DCNR Acting Secretary Cindy Dunn honored by National Wildlife Federation

Cindy Adams Dunn, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), was honored on March 12 by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for her contributions and achievements in the environmental field. Her work to reduce carbon pollution, promote clean energy, and protect wildlife and their habitats from the risks of climate change has made her a recipient of the Women in Conservation Award, given to those deserving women that have shown exceptional leadership and dedication to conservation and climate action.

Dunn follows in the footsteps of other strong women who have had significant roles in the conservation movement, including fellow Pennsylvania native, Rachel Carson. Carson, most famously known for her book, Silent Spring, brought the environmental movement to mainstream America during the 1960s. Present-day environmental leader Gina McCarthy, the current Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has taken the necessary steps forward to protect people and wildlife from the effects of climate change by proposing the agency’s Clean Power Plan, a standard to reduce industrial carbon pollution.

“Cindy is a true asset to the conservation community,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We at NWF believe that highlighting and bringing women into the environmental story is important to reach the common goal of protecting all people, communities, landscapes and our precious wildlife from the impacts of climate change.”

PennFuture is proud to be the Pennsylvania affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.

Jennifer Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.

Can you help the Delaware River Watershed?

Seventeen million of us drink its water and it's the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi: It's the Delaware River, and it needs your help. The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW), formed in 2013, is uniting organizations of the entire watershed for the first time. Last fall, the new coalition hosted a two-day conference that brought together more than 200 attendees from 60 organizations in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

PennFuture is a founding member and serves on the Coalition's steering committee. We are working to reach volunteer organizations, watershed and fishing groups, land trusts, and others who can all make a difference for this new coalition. Can you bring your vision and input to help us grow?? If you are part of a non-governmental, non-profit organization committed to improving the Delaware River Watershed, we welcome your group's application for membership in the coalition. CDRW members receive advance notice of events (next conference October 21-22, 2014 in Bethlehem: details TBA) and urgent action items, and can bring more voices to the table for protecting and restoring the Delaware River and watershed. (There is no fee to apply or to be a member.)  

There's another reason this coalition work is urgent right now. Governor Tom Corbett has proposed cutting Pennsylvania's contribution to the Delaware River Basin Commission's annual budget, which is a critical piece of protection for the entire watershed. We'll connect you with efforts to help stop this short-sighted budget cut. You can sign and share the petition right now.

Please contact us or sign up as a new Coalition member online. PennFuture, National Wildlife Federation, New Jersey Audubon Society, and 50 other community organizations look forward to having you join us.

Kate Gibbons is northeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture. She is based in Wilkes-Barre.