(File Photo: Source for Photo: Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives attend a session at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Thursday, June 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

(Reported by Danielle Smith, Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) An environmental advocacy group is voicing concerns about a Trump administration budget proposal that cuts funding for multiple Chesapeake Bay restoration programs. The plan would slash the overall E-P-A budget by 52 percent, threatening grants for tree plantings, oyster restoration, and other water quality projects. Keisha Sedlacek with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says the federal cuts would leave cash-strapped Pennsylvania struggling to meet its commitments to reduce pollution to the Susquehanna River. She adds that the foundation is urging Congress to pass a budget that ensures nearly 19 million residents have clean air, clean water, and healthy communities, since the President’s budget does not meet these needs. Congress has 12 appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2027 budget, which must be passed by September 30.