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Responding to Water Quality Threats in the Poconos

The Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania is at an urgent crossroads. During the last few years, the headwaters located in this region of the Delaware River Basin have seen a surge in industrial and commercial development - including warehouses and distribution centers - that threaten the ecological infrastructure underpinning the region's water quality, recreational economy, and natural beauty. Business interests insist that local communities must choose between economic growth and strong clean streams protections, and local municipalities either support this development or feel that they have no authority to deny it. In response, PennFuture has developed a multifaceted strategy that includes legal, outreach, and communications tools to combat this false narrative, effectively educate community leaders, elected officials, educate and mobilize community members, and, when necessary, engage in regulatory and legal actions to protect our communities and environment. We know that the Poconos is not alone in experiencing these types of threats. Join this conversation to learn more about the threats to some of the cleanest waters in Pennsylvania and how we can work together to protect them.