‐‑1814),  preceding  John  James  Audubon’s  more  famous  effort  by  16  
years.  For  this  work,  he  becomes  known  as  the  “Father  of  American  Ornithology.”  
1817  –  The  Pennsylvania  legislature  authorizes  the  Monongahela  Navigation  Company  
to  build   16  dams  with  bypass  locks  to  create  a  river  transportation  system  between  
Pittsburgh  and  West   Virginia.  
– First  iron  works  to  fire  its  forge  with  coke,  Plumsock  Iron  Works  opens  in  Fayette  
County.      
1818  –  The  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster  Turnpike  is  completed.  This   assists  rural  areas  of  
Pennsylvania  with  development  and  connects  towns  allowing  goods   and  people  to  
travel  easily  from  place  to  place.  
1820  –  The  first  recorded  anthracite  coal  company,  the  Lehigh  Coal  Mining  Company,  
sends  the  first  significant  shipment  of  the  substance  out  of  the  coal  field  region.  The  
company’s  merger  with  the  Lehigh  Navigation  Company  two  years  later  would  create  
the  first  such  merger  of  interlocking  companies  in  the  U.S.  
1823  –  Spencer  Fullerton  Baird  is  born  in  Reading  (Berks  County)  on  February  3.  Baird’s  
lifelong  interest  in  the  natural  world  led  him  from  a  teaching  position  at  Dickinson  
College  to  a  career  at  the  new  U.S.  National  Museum/Smithsonian  Institution,  where  he  
serves  as  a  tireless  researcher  and  collector,  its  first  curator  and  eventual  second  
Secretary,  and  the  first  Commissioner  of  Fish  &  Fisheries  for  the  U.S.  Much  of  his  
experience  of  the  natural  world  is  gained  on  foot;  he  is  said  to  have  hiked  2,100  miles  in  
1842  alone.  
1826  Construction  of  the  Main  Line  Canal  begins.  http://mainlinecanalgreenway.org/  
  
1827–1838  –  John  Audubon’s  Birds  of  America,  435  life-­‐‑sized  watercolors  of  North  
American  birds,  is   considered  one  of  the  most  remarkable  ornithological  works  ever  
created.  
1829  –  The  Lehigh  River  dam  at  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware  is  finished,   blocking  shad  
from  their  traditional  migration  for  over  150  years.  
1834  –  With  the  completed  West  Branch  Canal  on  the  Susquehanna  effectively  linking  
Williamsport  to  the  rest  of  the  state,  a  group  of  Philadelphia  investors  opens  the  first  
sawmill  in  the  city,  setting  off  a  “great  timber  boom”  in  1838.  
1836  –  The  Pennsylvania  Geological  Survey  is  established.  Its  mission  is  “to  serve  the  
citizens  of  Pennsylvania  by  collecting,  preserving,  and  disseminating  impartial  
information  on  the  Commonwealth'ʹs  geology,  geologic  resources,  and  topography  in  
order  to  contribute  to  the  understanding,  wise  use,  and  conservation  of  its  land  and  
included  resources.”  Henry  D.  Rogers  is  appointed  State  Geologist.  
1837  –  Mary  Harris  is  born  in  Ireland.  Her  family  moved  to  Tennessee  and  in  1862  she  
met  and  married  George  Jones,  a  union  As  "ʺMother  Jones,"ʺ  Mary  works  tirelessly  to  
organize  workers  across  the  midwest  and  east,  joining  the  wives  and  children  of  
striking  miners  throughout  the  anthracite  region.    Her  1903  "ʺChildren'ʹs  Crusade"ʺ  was  
instrumental  in  bringing  the  issue  of  child  labor  to  national  attention.    
1839  –  The  “Father  of  Pennsylvania  Forestry,”  Dr.  Joseph  Rothrock,  is  born  in  
McVeytown  on  April  9.  
1840  –  Susquehanna  River  is  damned  at  Columbia,  ending  the  American  shad  runs  
(http://www.bayjournal.com/article/shad_to_get_free_run_of_susquehanna)  
– Iron  furnaces  and  forges  now  number  over  200  since  the  first  bloomery  in  1716.  
1841  –  Lucy  Way  Sistare  Say,  natural  illustrator  of  shells  and  insects,  is  the  first  woman  
to  be  elected  to  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  in   Philadelphia.  
– First  reliably  documented  coke  ovens  are  constructed  by  Provance  McCormick  
and  James  Campbell,  two  local  carpenters,  and  John  Taylor,  a  stonemason,  on  
Taylor’s  land  in  Fayette  County.  The  venture  is  not  commercially  successful  but  
the  die  has  been  cast  as  coke  from  the  “Connellsville  District”  soon  fuels  
furnaces,  mills,  and  industry.  
1842  –  Charles  Dickens  travels  from  Harrisburg  by  canal.  He  crosses  the  Old  Camelback  
Bridge  (and  mentions  it  in  his  American  Notes)  then  continue  by  canal  to  Pittsburgh.    
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/places/4278/harrisburg__pennsylvania
'ʹs_capital_city/472249  
1843  –  The  Coal  and  Coke  Era  begins  with  the  successful  sale  of  a  boatload  of  
Connellsville  coke  to  Miles  Greenwood,  a  Cincinnati  iron  foundryman,  by  brothers  
James  and  Sample  Cochran,  and  their  uncle  Mordecai  Cochran.  
1847  –  May  French  Sheldon  (nee  Mary  French),  sociologist  and  world  traveler,  is  born  
on  May  10  near  Bridgewater  (Beaver  County).  She  traveled  alone  in  Africa  in  1891,  and    
writing  about  her  experiences  there.  
1850  –  Spencer  Fullerton  Baird  appointed  the  first  curator  of  the  National  Museum  at  
the  Smithsonian.  
1851  –  The  timber  boom  along  the  Susquehanna  River  receives  a  boost  with  the  
construction  of  an  actual  “log  boom”  to  catch  and  hold  floating  logs  until  they  could  be  
processed.  The  lumber  mills  can  now  obtain  a  steady  stream  of  lumber  all  year  long  
instead  of  just  at  high  water  times.  
1853  –  The  Pennsylvania  and  Lehigh  Zinc  Company  is  formed  on  the  banks  of  the  
Lehigh   River  in  Bethlehem.  
(http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/watershed/history/industry/zinc.html)  
– Mira  Lloyd  Dock,  forestry  pioneer  and  civic  activist,  is  born  on  December  25  in  
Harrisburg.  After  studying  botany  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  Mira  returns  
home  and  joins  reformer  J.  Horace  McFarland  in  the  beautification  of  her  home  
town.    
1854  –  Fairmount  Park  in  Philadelphia  officially  dedicated  as  a  public  park.  
(http://www.phila.gov/ParksandRecreation/history/departmenthistory/parksystemhistory/Pages/
FairmountParkOrigins.aspx)  
1855  –  The  Farmers’  High  School  of  Pennsylvania  is  founded  by  act  of  the  General  
Assembly.  In  1862,  its  name  changes  to  the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania  and  in  
1874  it  becomes  the  Pennsylvania  State  University.  
1857  –  William  G.  Waring,  professor  of  horticulture,  starts  a  demonstration  plot  of  
peach  trees   setting  the  stage  for  the  development  of  teaching  and  research  at  Penn  
State.  
1859  –  In  Titusville,  Venango  County,  the  first  commercial  oil  well  in  the  United  States  
is  drilled  by  “Colonel”  Edwin  Drake  and  well-­‐‑driller  William  Smith.  As  luck  would  
have  it,  the  spot  they  chose  was  the  only  area  where  oil  could  be  found  at  the  
extremely  shallow  depth  of  69.5  feet  where  they  struck  “black  gold.”  
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/pennsylvani
aoilindustry.html?_ga=1.23812979.853721314.1449518468#colonel-­‐‑edwin-­‐‑drake  
1860  –  Pennsylvania  leads  the  nation  in  lumber  production  (2.3  billion  board  feet  at  its  
peak)  
– Margaretta  Hare  Morris  is  elected  to  the  Philadelphia  Academy,  only  the  second  
woman  to  be  so  honored.  
1862  –  President  Abraham  Lincoln  signs  the  Morrill  Land-­‐‑Grant  Act  granting  public  
lands  to  the  states  to  be  sold  and  the  proceeds  to  be  used  to  fund  the  establishment  of  
agricultural  and  engineering  state  colleges  
– Lehigh  River  rises  27  feet  above  its  normal  level.  The  dams  on  the  Lehigh  Canal  
cannot   maintain  that  amount  of  water  and  the  water  and   logs  swept  from  the  
burst  dams  lead  to  the  destruction  of  the  entire  Lehigh  Canal.  
1864  –  John  Wilkes  Booth  and  two  friends  form  the  Dramatic  Oil  Company  and  begin  to  
drill  for  oil  at  the  Fuller  farm  along  the   Allegheny  River  at  Franklin,  PA.  
http://aoghs.org/editors-­‐‑picks/the-­‐‑dramatic-­‐‑oil-­‐‑company/  
1865  –  Gifford  Pinchot  is  born  on  August  11  at  Simsbury,  CT.  Pinchot  serves  as  the  first  
Chief  of  the   United  States  Forest  Service  (1905–1910)  and  as  the  28th  Governor  of  
Pennsylvania   (1923–1927)  and  again  from  1931-­‐‑35..  
– Pennsylvania’s  first  oil  field  is  created  with  an  oil  strike  on  a  farm  near  Pithole  
(Venango  County)  in  January  1865.  By  Christmas  of  that  year,  the  population  has  
grown  to  nearly  20,000  with  the  oil  boom.  Fires  and  a  financial  panic  reverse  
Pithole’s  fortunes  and  by  the  end  of  1866  the  population  drops  to  2,000.  The  1870  
census  records  a  population  of  237.  
– Construction  of  Pennsylvania'ʹs  first  oil  pipeline,  a  five  mile  pipeline  from  the  
west  side  of  Oil  Creek  to  Pithole,  is  completed  by  Samuel  Van  Syckel  in  October.    
1866  –  James  Worrall  is  named  the  first  Commissioner  of  Fisheries  following  a  
Harrisburg  convention  investigating  pollution,  poor  condition  of  Pennsylvania’s  
mountain  rivers  and  streams,  and  the  end  of  spring  shad  runs  caused  by  dams.    
1867  –  Caroline  Earle  White,  S.  Morris  Wain,  and  Colonel  M.  Richards  Mucklé  co–found  
the  Pennsylvania   Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  (PSPCA).  White  goes  
on  to  found  its   women'ʹs  branch  (WPSPCA)  in  1869.  
– The  first  fishway  is  constructed  at  the  Columbia  Dam  on  the  Susquehanna  River.  
– The  last  recorded  elk  in  Pennsylvania  is  killed  on  September  1.    
1868  –  Legislature  passes  a  law  prohibiting  the  use  of  seines  for  taking  fish  within  200  
yards  of  any  device  erected  for  the  passage  of  fish.  
1869  –  A  total  of  110  men  and  boys  are  asphyxiated  in  Luzerne  County’s  Avondale  
Colliery  when  a  September  fire  in  the  shaft  leading  into  an  underground  mine  ignited  
the  coal  breaker  located  directly  above.  A  mine  ventilation  law  had  been  passed  in  April  
but  only  applied  to  mines  in  neighboring  Schuylkill  County.  The  disaster  prompts  
increased  membership  in  the  Workingmen’s  Benevolent  Association,  a  labor  
organization.  
– Jane  Bowne  Haines,  educator  and  horticulturalist,  is  born  on  July  18  in  
Cheltenham  (Montgomery  County).    
1870  –  In  response  to  the  Avondale  Mine  Disaster,  the  state  legislature  expands  the  
Anthracite   Mine  Ventilation  Law  that  regulated  air  currents  and  movement  in  mines  to  
cover  the  entire  anthracite  region.  
(http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1–  A–  ED)  
1873  –  Pennsylvania  passes  its  first  comprehensive  Wildlife  Act.  
– Ground  is  broken  for  Andrew  Carnegie'ʹs  Edgar  Thomson  Steel  Works  near  
Braddock  (Allegheny  County).    
1875  –  The  first  state  fish  hatchery,  called  the  Western  Hatchery,  opens  near  Corry  (Erie  
County).  
1877  –  With  funding  through  a  bequest  from  French  botanist  Andre  Michaux,  Joseph  
Rothrock  is  named  "ʺMichaux  Lecturer"ʺ  and  begins  a  20-­‐‑year  campaign  to  promote  the  
science-­‐‑based  or   "ʺsilvicultural"ʺ  management  of  Pennsylvania  forests.  These  lectures  are  
designed  to  establish   an  understanding  of  forestry,  especially  in  Pennsylvania.  
(http://www.apps.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/sfrmp/communications.htm)  
1879  –  Williamsport  boasts  of  being  the  “Lumber  Capital  of  the  World,”  with  more  
millionaires  per  capita  than  any  city  in  the  United  States.  The  white  pine  forests  have  
been  decimated  and  the  lumber  barons  have  the  hemlocks  in  their  sights.    
1880  –  Henry  W.  Shoemaker  is  born  on  February  24  in  New  York,  NY.  Shoemaker'ʹs  
early  summers  are  spent  in  Pennsylvania  and  as  a  result  the  conservation  of  
Pennsylvania'ʹs  natural  resources  and  folklore  become  the  center  of  his  life.  He  serves  as  
"ʺState  Folklorist"ʺ  and  later  chairman  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Commission  where  
he  popularizes  the  historic  marker  program.  The  Alpine  Club  of  Pennsylvania  is  
founded  by  Shoemaker  in  1917  to  promote  hiking  and  mountain  climbing.  
– George  Wirt,  the  first  director  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Forestry  Academy  at  
Mont  Alto,  is  born  in  McVeytown  (Mifflin  County)  on  November  28.  
1883  –  Thomas  Edison  installs  the  first  successful  three–wire  electric  lighting  system  in  
Sunbury.  
– James  Henry,  upon  whose  family  property  Jacobsburg  Environmental  Education  
Center  is  located,  drafts  a  bill  to  “encourage  the  planting  of  trees  over  the  springs  
and  along  the  watercourses  of  this  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.”  Introduced  
by  a  Northampton  County  senator,  the  bill  becomes  Pennsylvania'ʹs  first  public  
law  dealing  with  the  reforestation  of  stream  corridors  and  establishes  a  state  
nursery  system.  
– Eleanora  Frances  Bliss  is  born  in  Rosemont  (Montgomery  County)  on  July  15.  
This  early  Ph.D.  (from  Bryn  Mawr)  and  U.S.  Geological  Survey  scientist  acts  as  
researcher  and  teacher  at  both  Yale  University  and  Stanford  University  at  the  
side  of  her  husband  Adolph  Knopf  who  is  retained  in  both  institutions  as  a  paid  
professor.    
1884  –  Bird  Day  (the  first  holiday  dedicated  to  a  celebration  of  birds)  is  established  by  
Charles  Almanzo  Babcock,  Superintendent  of  the  Oil  City  (Venango  County)  Schools.  
1886  –  Largely  through  the  efforts  of  Joseph  Rothrock,  the  Pennsylvania  Forestry  
Association  is  founded.  
1887  –  James  A.  Beaver  becomes  governor  of  Pennsylvania.  Among  other  
accomplishments,  his  administration  promotes  conservation  measures   for  forests  and  
waterways  and  the  regulated  disposal  of  coal  mine  waste.  
1888  –  The  first  recorded  “planting”  of  rainbow  trout  in  the  Susquehanna  River  occurs.  
– The  city  of  Jeannette  (Westmoreland  County)  is  founded  upon  farms  purchased  
for  construction  of  the  Chambers  &  McKee  Glass  Works  and  housing  for  the  
workers  employed  there.    
1889  –  The  catastrophic  failure  of  the  South  Fork  Dam  near  Johnstown  unleashes  20  
million  tons  of  water  onto  Johnstown,  killing  2,200  people  in  the  process  and  making  it  
the  worst  dam  failure  in  American   history.  (http://www.wdl.org/en/item/9571/)  
1890  –  John  M.  Phillips  and  other  sportsmen  (hunters)  form  the  Pennsylvania  
Sportsmen’s   Association  in  order  to  press  the  government  for  protection  of  the  
Commonwealth'ʹs  disappearing  wildlife.  
(http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerID=1–  A–  140)  
1892  –  On  June  28,  Carnegie  Steel  Company,  under  the  management  of  Henry  Clay  
Frick  and  with  tacit  acknowledgment  of  company  president  Andrew  Carnegie,  locks  
out  the  worker  members  of  the  increasingly  powerful  Amalgamated  Association  of  Iron  
&  Steel  Workers  from  Carnegie'ʹs  Homestead  Works  in  Homestead  (Allegheny  County).  
Frick  has  vowed  to  break  the  union  and,  after  months  of  violence  and  bloodshed,  the  
use  of  armed  Pinkerton  detectives,  and  the  help  of  the  Pennsylvania  state  militia,  he  
succeeds.      
– The  Fish  Commission'ʹs  railcar  Susquehanna  is  delivered  to  Harrisburg.  This  64'ʹ-­‐‑
long  car  is  specially  equipped  with  84  10-­‐‑gallon  fish  cans  and,  operating  out  of  its  
home  base  at  the  Corry  fish  hatchery,  is  able  to  deliver  live  fish  to  any  applicant  
approved  by  the  Commission.  
1893  –  Valley  Forge  is  established  as  the  first  state  park  in  Pennsylvania.  
– Pennsylvanians  leave  their  mark  on  the  World'ʹs  Fair:  Columbian  Exposition  (also  
known  as  the  Chicago  World’s  Fair):  
o The  controversy  over  Nikola  Tesla'ʹs  alternating  or  Thomas  Edison'ʹs  direct  
electrical  current  is  decided  in  favor  of  AC  when  100,000  incandescent  
lights  installed  by  the  Westinghouse  Corporation  illuminate  the  Fair'ʹs  
neoclassical  buildings.    
o Tucked  away  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Agricultural  Hall  is  a  booth  for  the  
H.J.  Heinz  Company  where  the  newly-­‐‑created  "ʺpickle  pin"ʺ  is  given  away  
to  visitors.  Nearly  one  million  pins  are  given  away  before  the  Fair'ʹs  end.    
o The  Mines  &  Mining  Exhibit  Hall  is  dominated  by  a  replica  of  the  H.C.  
Frick  Coke  Company  Standard  Shaft  No.  2,  considered  the  largest  and  
most  modern  in  the  world.    
o In  a  competition  to  build  a  structure  for  the  Fair  to  rival  the  Eiffel  Tower,  
Pittsburgh  bridge-­‐‑builder  George  Ferris  introduces  the  Ferris  Wheel.  By  
the  end  of  the  Fair,  1.5  million  passengers  take  the  Wheel'ʹs  20-­‐‑minute  ride  
high  above  the  Exposition.  
o The  Fish  Commission'ʹs  Susquehanna  and  live  fish  exhibit  make  a  splash.  
– The  legislature  provides  an  appropriation  enabling  establishing  of  a  shad  
propagation  station  at  Bristol  (Bucks  County).  
1895  –  Pennsylvania  Department  of  Agriculture  is  created.  
– Pennsylvania  Board  of  Game  Commissioners  (now  PA  Game  Commission)  is  
created  with  help  from  sportsman  John  Phillips.  
1896  –  Pennsylvania  chapter  of  the  Audubon  Society  is  formed.  
– Carnegie  Museum  of  Natural  History  is  founded  by  industrialist  Andrew  
Carnegie  in  Pittsburgh.  
– Joseph  Rothrock  becomes  the  first  Commissioner  of  Forestry  within  the  
Department  of  Agriculture.  
(http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/thingstoknow/history/lifeofrothrock/index.htm)  
1897  –  The  purchase  of  "ʺunseated  lands  for  forest  reservations"ʺ  is  authorized  by  the  
Pennsylvania  legislature.  
– After  a  summer  of  strikes  and  inconclusive  labor  negotiations,  400  unarmed  
Eastern  European  immigrant  workers  in  Luzerne  County  are  confronted  by  
Sheriff  James  Martin  and  150  armed  deputies  guarding  a  newly  unionized  coal  
mine  near  Lattimer,  resulting  in  the  death  of  19  miners.    Unlike  the  outcome  of  
the  Homestead  Strike  in  1892,  the  United  Mine  Workers  sees  membership  soar  in  
the  months  that  followed.  
1898  –  First  state  forest  lands  are  purchased  along  Young  Women’s  Creek  in  what  is  
now  Sprout  State  Forest  in  western  Clinton  County  to  protect  watersheds.  
1899  –  Scientists  from  the  Carnegie  Museum  of  Natural  History  unearth  its  first  
dinosaur  fossil.  Today  the  Museum  houses  the  world’s  largest  collection  of  Jurassic  
dinosaurs  including  the  world’s  first  specimen  of  Tyrannosaurus  rex  and  the  only  
fossils  of  a  juvenile  Apatosaurus.    
1900  –  Gifford  Pinchot  founds  the  Society  of  American  Foresters  in  Washington,  DC.    
1901  –  The  Department  of  Forestry  established  as  its  own  agency;  Joseph  Rothrock  is  
named  the  first  Commissioner.  
– Mira  Lloyd  Dock  becomes  the  first  woman  ever  appointed  to  a  governmental  
position  in   Pennsylvania,  taking  her  place  on  the  State  Forest  Reservation  
Commission  at  the  behest  of  Joseph  Rothrock.  
1902  –  Methane  gas  explosion  in  the  Rolling  Mill  Mine  in  Johnstown  (Cambria  County)  
kills  112  mostly  Central  and  Eastern  European  immigrant  workers.  
– Mont  Alto  State  Park  is  established  and  is  the  oldest  state  park  still  in  the  system.  
1903  –  The  State  Forest  Academy  at  Mont  Alto  (now  a  part  of  Pennsylvania  State  
University)  opens  its  doors.  It  is  the  first  forestry  school  in  the  state  and  only  the  second  
in  the  country.  Mira  Lloyd  Dock  acts  as  a  lecturer  in  botany.  
– A  fish  hatchery  is  opened  at  Bellefonte  (Centre  County).  Money  for  construction  
of  the  hatchery  and  a  railroad  siding  was  raised  by  the  citizens  of  Bellefonte.  
– Caledonia  State  Park  is  established.  
1904  –  Shamokin  Dam  of  the  Susquehanna  is  destroyed  by  the  breakup  of  22  inches  of  
ice  in  the  spring  thaw.  It  is  replaced  in  the  1960s  by  the  Adam  T.   Bower  Memorial  Dam  
which  is  the  world’s  longest  inflatable  dam.  
– More  than  10.2  million  chain  pickerel  are  propagated;  chain  pickerel  have  never  
before  been   propagated  in  any  fish  cultural  establishment  in  the  United  States.  
 – Chestnut  tree  blight,  introduced  into  the  United  States  on  chestnut  trees  
imported  from  Japan,  is  noticed  by  a  forester  at  the  Bronx  Zoo  in  New  York  City,  
and  proceeds  to  eradicate  the  chestnut  trees  in  Pennsylvania.    
1905  –  The  Purity  of  Waters  Act  established  to  "ʺpreserve  the  purity  of  the  waters  of  the  
State  for  the  protection  of  the  public  health."ʺ  The  term  "ʺwaters  of  the  State"ʺ  is  defined  by  the  
Act  to  include  "ʺall  streams  and  springs,  and  all  bodies  of  surface  and  of  ground  water,  
whether  natural  or  artificial  within  the  boundaries  of  the  State."ʺ  
– A  methane  gas  explosion  in  the  Harwick  Mine  in  Cheswick  (Allegheny  County)  
kills  181.  
– Gifford  Pinchot  is  named  the  first  Chief  of  United  States  Forest  Service.  
– Game  Refuge  Law  is  enacted;  the  first  State  Game  Refuge  is  established  in  the  
Sproul  State  Forest  about  12  miles  south  of  Renovo  (Clinton  County).  
– First  forest  fire  observation  tower  is  established  in  the  Michaux  State  Forest.    
– Department  of  Health  is  created.  
(http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_of_health_inform
ation/10   674))  
– The  Pennsylvania  State  Museum  is  created  to  preserve  Pennsylvania’s  natural  
history   collections.  
1906  –  Howard  Zahniser,  writer  and  "ʺFather  of  the  Wilderness  Act,"ʺ  is  born  on  February  
25  in  Franklin  (Venango)  County.  His  teenage  years  are  spent  in  Tionesta,  on  the  edge  
of  the  Allegheny  National  Forest  where  developed  a  life-­‐‑long  love  of  both  literature  and  
nature.  
1907  –  Rachel  Carson  is  born  in  Springdale  (Allegheny  County)  on  May  27.  Her  
writings,  especially  Silent  Spring  in  1962,  are  credited  with  sparking  a  grassroots  
environmental  movement  in  the  United  States.  
– December  becomes  the  deadliest  month  in  U.S.  coal  mining  history  when  
explosions  and  fires  at  the  Naomi  Mine  in  Fayette  City  (Fayette  County),  the  
Monongah  Mine  in  Monongah,  WV  and  the  Darr  Mine  in  Van  Meter  
(Westmoreland  County)  kill  35,  362  (officially),  and  239  respectively.  
1908  –  Chestnut  tree  blight  is  discovered  in  Lower  Merion  Township  (Montgomery  
County).  
1909  –  A  law  is  passed  forbidding  the  emptying  of  any  waste  into  the  waters  of  the  
Commonwealth  that  could  jeopardize  fish  populations.  
1909  –  Linn  Run  State  Park  formed  
1910  –  The  McCalls  Ferry  Dam  on  the  Susquehanna  River  is  completed  by  Pennsylvania  
Water  and  Power  Co.,  forming  Lake  Aldred.  The  name  of  the  dam  is  changed  to  
Holtwood  Dam  to  honor  two  company  executives,  Herbert  Holt  and  Edward  Wood.  
1911  –  Second  only  to  the  1889  Johnstown  Flood  in  loss  of  life,  September'ʹs  break  of  the  
Bayless  Pulp  &  Paper  Company  dam  of  Freeman  Run  near  Austin  (Potter  County)  kills  
78  (confirmed)  residents  of  the  small  town.  Like  the  Johnstown  Flood  before  it,  heavy  
rains  cause  the  collapse  of  a  poorly-­‐‑constructed  dam.    
– White  pine  blister  rust  is  discovered  in  imported  white  pine  nursery  stock    
– Congress  passes  the  Weeks  Act,  allowing  the  federal  government  to  buy  land  in  
eastern  states  for  the  establishment  of  National  Forests.  
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/allegheny/about–  forest)  
– On  the  strength  of  its  location  in  the  coal  and  coke  boom  region,  Connellsville  
becomes  the  first  city  in  Fayette  County,  boasting  more  millionaires  per  capita  
than  any  city  in  the  United  States.    
– Jane  Bowne  Haines  founds  the  Pennsylvania  School  of  Horticulture  for  Women  in  
Ambler  (Montgomery  County)  as  a  way  to  give  women   instruction  about  
managing  gardens,  greenhouses,  and  orchards.  The  school  is  was  among  the  first  
training  schools  for  women  in  the  field.  
1912  –  Maurice  Goddard  is  born  on  May  12   in  Lowell,  MA.  Known  as  the  "ʺFather  of  
Pennsylvania'ʹs  State  Parks,"ʺ  Goddard  serves  as  the   Secretary  of  the  Pennsylvania  
Department  of  Forests  and  Waters  (and  its  successor  agencies)  for  24  years  under  six  
governors.  
– The  George  W.  Childs  Recreation  Site  in  Dingman'ʹs  Ferry  (Pike  County)  is  
donated  to  the  Commonwealth  by  Child’s  widow.  This  former  state  park  
becomes  a  part  of  the  Delaware  Water  Gap  National  Recreation  Area  in  1983.  
1913  –  Fifty  Rocky  Mountain  elk,  purchased  from  Yellowstone  National  Park,  arrive  in  
Benezette  (Elk  County)  by  train.  The  herd  is  reborn.  
– The  first  water  resource  inventory  was  taken  
– The  first  effort  to  control  motor  boating  by  law  is  signed  by  Governor  John  K.  
Tenner.  The  act  requires  motorboats  (except  steam  boats)  to  have  an  efficient  
muffler.  
– The  Pennsylvania  Forest  Fire  Protection  Act  is  signed  on  June  3,  establishing  the  
state'ʹs  Forest  Fire  Warden  system.    
1914  –  Once  numbering  in  the  millions,  the  last  passenger  pigeon  dies  in  the  Cincinnati  
Zoo  on  September  1.  
1915  –  The  Pennsylvania  Forest  Protection  Law  creates  the  Bureau  of  Forest  Protection  
and  the  position   of  Chief  Forest  Fire  Warden.  George  Wirt  is  named  the  first  Chief.    
1916  –  The  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  Migratory  Birds,  a  treaty  between  the  
United  States  and  Great  Britain  (for  Canada)  is  signed.  This  is  the  first  agreement  
recognizing  the  need  for  conservation  of  species  that  migrate  across  international  
borders.  
– S.B  Elliott  State  Park  is  established;  dedicated  to  Simon  B.  Elliott  who  was  a  
member  of   the  Pennsylvania  Legislature  and  of  the  old  State  Forestry  
Reservation  Commission,  a  precursor   to  the  Department  of  Forestry.  
1917  –  The  Pennsylvania  Alpine  Club,  one  of  the  first  conservation  groups,  was  formed  
to  study   the  flora  and  fauna  and  promote  the  love  of  beauty  and  to  conserve  its  natural  
resources  of  the   state  
1918  –  U.S.  Migratory  Bird  Treaty  Act  passed  by  Congress.  
1919  –  On  June  5,  a  train  carrying  miners  and  a  cargo  of  the  black  powder  used  to  blast  
away  loose  coal   explodes  on  its  way  to  the  Baltimore  No.  2  tunnel  of  the  Delaware  &  
Hudson  Coal  Company  near  Wilkes-­‐‑Barre  (Luzerne  County).    With  the  death  of  92  
miners,  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Mines  finally  prohibits  the  transportation  of  miners  and  
explosives  in  the  same  rail  car.  
– Pennsylvania  Legislature  authorizes  the  Game  Commission  to  purchase  "ʺState  
Game  Lands"ʺ  for  game  refuges  and  public  hunting  grounds.  
– Pennsylvania  Legislature  requires  nonresidents  to  purchase  a  $5  fishing  license.  
Only  50  are  sold.  
1920  –  The  state'ʹs  first  6,288  acres  of  State  Game  Lands  are  purchased  in  Elk  County.  
– The  Department  of  Forestry  is  reorganized  and  Pennsylvania  is  divided  into  24  
forest  districts.  
1921  –  By  this  time,  nine  Forest  Monuments  established  and  were  the  forerunners   of  
today’s  Natural  Areas  (Bear  Meadows,  Martins  Hill,  Joyce  Kilmer,  Ole  Bull,  Mount  
Riansares,  Alan  Seeger,  Mount  Logan,  McConnell  Narrows,  Detweiler  Run)  
– Ralph  W.  Abele  is  born  on  August  13  on  a  farm  near  Pittsburgh.  His  lifelong  
passion  for  conservation  leads  him  to  serve  western  Pennsylvania  as  a  volunteer  
throughout  the  1950s  and  1960s,  to  the  Joint  Legislative  Air  &  Water  Pollution  
Control  &  Conservation  Committee  of  the  PA  House  and  Senate  in  1969,  and  
culminating  in  his  appointment  as  the  Pennsylvania  Fish  Commission  Executive  
Director  in  1972.  
– The  Appalachian  National  Scenic  Trail  has  its  beginnings  in  a  proposal  by  
forester  Benton  McKaye  in  the  October  issue  of  the  Journal  of  the  American  
Institute  of  Architects.  The  call  is  answered  and  the  trail  is  completed  in  1937.  It  
spans  2,158  miles  running  through  15  states,   and  is  one  of  the  first  two  trails  
(along  with  the  Pacific  Crest  Trail)  recognized  by  the  National  Trails  System  Act  of  
1968.  
– Pymatuning  State  Park  is  established,  spanning  two  states,  and  creating  the  
largest  lake  in  Pennsylvania  
1922  –  Leonard  Harrison  State  Park  is  established;  dedicated  to  Leonard  Harrison  a  
businessman  and  banker  who  contributed  his  time,  energy  and  finances  to  making  his  
community  a  better  place.  Leonard  Harrison  State  Park  originally  consisted  of  121  acres  
and  was  called  “The  Lookout.”  
– First  resident  fishing  license  is  established  at  a  cost  of  $1.  
1923  –  Gifford  Pinchot  begins  his  first  term  as  Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  
– The  Department  of  Forests  and  Waters  consolidates  the  Department  of  Forestry,  
the  Water  Supply  Commission,  and  the  Bureau  of   Topographic  and  Geologic  
Survey.    
 – Management  of  the  Allegheny  National  Forest  begins  
1924  –  The  Fish  Commission  begins  a  stream  survey  to  classify  waters  with  regard  to  
area,  depth,  fish  species,   aquatic  life,  and  general  conditions.  
1926  –  Construction  of  the  Conowingo  Dam,  the  largest  dam  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  
begins.  
1927  –  Goehring  Bill  to  seal  all  abandoned  mines  in  Pennsylvania  passed.    
1928  –  The  Commonwealth  authorized  $450,000  to  purchase  property  from  the  heirs  of  
lumber   baron  Andrew  Cook.  To  meet  the  purchase  price,  the  Cook  Forest  Association  
raised  an   additional  $200,000.  The  purchase  marked  the  first  time  the  Department  of  
Forests  and  Waters   purchased  land  to  preserve  an  outstanding  natural  resource.  
Cook  Forest  State  Park  is  established  and  is  the  first  state  park  acquired  to  preserve  a  
natural  landmark  
1929  –  Presque  Isle  State  Park  is  opened  to  the  public,  often  referred  to  as  
Pennsylvania’s  only  ‘seashore,’  
1930  –  Construction  of  the  Safe  Harbor  Dam  on  the  Susquehanna  River  begins.  
– Deer  densities  have  recovered  and  then  some  with  40  deer  per  acre,  twice  the  
number   recommended  by  forest  managers.  
– The  most  severe  drought  ever  experienced  during  the  summer  with  many  
tributary   streams  drying  entirely.  
1931  –  The  Eastern  Hemlock  tree  is  named  the  state  tree.  
– Ruffed  Grouse  designated  as  the  state  game  bird.    
– Gifford  Pinchot  is  re-­‐‑elected  to  a  second,  non-­‐‑consecutive  term  as  Pennsylvania'ʹs  
governor.  
1932  –  Gypsy  moth  caterpillars  appear  in  the  state  for  the  first  time,  appearing  in  
Luzerne  and  Lackawanna  Counties.  (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/gypsy–
moth)  
– Greater  Pittsburgh  Parks  Association  is  created  to  alleviate  unemployment  and  
improve  resource  conservation  through  public  works  programs.  Later  known  as  
the  Western  Pennsylvania  Conservancy,  the  organization  is  responsible  for  the  
acquisition  of  land  that  eventually  becomes  some  of  the  state'ʹs  most  beautiful  
and  visited  state  parks.  
– Severe  drought,  made  worse  by  years  of  the  replacement  of  natural  grazing  lands  
throughout  the  Midwest  with  wheat,  cause  massive  erosion  and  dust  storms,  
ravaging  the  ecology  and  agriculture  of  the  United  States.  This  event,  commonly  
known  as  the  Dust  Bowl,  is  considered  the  most  devastating  environmental  
disaster  to  occur   in  United  States  history.  
1933  –  Civilian  Conservation  Corps  (CCC)  is  formed  as  one  of  the  first  programs  of  the  
New   Deal.  CCC  camps  operated  across  the  nation  until  1942,  with  Pennsylvania  having  
the  second  highest  number  of  camps  (151).  
– Mountain  Laurel  is  adopted  as  state  flower.  
1934  –  After  seeing  photographs  of  hunters  lining  the  raptor  migration  route  of  
Pennsylvania'ʹs  eastern  mountains  and  the  wanton  destruction  of  the  birds  for  sport,  
Rosalie  Edge  leases  1,400  acres  of  Hawk  Mountain  and  closes  it  to  hunting.  The  next  year  
the  Sanctuary  is  opened  to  the  public  for  viewing  of  the  passing  birds.  
– The  U.S.  Migratory  Bird  Hunting  Stamp  Act  (aka  Duck  Stamp  law)  is  adopted,  
directing  funds  from  the  hunting  of  waterfowl  into  a  program  for  conservation  of  
the  wetlands  and  habitat  that  support  the  birds.  
1935  –  Congress  establishes  the  Soil  Conservation  Service  (now  the  Natural  Resources  
Conservation  Service)  as  an  agency  in  the  U.S.  Department  of   Agriculture.  In  the  midst  
of  the  devastating  Dust  Bowl  conditions,  the  SCS  is  charged  with  promoting  farming  
and  ranching  rehabilitation  practices  including  the  planting  of  trees  and  grasses  to  
anchor  the  soil  in  place.  
– The  state'ʹs  first  waterfowl  refuge  is  established  at  Pymatuning  Reservoir  in  
Crawford  County.  
– Cherry  Springs  and  Ralph  Stover  state  parks  established.  Today,  Cherry  Springs  
State  Park  holds  the  designation  as  the  “darkest  skies  east  of  the  Mississippi,”  
and  is  recognized  as  a  Gold  Level  Dark  Sky  Park.    
1936  –  First  student  class  enrolls  at  the  Ross  Leffler  School  of  Conservation  in  Brockway  
(Jefferson  County).  Named  for  the  President  of  the  Game  Commission,  the  school  is  the  
first  training  academy  in  the   world  devoted  to  training  game  protectors.  
– Two  successive  rainstorms  and  rapid  snowmelt  along  the  eastern  seaboard  result  
in  the  Great  St.  Patrick'ʹs  Day  Flood.  In  Harrisburg,  the  Susquehanna  crests  at  
29.23  feet,  while  in  Pittsburgh,  the  Allegheny  and  Monongahela  rivers  combined  
for  a  crest  of  46  feet.  A  bill  already  being  debated  in  Congress  for  flood  control  
dams  to  protect  Pittsburgh  is  finally  passed  in  1937.  
– Franklin  Kury,  legislator  and  visionary,  is  born  on  October  15  in  Sunbury  
(Northumberland  County).    
1937  –  The  Clean  Streams  Law  is  passed  expanding  protection  for  Pennsylvania'ʹs  
waterways  against  sewage  and  industrial  discharges  and  regulating  the  impact  of  
mining  operations  on  waterways.  
– The  1918  Migratory  Bird  Treaty  is  expanded  to  include  Mexico.  
– Pennsylvania  is  among  the  first  states  to  pass  the  model  soil  conservation  law  
proposed  by  the  federal  Soil  Conservation  Service.  
1938  –  The  Game  Commission  introduces  the  first  statewide  season  for  only  antlerless  
deer.    
– A  tragic  wildfire  on  the  morning  of  October  19  at  Pepper  Hill  (near  
Sinnemahoning,  Cameron  County)  takes  the  lives  of  seven  CCC  boys  and  their  
supervisor  dispatched  from  the  Hunts  Run  CCC  Camp.  Untrained  in  the  fighting  
of  fires,  the  men  tried  to  outrun  the  flames  and  were  overtaken.  
1939  –  The  Honey  Hollow  Watershed  Conservation  Area  near  New  Hope  is  created  by  
the  five  farm  landowners  in  the  watershed.  Through  their  cooperation  and  with  the  
assistance  of  their  local  Soil  Conservation  Service  office,  this  first  agricultural  area  in  a  
small  watershed  demonstrates  that  soil,  water  and  wildlife  conservation,  and  flood  
prevention  could  be  achieved   through  cooperative  local  action.  
(http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=1–4–7E)  
– The  Associated  Clubs  for  Roadside  Development  (an  outgrowth  of  the  Garden  
Club  Federation)  is  founded  by  Hilda  Vogel  Fox  and  others  to  fight  roadside  
litter  and  control  billboards  to  protect  the  state'ʹs  scenic  beauty.  The  name  is  
changed  the  next  year  to  the  Pennsylvania  Roadside  Council  (and  later  to  
Pennsylvania  Resources  Council).    
1940  –  U.S.  Bald  and  Golden  Eagle  Protection  Act  is  enacted  to  protect  these  birds  from  
human  interference.  
– The  Interstate  Commission  on  the  Delaware  River  labels  the  tidal  river  at  
Philadelphia  "ʺone  of  the  most  grossly  polluted  areas  in  the  United  States."ʺ  
1942  –  The  Pennsylvania  Timber  Reduction  War  Project  (in  conjunction  with  a  similar  
federal  initiative)  provides  for  the  selective  cutting  of  timber  from  the  state  forests  in  
support  of  the  war  effort.  More  than  100  million  board  feet  of  timber  are  selectively  cut  
over  the  next  two   years.  
1944  –  Ricketts  Glen  State  Park  was  established,  and  includes  the  Glen  Natural  Area.  
The  Glens  became  a  registered  National  Natural  Landmark  in  1969,  and  in  1993  became  
a  State  Park  Natural  Area  and  will  be  protected  and  maintained  in  a  natural  state.  
1945  –  The  Surface  Mining  Conservation  and  Reclamation  Act  is  considered  to  be  the  
first  comprehensive  attempt  to  prevent  pollution  from  surface  coal  mining.  
1947  –  The  Anthracite  Strip  Mining  and  Conservation  Act  acts  in  the  same  manner  for  
strip  mining  as  the  surface  mining  law  passed  two  years  earlier.  
1948  –  For  five  days  in  October,  an  air  inversion  traps  industrial  pollution  from  the  
American  Steel  &  Wire  and  Donora  Zinc  Works  over  the  small  western  Pennsylvania  
town  of  Donora  (Washington  County).  In  three  days,  20  people  die  and  half  the  town'ʹs  
population  is  sick.  Fifty  more  are  dead  after  the  inversion  lifts,  making  it  the  worst  air  
pollution  disaster  in  U.S.  history.  The  disaster  does  bring  air  pollution  to  the  attention  of  
the  legislature  (both  state  and  federal)  and  ground-­‐‑breaking  anti-­‐‑pollution  laws  can  be  
traced  to  the  Donora  Smog  Disaster.  
– U.S.  Radium  Corporation  relocates  its  operations  from  Brooklyn,  NY  to  
Bloomsburg  (Columbia  County).  U.S.  Radium  manufactures  luminous  watch  
dials  and  gauges,  deck  markers,  and  paint.    Unfortunately,  it  also  dumps  
radioactive  liquid  wastes  into  a  canal  draining  into  the  Susquehanna  River.  It  is  
declared  a  "ʺSuperfund"ʺ  site  by  the  U.S.  Environmental  Protection  Agency  in  
2005.  
– The  Federal  Water  Pollution  Control  Act  is  enacted,  the  first  major  law  enacted  
by  the  U.S.  Congress  to  address  the  problem  of  water  pollution.  It  is  limited  in  
 scope  and  largely  ineffective.  
1949  –  U.S.  War  Department  deeds  14,000  acres  of  the  former  Tobyhanna  Military  
Reservation   to  the  PA  Game  Commission  
– The  Fish  Commission  appoints  its  first  Executive  Director,  Charles  A.  French.  
– The  first  "ʺTrout  Opening  Day"ʺ  is  established  by  the  Fish  Law  of  1949.    
1950  –  The  Department  of  Forests  and  Waters  makes  a  commitment  to  encourage  
private  forest  landowners  to  sustainably  manage  their  forest  resources  through  the  
Cooperative  Forest  Management  Program.  This  program  is  managed  by  42  service  
foresters.  
– The  Greater  Pittsburgh  Parks  Association  is  renamed  Western  Pennsylvania  
Conservancy  and  begins  acquiring  properties  in  Lawrence,  Butler,  and  Fayette  
counties.  
1950  –  Federal  Dingell-­‐‑Johnson  Bill  becomes  law,    ending  a  ten-­‐‑year  struggle  by  
conservationists  from  across  the  nation.  Also  called  the  Federal  Aid  in  Sport  Fish  
Restoration  Act,  the  statute  grants  federal  financial  assistance  to  states  for  fish  
restoration,  management  and  acquisition  plans  and  projects    
1951  –  Fish  are  placed  in  the  Schuylkill  River  for  the  first  time  in  a  decade  after  a  
cleanup  campaign  by  the  Department  of  Forest  and  Waters.  
– Hilda  Vogel  Fox  becomes  chair  of  the  National  Council  of  State  Garden  Clubs  
and  launches  the  famous  "ʺlitterbug"ʺ  campaign.  
1952  –  The  Department  of  Forestry  reorganizes  from  24  forest  districts  to  20.  
1954  –  Maurice  K.  Goddard  is  named  Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Forests  and  Waters  
by  Governor  George  M.  Leader.    
– The  Soil  Conservation  Service  leases  89.8  acres  of  land  near  Howard  (Centre  
County)  for  construction  of  a  tree  nursery.  The  Howard  Nursery  produces  and  
distributes  two  to  eight  million  bare–root  seedlings  for  wildlife  food  and  cover  on  
State   Game  Lands  annually  since  then.  
– Virgin  Run  Lake  in  Fayette  County  is  the  first  project  to  use  federal  aid  from  
Dingell-­‐‑Johnson.  The  35-­‐‑acre  lake  is  built  from  start  to  finish  by  the  Pennsylvania  
Fish  Commission  and  is  dedicated  on  July  11,  1953.  
1955  –  Act  256  establishes  the  Oil  and  Gas  Lease  Fund  with  all  revenues  from  leases  on  
state  forest  lands  directed  to  be  used  for  conservation,   recreation,  and  flood  control.  
– M.K.  ("ʺDoc"ʺ)  Goddard  sets  a  goal  of  a  state  park  within  25  miles  of  every  person  
in   Pennsylvania.  
– The  Delaware  River  faces  record  flooding  due  to  both  Hurricane  Connie  and  
Hurricane   Diane  hitting  the  area  in  less  than  a  week.  Construction  of  a  dam  at  
Tocks  Island,  long  under  consideration,  seemed  fated  to  be  finalized  in  the  face  
of  the  property  damage  and  loss  of  life  the  flooding  caused.  
– Curtiss-­‐‑Wright  Corporation  purchases  80  square  miles  of  state  forest  land  in  
Clearfield  County  to  build  nuclear  powered  jet  engines  and  conduct  other  atomic  
 research,  the  first  of  several  atomic  research  and  manufacturing  concerns  to  
occupy  and  contaminate  the  area.  They  name  their  facility  "ʺQuehanna"ʺ  for  the  
nearby  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna.  
1956  –  Congress  passes  the  Fish  and  Wildlife  Act,  establishing  the  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  
Service  in  the  Department  of  the  Interior.  
– Congress  also  passes  the  Federal  Water  Pollution  Control  Act  including  
provisions  for  grants  to  the  states  for  construction  of  water  treatment  works.  
– Carnegie  Museum  of  Natural  History  establishes  the  Powdermill  Nature  Reserve  
as  a  field  station  for  long-­‐‑term  study  natural  populations.  
– Governor  George  M.  Leader  signs  the  nation'ʹs  first  anti-­‐‑littering  law.  We  are  not  
litterbugs!  
1957  –  The  world'ʹs  first  full-­‐‑scale  atomic  power  plant,  Shippingport  Atomic  Power  
Station,  is  built  on  the  Ohio  River  in  Beaver  County.  
– Pennsylvania’s  New  State   Parks:  A  Report  to  the  General  Assembly  on  Act  256  studied  
175  potential  parks,  assessing  them  on  the  basis  of  water,  location,  topography,  
subsurface  conditions,  availability,  and  scenic  and  historic  significance.  
Acquisition  of  land  for  some  of  these  parks  began  almost  immediately.  
1958  –  At  age  71,  Emma  "ʺGrandma"ʺ  Gatewood  becomes  the  first  woman  to  walk  the  
entirety  of  the  Appalachian  Trail.  
– The  Fish  Commission  establishes  the  first  recreational  fishing  area  on  the  Left  
Branch  of  Young  Woman'ʹs   Creek  in  Clinton  County.  
1959  –  In  spite  of  mine  safety  laws  prohibiting  mine  construction  where  adequate  roof  
thickness  was  impossible  and  within  35  feet  of  a  riverbed,  The  Knox  Coal  Company  
constructed  its  River  Slope  Mine  within  19  inches  of  the  Susquehanna  River  near  
Pittston  (Luzerne  County).  On  January  22,  the  mine'ʹs  roof  gave  way,  trapping  74  men.  
While  62  of  them  would  escape,  12  were  never  found.  The  Susquehanna  River  smashed  
into  the  mine  and  flooded  miles  of  mines  throughout  the  Wyoming  Valley,  spreading  
underground  acid  mine  discharges.  The  extent  of  the  damage  and  the  level  of  
corruption  uncovered  in  the  investigation  that  followed  is  responsible  for  the  collapse  
of  the  anthracite  mining  industry.  
( http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-­‐‑A-­‐‑C7)  
– The  White-­‐‑tailed  Deer  is  named  the  official  state  mammal.  
– The  Fish  Law  of  1959  establishes  Trout  Opening  Day  as  5:00  AM  on  April  12  or  
the  first  Saturday  thereafter  if  April  12  is  not  a  Saturday.  Under  current  
regulations,  Opening  Day  is  8:00  AM  on  the  first  Saturday  after  April  11  except  
in  southeastern  Pennsylvania  where  it  is  the  first  Saturday  after  March  28.  
1961  –  The  Oil  and  Gas  Conservation  Law  permits  and  spacing  of  wells.  
– The  Delaware  River  Basin  Commission  is  formed,  the  first  time  that  the  federal  
government  and  a  group  of  states  joined  as  equal  partners  in  a  river  basin  
planning,  development,  and  regulatory  agency.  The  Tocks  Island  Dam  project  
 was  a  priority  of  the  new  Commission,  but  was  eventually  defeated  by  the  
public.  
– Annual  state  park  visitation  reaches  24  million  (up  from  eight  million  in  1955).  
– The  Pennsylvania  legislature  designates  the  last  Friday  in  April  as  Arbor  Day  
and  the  week  that  includes  it  "ʺThe  Dr.  J.T.  Rothrock  Memorial  Conservation  
Week"ʺ  during  which  week  the  citizens  shall  be  encouraged  to  consider  through  
suitable  activities  the  broader  subject  of  the  conservation  of  all  of  the  natural  
resources  from  which  the  wealth  of  the  Commonwealth  is  derived."ʺ  
– More  than  116,280  fish  are  killed  in  the  Susquehanna  River  during  October  
resulting  from  illegal  acid  mine  discharges  from  anthracite  coal  mines  in  the  
Wyoming  Valley  that  were  owned  by  the  Glen  Alden  Mining  Corporation.  The  
Fish  Commission  accepts  a  $45,000  voluntary  contribution  from  the  Glen  Alden  
Mining  Corporation  -­‐‑  the  largest  settlement  to  date  ever  to  be  made  in  the  United  
States  for  fish  killed  by  pollution.    
– Largest  shad  migration  of  modern  times  is  recorded  in  the  Delaware  River.    
1962  –  An  anthracite  coal  vein  underneath  the  town  of  Centralia  in  Columbia  County  
catches  fire  after  a  garbage  dump  in  set  on  fire  by  municipal  workers.  Unbeknownst  to  
the  workers,  the  makeshift  landfill  was  atop  a  coal  vein.  By  1984,  95%  of  the  town’s  
residents  accept  federal  and  state  buy-­‐‑outs  of  their  homes.  Many  relocate  to  a  nearby  
town  called  New  Centralia.  Others  leave  the  area  permanently.  The  fire  continues  to  
burn  today  and  will  likely  continue  to  do  so  for  decades.    
1963  –  Ernesta  Drinker  Ballard  becomes  the  first  woman  to  be  named  director  of  the  
Pennsylvania   Horticultural  Society.  Largely  through  her  efforts,  the  Philadelphia  
Flower  Show  becomes  a  spectacular  international  event.  
– Congress  passes  the  Clean  Air  Act  with  funding  for  study  and  clean-­‐‑up  of  air  
pollution.  
1964  –  After  years  of  relentless  lobbying  and  the  laying  of  groundwork,  Howard  
Zahniser  writes  and  finds  support  for  the  Wilderness  Act  creating  a  legal   definition  of  
wilderness  and  protecting  91  million  acres  of  federal  land.  Zahniser  dies  in  May,  two  
days  after  testifying  before  Congress  on  behalf  of  the  bill.  President  Johnson  signs  the  
Act  into  law  in  September  with  Zahniser'ʹs  widow  by  his  side.    
– The  Project  70  Land  Acquisition  and  Borrowing  Act  permits  the  state  to  issue  
bonds  for  the  purchase  of  public  lands  "ʺfor  recreation,  conservation  and  historical  
purposes  before  such  lands  are  lost  forever  to  urban  development."ʺ  
– President  Lyndon  Johnson  signs  the  National  Historic  Preservation  Act,  creating  
the  National  Register  of  Historic  Places.    
1965  –  The  Kinzua  Dam  of  the  Allegheny  River  is  completed,  flooding  land  retained  by  
the  Seneca  Indians  in  a  1794  treaty  with  George  Washington.  The   federal  government  
spends  $15  million  to  relocate  them.  
– Congress  creates  the  Land  and  Water  Conservation  Fund,  using  revenues  from  
 the  depletion  of  one  natural  resource  -­‐‑  offshore  oil  and  gas  -­‐‑  to  support  the  
conservation  of  another  precious  resource  -­‐‑  our  land  and  water.  
– Construction  of  the  Tocks  Island  Dam  in  the  Delaware  River  is  authorized  and  
land  acquisition  and  vocal  opposition  commences.  
1967  –  The  Pennsylvania  legislature  authorizes  a  $500  million  bond  for  the  Land  and  
Water  Conservation  and  Reclamation  Fund  to  be  used  for  elimination  of  acid  mine  
drainage,  sewage,  and  other  pollution  Pennsylvania'ʹs  waterways,  financial  assistance  to  
local  authorities  for  sewage  treatment  plants,  restoration  of  abandoned  strip  mines  and  
control  of  mine  fires,  alleviation  and  prevention  of  mine  subsidence,  and  the  acquisition  
and  development  of  park  and  recreational  lands.  
– Chesapeake  Bay  Foundation  is  established  to  educate  the  public  about  
deteriorating   conditions  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  
– The  Delaware  River  Basin  Commission  (DRBC)  adopts  the  most  comprehensive  
water  quality  standards  of  any  interstate  river  basin  in  the  nation.  
1968  –  The  Wild  and  Scenic  River  Act  establishes  National  Wild  and  Scenic  Rivers  
System  and   prescribes  the  methods  and  standards  through  which  additional  rivers  may  
be  identified  and   added  to  the  system.  
– A  State  Constitutional  Convention  concludes  with  the  adoption  of  a  new  
Constitution  that  contains  specific  environmental  provisions  in  Article  1,  Section  
27,  written  by  Franklin  Kury,  that:    
“The  people  have  a  right  to  clean  air,  pure  water,  and  to  the  preservation  
of  the  natural,  scenic,  historic  and  esthetic  values  of  the  environment.  
Pennsylvania'ʹs  public  natural  resources  are  the  common  property  of  all  
the  people,  including  generations  yet  to  come.  As  trustee  of  these  
resources,  the  Commonwealth  shall  conserve  and  maintain  them  for  the  
benefit  of  all  the  people.”  
The  Environmental  Rights  Amendment  is  sent  to  the  legislature  where  it  must  
pass  two  successive  legislative  sessions  before  appearing  on  the  ballot  for  
approval  by  the  people.  
1969  –  Ralph  Abele  becomes  the  executive  secretary  of  the  Joint  Legislative  Air  and  
Water   Pollution  Control  and  Conservation  Committee  of  the  House  and  Senate.  
(http://fishandboat.com/images/people/abele/bio.htm)  
– In  June,  the  Environmental  Rights  Amendment  passes  the  House  for  the  first  
time  on  a  vote  of  190-­‐‑0.  
– Pennsylvania  Environmental  Council  (PEC)  is  formed  as  a  "ʺcoordinating  
organization  to  which  individuals,  other  organizations,  government  and  business  
could  turn  for  information  on  environmental  issues."ʺ    
1970  –  The  Department  of  Environmental  Resources  is  formed,  combining  the  
Department  of  Forests  and  Waters  and  other  environmental,  conservation  and  some  
public  health  programs  into  a  single  department  with  vast  regulatory  responsibilities.  
Maurice  K.  Goddard  is  appointed  its  first  Secretary.  
– In  March,  the  Environmental  Rights  Amendment  passes  the  Senate  for  the  first  
time,  on  a  vote  of  39-­‐‑0.  
– Fostered  by  Wisconsin  Senator  Gaylord  Nelson,  the  first  Earth  Day  is  celebrated  
on  April  22  with  20  million  Americans  demonstrating  on  behalf  of  a  healthy,  
sustainable  environment.  
– Brook  trout  named  the  official  state  fish.  
– The  legislature  strengthens  the  1937  Clean  Streams  Law  to  change  its  focus  from  
pollution  abatement  to  pollution  prevention.  Governor  Shafer  forms  a  Pollution  
Strike  Force  with  staff  from  several  agencies  to  support  it.  
– The  federal  government  passes  a  new  Clean  Air  Act  making  air  pollution  control  
a  national  responsibility  and  signaling  that  a  clean  environment  and  healthy  
economy  are  not  mutually  exclusive  goals.  
– The  Susquehanna  River  Basin  Commission  is  established,  uniting  Pennsylvania,  
Maryland,  and  New  York  into  a  compact  to  guide  the  conservation,  
development,  and  administration  of  the  water  resources  of  the  vast  river  basin.  
1971  –  In  February,  the  Environmental  Rights  Amendment  passes  in  the  House  for  the  
second  time  on  a  vote  of  199-­‐‑0,  and  the  Senate  for  the  second  time  on  a  vote  of  45-­‐‑0.  
– In  May,  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  approve  the  Environmental  Rights  
Amendment  on  a  vote  of  over  1  million  in  favor  and  259,979  against.  
1972  –  Article  1,  Section  27  (the  Environmental  Rights  Amendment)  is  added  to  the  
Constitution.  
– In  June,  19  inches  of  rain  from  Hurricane  Agnes  come  down  over  the  course  of  
two  days,  causing  significant  flooding.  Agnes  leaves  behind  over  $3  billion  in  
damage  across  the  U.S.  
– In  the  summer,  agricultural  use  of  DDT  is  outlawed  in  the  U.S.  
– The  Pennsylvania  Lumber  Museum  in  Potter  County  holds  its  grand  opening.  
– A  forest  insect  spray  program  is  undertaken  by  the  Department  of  
Environmental  Resources  to  try  and  control  gypsy  moth  populations.  
– Ralph  Abele  is  appointed  executive  director  of  the  Pennsylvania  Fish  
Commission.  
– The  Fish  Commission  names  75  streams  to  its  Wilderness  Trout  Program,  first  
established  in  1969  to  protect  and  promote  native  brook  trout  fisheries  and  
wilderness  aesthetics.  
– Congress  enacts  the  Federal  Water  Pollution  Control  Act  Amendments  of  1972,  a  
rewrite  of  the  1948  law  and  the  basis  of  future  Clean  Water  Act.  It  introduces  the  
concept  of  point  sources  of  pollution  and  permitted  discharges,  among  other  
innovations.  
1973  –  The  U.S.  Endangered  Species  Act  becomes  law,  to  protect  and  recover  imperiled  
species  and  the  ecosystems  upon  which  they  depend.  
 – The  Middle  Creek  Wildlife  Management  Area  is  opened.  
1974  –  The  Schuylkill  River  Greenway  Association  citizens  group,  dedicated  to  restoring  
and  preserving  the  Historic  Schuylkill  River  Corridor  in  Southeastern  Pennsylvania,  is  
formed.  
– The  Fish  Law  of  1959  is  amended  to  give  the  Fish  Commission  jurisdiction  over  
reptiles,  amphibians,  and  aquatic  organisms.  
– The  Ferncliff  Peninsula  in  Ohiopyle  (Fayette  County)  is  dedicated  as  a  National  
Natural  Landmark.    
– The  first  bald  eagle  is  spotted  at  Middle  Creek  Wildlife  Management  Area,  and  
appear  there  every  year  since.    
1975  –  Flooding  throughout  the  Northeast  disables  over  a  dozen  water  plants  and  at  
least  16   sewage  treatment  plants,  prompting  a  boil–water  advisory  in  Harrisburg  as  
well  as  forcing   20,000  residents  out  of  their  homes.  
– Facing  cost  over-­‐‑runs  and  relentless  opposition,  the  Delaware  River  Basin  
Commission  votes  3-­‐‑1  against  building  the  Tocks  Island  Dam  with  Pennsylvania  
the  only  member  of  the  DRBC  voting  in  favor.    
1976  –  Amendments  to  the  Game  Law  make  it  illegal  to  damage  a  tree  while  
constructing  a  tree  stand  or  using  a  portable  stand  on  public  and   private  properties  
(unless  the  private  owner  gives  written  permission).  
1977  –  The  federal  government  passes  further  amendments  to  the  Water  Pollution  
Control  /  Clean  Water  Act.    
– On  July  20,  a  second  Great  Johnstown  Flood  kills  85  people  and  causes  $300  
million  in  damages.  A  foot  of  rain  in  10  hours  causes  the  breach  of  dams  just  as  it  
had  88  years  earlier.  In  the  aftermath  of  the  flood,  the  city'ʹs  population  decreases  
by  15%  as  people  simply  move  elsewhere.  
1978  –  The  Pennsylvania  Appalachian  Trail  Act  authorizes  the  Department  of  
Environmental  Resources  to  support  development  and   acquisition  of  Pennsylvania’s  
portion  of  the  trail.  
– The  bald  eagle  is  listed  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior  as  endangered  or  
threatened  in  43  states.  
– Congress  designates  that  part  of  the  Delaware  that  is  part  of  the  Delaware  Water  
Gap  National  Recreation  Area  a  "ʺWild  and  Scenic  River,"ʺ  effectively  ending  
consideration  of  the  Tocks  Island  Dam  project.  
1979  –  On  March  28,  a  series  of  mishaps  and  lapses  in  judgment  result  in  the  partial  
meltdown  of  Reactor  No.  2  of  the  Three  Mile  Island  Nuclear  Generating  Station  in  
Dauphin  County,  leading  to  the  release  of  radioactive  material.    
– On  July  30,  an  oil  slick  from  bank  to  bank  of  the  Susquehanna  is  traced  to  the  
Butler  Mine  Tunnel  near  Pittston  (Luzerne  County).  Contaminants  are  found  
downstream  for  60  miles  to  Danville  and  the  drinking  supply  of  the  town'ʹs  
11,700  residents.  The  discharge  is  traced  to  the  dumping  of  waste  oil  into  the  
 mine  tunnel  by  a  disposal  company  hired  by  the  Hi-­‐‑Way  Auto  Service  Station.  A  
$2.2  million  clean-­‐‑up  ensued  along  with  five  years  of  monitoring  by  the  state.  
– A  bald  eagle  hatched  at  the  Patuxent  Wildlife  Research  Center  in  Laurel,  MD  is  
released  at  the  Middle  Creek  Wildlife   Management  Area.  
– Maurice  Goddard  retires  from  DER  after  24  years  of  service.  
1980’s  –  Dredging  ends  for  river  coal  in  Susquehanna.  Historically,  dredging  had  
occurred  along  the  Susquehanna  and  Schuylkill  rivers,  removing  nearly  forty  thousand  
tons  of  coal,  used  for  industry.  
1980  –  The  Lancaster  County  Commissioners  create  the  first  Agricultural  Preserve  Board  
to  devise  ways  to  protect  the  county'ʹs  agricultural  lands.  
(http://web.co.lancaster.pa.us/126/Agricultural-­‐‑Preservation–Board)  
– The  Fish  and  Wildlife  Conservation  Act  is  adopted,  authorizing  the  U.S.  Fish  &  
Wildlife  Service  to   spend  $20  million  over  four  years  to  help  states  develop  non–  
game  management  programs.  
– Chesapeake  Bay  Commission  is  created  to  regulate  policy  across  state  lines.  
(http://www.chesbay.us/)  
1981  –  The  Fish  Commission  adopts  Operation  FUTURE  to  improve  species  protection  
and  propagation  and  improve  fishing  opportunities  for  anglers.    
– Cheryl  Stauffer  becomes  the  first  female  District  Game  Protector.  
– Defoliation  by  the  invasive  gypsy  moth  visible  on  12.9  million  acres  between  
Maine  and  Maryland.    
1982  –  The  Pennsylvania  Eagle  Protection  and  Reward  Fund  is  created  by  the  Game  
Commission,  with  cooperation  of  the  Pennsylvania  and  National  Wildlife  Federations,  
the  Pennsylvania  Federation  of  Sportsmen'ʹs  Clubs,  the  National  Audubon  Society,  
Hawk  Mountain  Sanctuary,  and  Pennsylvania  Forestry  Association,  offering  rewards  of  
up  to  $1,500  for  information  leading  to  the  prosecution  of  anyone  harassing,  injuring  or  
killing  a  bald  eagle  in  Pennsylvania.  
– Penngift  Crownvetch  is  named  the  official  state  beautification  and  conservation  
plant.  
1983  –  The  first  Chesapeake  Bay  Agreement  is  signed  by  Maryland,  Virginia  and  
Pennsylvania,  the  District  of  Columbia;  the  U.S.  Environmental  Protection  Agency;  and  
the  Chesapeake  Bay  Commission.  The  Chesapeake  Bay  Program  is  established  and  the  
Chesapeake  Executive  Council  is  named  the  chief  policy-­‐‑making  authority  in  the  
watershed.  (http://www.chesapeakebay.net/history)  
– The  Fish  Commission  adopts  Ralph  Abele'ʹs  rallying  cry  of  "ʺResource  First"ʺ  as  its  
motto  and  philosophy.    The  philosophy  requires,  among  other  mandates,  that  
protecting,  conserving,  and  enhancing  the  commonwealth'ʹs  aquatic  resources  are  
the  agency'ʹs  first  management  priority.  
1984  –  Stanley  Watras,  a  construction  worker  at  the  Limmerick  Nuclear  Power  Plant  near  
Pottstown  (Montgomery  County)  sets  off  the  radiation  monitors  at  the  plant  although  
there  is  as  yet  no  radioactive  material  at  the  plant.  The  source  is  found  to  be  radon  gas  in  
his  home.  
– The  first  fish  ladder  on  the  Lehigh  River  opens  in  June  at  the  Samuel  Frank  
Memorial  Dam  in  Allentown.  
– The  first  female  waterways  conservation  officer  is  hired  by  the  Fish  Commission.    
– Barbara  Davey,  the  first  female  park  superintendent  in  central  office  was  hired  in  
the  Bureau  of  State  Parks.    
1985  –  Pittston'ʹs  Butler  Mine  Tunnel  is  once  again  the  subject  of  a  massive  waste  oil  
clean-­‐‑up  when  100,000  gallons  is  discharged  in  the  wake  of  Hurricane  Gloria.  The  
Tunnel  is  now  a  "ʺSuperfund"ʺ  site.  
– The  Fish  Commission  begins  stocking  the  Lehigh  with  shad.  
1986  –  The  Pennsylvania  Environmental  Defense  Foundation  is  established  to  both  
assist  and   educate  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  by  advocating  and  enforcing  their  rights  
to  a  clean   environment.  
1987  –  Voters  of  Pennsylvania  pass  a  referendum  allowing  a  $100  million  bond  issue  to  
preserve  farmland.  
– Ralph  Abele  retires  as  executive  director  of  the  Fish  Commission.  
– Mary  Herrold  Hirst,  first  female  field  park  superintendent,  was  hired  at  French  
Creek  State  Park  as  assistant  superintendent.    
1988  –  Zebra  mussels,  an  invasive  species,  are  discovered  in  Lake  Erie  for  the  first  time.  
– Agricultural  Conservation  Easement  Program  created  to  slow  the  loss  of  prime  
farmland  in  Pennsylvania  using  funds  from  the  1987  bond  issue.  
– The  cleanup  of  the  extremely  polluted  Delaware  Estuary  becomes  one  of  the  
premier   water  pollution  control  success  stories  in  the  United  States.  
1989  –  The  Great  Lakes  Protection  Fund  Act  provides  funding  for  research  and  other  
efforts  to  protect  the  Great  Lakes  from  toxic  pollutants.  
1990  –  Ralph  Abele  dies,  three  years  after  retiring  from  the  Fish  Commission.  
– The  Pennsylvania  office  of  the  Rails  to  Trails  Conservancy  is  established,  seeking  
to  convert  abandoned  rail  lines  to  pedestrian  and  bicycling  trails.      
1991  –  The  Pennsylvania  Fish  Commission  renamed  the  Fish  &  Boat  Commission.  
– The  Environmental  Fund  for  Pennsylvania  is  established  to  support  hands-­‐‑on  
projects  to  protect  the  environment,  bringing  19  different  environmental  groups  
together.  
– The  Public  Recycling  Officials  of  Pennsylvania  (PROP)  is  established  to  promote  
and   enhance  recycling  and  recycling  programs  in  Pennsylvania  through  
education,  information   exchange,  technical  support,  applied  research,  and  
coordination  of  recycling  industry   development.    
– The  Pennsylvania  Biological  Survey  is  established  to  increase  knowledge  and  
foster  the  biological  diversity  native  to  the  Commonwealth.  
1992  –  An  otter  release  in  the  Youghiogheny  River  brings  river  otters  back  to  the  
drainage  for   the  first  time  in  more  than  100  years.  
1993  –  Governor  Casey  signs  state  law  making  April  22  “Earth  Day"ʺ.  
– The  US  Forest  Service  introduces  its  Forest  Stewardship  Program  to  encourage  
long-­‐‑term  stewardship  of  important  forest  landscapes.  
– Pennsylvania'ʹs  Environmental  Education  Act  provides  for  environmental  
education  programs  within  the  Commonwealth,  creates  an   Environmental  
Education  Fund  and  authorizes  the  establishment  of  an  Environmental  
Education  Grants  Program.  
1993  –  Act  50  of  1993,  the  Keystone  Recreation,  Park  and  Conservation  Fund,  wins  
overwhelming  bipartisan  support  in  both  the  legislature  and  with  the  public.  Key  93  
provides  funding  through  a  $50  million  bond  for  deferred  maintenance  for  state  park  
and  historic  resources  managed  by  the  Commonwealth.  Majority  of  funding  goes  to  
DER  and  Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Commission.    
1994  –  The  coldest  temperature  ever  recorded  in  Pennsylvania  was  –  22F  in  Pittsburgh  
on  January  19.  
– PA  Wildlife  and  Waterways  Conservation  Officers  form  the   Conservation  
Officers  of  Pennsylvania  to  increase  understanding,  awareness,  and  support  for  
the  role  of  Pennsylvania'ʹs  conservation  officers  in  the  management  of  our  natural  
resources.  
– Sea  Change  Urban  Horticultural  Center,  an  urban  garden  where  once  trash  and  
drug  addicts'ʹ  paraphernalia,  is  created  in  Philadelphia  by  Rosalind  Johnson.  
1995  –  The  Department  of  Environmental  Resources  is  divided  into  The  Department  of  
Conservation   and  Natural  Resources  (DCNR)  and  Department  of  Environmental  
Protection  (DEP).  James  Seif  is  named  as  Secretary  of  DEP;  John  Oliver,  former  president  
of  the  Western  Pennsylvania  Conservancy,  is  Secretary  of  DCNR.  
– The  Environmental  Protection  Agency'ʹs  Brownfields  program  is  created  to  help  
states  clean  up  hazardous  waste  and  materials   to  those  areas  can  be  reused.  
– Governor  Ridge  signs  Act  18,  assigning  the  Bureau  of  Forestry  to  DCNR.  
1996  –  The  Pennsylvania  Biological  Survey  sponsors  its  first  conference  to  educate  
attendees  about  building  partnerships,  garnering  government  support,  standardizing  
protocols,  essential  to  protecting  and  monitoring  PA  natural  resources.  
1997  –  Passage  of  the  National  Wildlife  Refuge  Improvement  Act  provides  the  first  
“organic”   legislation  for  the  management  of  the  federal  refuge  system.  
1998  –  The  largest  earthquake  recorded  in  Pennsylvania  occurs  near  Pymatuning  Lake  
in  northwestern  Pennsylvania.  The  quake  measures  5.2  magnitude.  
1999  –  The  Growing  Greener  fund  is  established  with  $650  million  committed  over  five  
years  to  fund  conservation  and  environmental  protection  projects  from  the  creation  of  
trails  and  greenways  to  community  parks  and  wildlife  habitat  protection.    
– The  Pennsylvania  Parks  and  Forests  Foundation  is  formed  to  provide  a  voice  for  
and  expansion  of  Pennsylvania'ʹs  state  parks  and  forests.  
2000  –  Pennsylvania'ʹs  state  forests  becomes  FSC  (Forest  Stewardship  Council)  certified  
sustainably  managed,  making  it  the   largest  publicly  owned  FSC  Certified  forest  in  the  
country.  
– Green  Mountain  Energy'ʹs  wind  farm  near  Garrett  (Somerset  County)  is  the  first  
wind  farm  in  Pennsylvania.  
2002  –  With  funding  for  Growing  Greener  set  to  expire  and  the  initiative  an  
acknowledged  success,  the  Environmental  Stewardship  Fund  is  created  through  an  
increase  in  the  tipping  fee  (the  fee  for  dumping  trash  in  landfills)  to  be  used  for  
environmental  restoration   and  conservation.  
– Citing  the  Environmental  Rights  Amendment,  the  PA  Department  of  Education  
adopts  academic  standards  for  environment  and  ecology  in  all  Pennsylvania  
schools.  
– On  July  24,  18  coal  miners  at  the  Quecreek  Mine  in  Somerset  County  
accidentally  dig  into  an  abandoned  and  poorly  documented  adjacent  mine,  
flooding  the  room  in  which  they  were  working.  Nine  escape  and,  four  dramatic  
days  later,  all  nine  remaining  men  are  rescued.  
2003   –  Peregrine  falcons  are  found  breeding  on  cliff  sides  in  Pennsylvania  for  the  first  
time  since  the  1950s.  
2004  –  Pennsylvania’s  first  Marcellus  shale  well  is  drilled  using  hydraulic  fracturing  
technology   in  Washington  County.  
2005  –  The  Conservation  Landscape  Initiatives  program  begins,  with  seven  regions  in  
Pennsylvania   participating  to  drive  strategic  investment  and  actions  around  
sustainability,  conservation,   community  revitalization,  and  recreational  projects.  
– Voters  approve  Growing  Greener  II,  a  $625  million  bond  to  supplement  existing  
Growing  Greener  funds,  with  61%  support  statewide.  Support  is  even  higher  in  
southeastern  Pennsylvania,  with  76%  voter  approval.  
2006  –  Pennsylvania  completes  its  first  federally-­‐‑mandated  Wildlife  Action  Plan  to  
receive  grant  funding  and  strengthen  the  state’s  management  of  fish  and  wildlife  
resources.  
2007  –  Allegheny  Ridge  Wind  Farm,  the  largest  wind  farm  in  Pennsylvania  to  date,  
opens  in  Cambria  and  Blair  counties.  
2008  –  Roxane  S.  Palone  becomes  the  first  woman  elected  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  
Game   Commission.  
2009  –  Drinking  water  in  Dimock  (Susquehanna  County)  is  contaminated  with  methane  
from  Marcellus  shale  natural   gas  drilling  and  fracturing.  
– The  Rails  to  Trails  Act  authorizes  the  Department  of  Environmental  Resources  to  
acquire  and  develop  railroad  rights-­‐‑of-­‐‑way  for  public  recreational  trail  use,  
requiring  the  Department  of  Transportation  to  coordinate  rights-­‐‑of-­‐‑way  with  the  
DER  and  the  Public  Utilities  Commission,  and  providing  a  limitation  on  liability  
on  persons  who  provide  property  for  public  recreational  use.  
2010  –  The  South  Mountain  Partnership  launches  its  Speakers  Series,  intended  as  a  
revival  of  the  19th  century  Michaux  Lectures.  
– Some  estimates  predict  that  there  might  be  of  400  trillion  cubic  feet  of  gas  in  
Marcellus   Shale.  
– Utica  and  other  Devonian  shales  are  identified  as  holding  natural  gas.  
– Governor  Ed  Rendell  implements  a  moratorium  on  gas  drilling  in  Pennsylvania'ʹs  
state  parks  and  forests.  
2011  –  Hurricane  Irene  in  addition  to  the  remnants  of  Tropical  Storm  Lee  produce  
widespread   flooding  in  eastern  Pennsylvania.  The  Susquehanna  River  crests  at  levels  
similar  to  Hurricane  Agnes  in   some  places  and  produce  record  flooding  on  some  
waterways.  
2012  –  Act  13,  regulating  Marcellus  shale  gas  development,  increases  setback  
requirements  for  unconventional  gas  development,  enhances  protection  of  water  
supplies,  and  imposes  an  impact  fee  on  drilling  that  may  only  be  used  in  the  
communities  where  the  drilling  occurs.    Lawsuits  immediately  follow.    
– Penn  State  University  restructures  its  College  of  Agricultural  Science  and  
eliminates  the  School   of  Forest  Resources.  The  school'ʹs  forestry  major  (Forest  
Ecosystem  Management)  is  placed  in  the  newly  created  School  of   Ecosystem  
Science  and  Management.  
2013  –  Pennsylvania’s  Supreme  Court  rules  against  Act  13,  saying  that  localities  can  
make  their   own  rules  about  where  drilling  can  and  cannot  happen.  
– A  nesting  pair  of  Bald  Eagles  is  seen  in  Pittsburgh  for  the  first  time  in   150  years.  
From  the  pair'ʹs  nest,  located  in  the  small  community  of  Hays  along  the  
Monongahela  River  and  the  Great  Allegheny  Passage  bike  trail,  is  hatched  a  
successful  chick,  although  the  too-­‐‑small  nest  falls  apart  soon  after.  
2014  –  The  Department  of  Environmental  Protection  releases  the  first–ever  oil  and  gas  
annual  report.  
– The  Hays  bald  eagles  return  to  Pittsburgh,  building  a  larger  nest  about  100  yards  
from  the  2013  original.  The  Game  Commission  authorizes  the  first-­‐‑ever  camera  in  
a  Pennsylvania  bald  eagle  nest  and  millions  of  people  enjoy  a  close-­‐‑up  view  of  
the  three  successfully  fledged  chicks.  
– Governor  Tom  Corbett  lifts  the  existing  moratorium  on  leasing  state  park  and  
forest  land  for  natural  gas  drilling.  
2015  –  Governor  Tom  Wolf  reinstates  the  moratorium  on  leasing  state  forest  and  state  
park  lands  for   oil  and  gas  development.