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Environmental Stewardship Fund

  1. A dedicated fund created in 2002 that is used for environmental restoration and conservation and community revitalization projects. Receives revenues from an increase in the fee charged for dumping trash at landfills and has received funds from the 2005 Growing Greener bond initiative. By law, funds from the Environmental Steward Fund are distributed as follows: 14.8% goes to the Department of Agriculture for farmland preservation, 37.4% goes to the Department of Environmental Protection to clean up acid mine drainage and support watershed based conservation efforts, 24.1% goes to the department of conservation and natural resources for rehabilitation of state parks and forests and grants to local governments and nonprofits for open space protection and recreation projects, and 23.7% goes to PennVEST for water and wastewater treatment facilities.