Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, this week, joined staff and families to celebrate the 2026 graduating class of the department’s ranger and park manager trainee academy.

“Our rangers and park managers play an important role in making sure visitors have a great time in our beautiful state parks — and we are proud to celebrate their completion of our academy today,” Dunn said. “These dedicated public servants put a great deal of effort into training, and they’re ready for long, successful careers in our state parks. I can’t wait to see the impact they make this summer and beyond.”

DCNR rangers and managers play a vital role in protecting public lands, educating visitors, and ensuring safe and welcoming outdoor spaces for all. To prepare for this work, ranger and manager trainees must complete a 19-week academy focused on visitor services, educational programming, equipment use, and law enforcement training, including enforcement of park rules and Pennsylvania law.

DCNR also employs rangers in Pennsylvania’s state forests. Like other law enforcement officers, DCNR rangers provide educational and enforcement services to protect natural resources and ensure public safety.

For information about becoming a ranger trainee or for other Pennsylvania employment opportunities, visit employment.pa.gov.

Bills to strengthen transparency requirements

The PA House of Representatives this week voted to pass key legislation to protect communities from the impacts of data center development.

Developers have been siting projects in the Commonwealth due to its prime, mid-Atlantic location, significant energy production, skilled workforce, and a favorable business environment, including a generous tax incentive for data center projects.

While data center developments can drive economic growth, these projects consume tremendous amounts of energy and water. In addition to rising utility bills, communities throughout the commonwealth have expressed concerns over zoning policies, detrimental environmental impacts such as air pollution and noise pollution, as well as the loss of productive farmland and rural land.

• House Bill 2150, sponsored by Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-Lackawanna, passed 133-68. This bill boosts transparency by establishing annual energy and water reporting requirements for data center facilities. It also requires the state Department of Environmental Protection and Public Utility Commission to jointly issue an annual report on the impacts of data center water and energy use.

“I stand with the residents of my district in their outrage over the lack of transparency with data center development,” Mullins said. “If data centers are approved anywhere, locally or across the state, we must demand complete and total openness regarding the resources that they propose to utilize.”

• House Bill 2151, sponsored by Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-Lackawanna, passed 124–77. The bill requires the bipartisan, bicameral Local Government Commission to develop an optional model ordinance, which municipalities could use to regulate data centers. He said these resources can be critical for municipalities that lack the time or financial ability to craft an ordinance from scratch.

“Many communities throughout the Commonwealth currently lack consistent guidelines to manage issues like noise, facility size, water consumption, and other effects data centers may have on nearby neighborhoods,” Donahue said. “House Bill 2151 would offer municipalities an optional framework to help ensure data centers are placed and operated responsibly while safeguarding residents’ quality of life. As data center development expands rapidly across the state, their impact on surrounding communities is significant and that growth should not come at the expense of the people who live, work and go to school nearby.”

Both bills were originally referred to the House Energy Committee, chaired by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia.

Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township, said HB 2150 and 2151 are two bills that help address the fastest-growing business segment not only in Pennsylvania but in Northeast Pennsylvania as well.

“HB 2150 addresses concerns about the use of water and energy usage by Date Centers,” Haddock said. “It requires annual reports be filed with the Department of Environmental Protection and the PUC from Data Centers. Data Centers today only project how much water and energy they may need, this bill makes them report on actual amounts they have used. These reports will be invaluable to have as tool to monitor if the industry is being transparent. The statistics will then be able to use for comparison for any future data centers that may apply to be built.”

Haddock said this bill in no way guarantees that a data center can be approved for construction — that approval remains in the local zoning control.

Haddock said HB 2150 requires the bicameral Local Government Commission to develop an optional model ordinance that a municipality could use as a reference tool. He said this model ordinance would give several examples for a local government to review to make a new ordinance or use to enhance their local ordinance.

“Let me be clear, this is not a requirement to use; it only makes available for free a reference tool that local government can look at to create a stronger ordinance to help protect the municipality in zoning matters,” Haddock said.

AG warns of cash scams

Attorney General Dave Sunday is alerting Pennsylvanians to a new twist on a cash scam — where criminals demand immediate payment to resolve a fake emergency, such as an unpaid fine or a family member in trouble.

The Office of Attorney General received two separate reports of scammers collecting cash from their victims, in person, through an intermediary.

In two recent Pennsylvania cases, victims were told they would need to provide cash to someone, in person, to resolve an issue (which was a lie). Those victims collectively paid over $30,000.

“Cash is a scammers’ dream — it is virtually untraceable and essentially allows the scammer to vanish with the victim’s hard-earned money,” Sunday said. “You should never — never — pay cash to someone you do not know. Be aware that scammers want their targets to feel pressure or a need to act immediately; if you are contacted with a demand for payment, hang up the phone, close the door, or simply do not text or email back.”

In the two recent cash scams in Pennsylvania:

The Office of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is offering the following tips to help you keep yourself safe from potential scams:

• Never click on links that you did not request to be sent to you.

• Don’t answer unexpected calls or texts, especially from unknown numbers.

• Don’t click on computer pop-ups.

• Slow down —scammers want to rush you, so stop and check it out. Before you take any action, talk with someone you trust. If the caller is insisting you remain on the line and not to discuss this with anyone else, it is a scam, and you should hang up immediately.

• Never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message. Only scammers will ask for cash for services that you otherwise would be able to pay for with a credit or debit card.

• Never share sensitive information like your bank account information, Social Security Number, passwords, pins, or other personal information. If someone is asking for this information, it could be a scam.

• If someone claims to be from a business or government agency, check online for the number to contact that business or agency and contact them directly with any questions or concerns. Legitimate callers will often leave a voicemail message for you to return their call. Scammers often will not leave a message.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on X @TLBillOBoyle.