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News You Can Use

March 28, 2008

Reminder - e-Services Center Available to Help with State Taxes 

The deadline for filing income taxes is quickly approaching.  If you haven't already filed your Pennsylvania taxes, begin your tax preparations with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue e-Services Center.  Catch up now on changes affecting payment of your 2007 state taxes due on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. 

Log onto the same website to file your return and make payment, if one is due.  Access information and forms through the e-Services Center.  Forms are also available by calling 1-888-PATAXES (1-888-728-2937). 

Energy Trade Mission to South Africa Offers Opportunities for PA Businesses 

Ten Pennsylvania companies have the chance to create new business opportunities in South Africa and build market share in one of Africa's largest and fastest growing economies.  

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is recruiting businesses for a special energy trade mission to South Africa.  DCED is looking for interested suppliers of power generation, transmission, and distribution equipment.  Specifically, Pennsylvania's trade representative in Johannesburg has indentified the main areas of interest to include:  fossil, nuclear, and specialty coal-power companies; electrical transmission and distribution equipment; alternative energies including biofuels; energy conservation equipment; natural gas generation; and supply technologies.   

The trip is scheduled to take place Monday, June 23 through Friday, June, 27, 2008.  Each participant will receive a customized itinerary of meetings with prospective buyers, representatives and government officials in Johannesburg; Mpumalanga; Kwa-Zulu Natal; and Durban, South Africa's second largest city.   

Participation is limited to 10 companies and the fee is $500 (participants are responsible for travel and lodging costs).  DCED is offering financial assistance to help offset the cost for qualifying companies.  The application deadline is Friday, May 16.  Further information is available from Peter O'Neill at DCED's Center for Trade Development via email at peoneill@state.pa.us or by calling (717) 214-5453. 

For more information on Pennsylvania's role in international business, visit DCED's website. 

Elk Wildlife Workshop for Teachers 

If you are a teacher or scout/youth group leader, you may be interested in an upcoming Game Commission wildlife education workshop.  It is free of charge and is Act 48 approved for educators. 

The featured workshop, WILD about Elk, is offered on Thursday, April 10.  This workshop gives educators a first-hand look at Pennsylvania's thriving elk herd of roughly 700 that roam a portion of north central Pennsylvania.  To register, contact Janet Berry Enos of the Lehigh Valley Zoo, by calling (610) 799-4171 (ext. 238) or by emailing her at jberry-enos@lvzoon.org.  To learn more about the PA elk population visit this website.

The program, a part of the series of Advanced WILD and PA Songbird workshops, will be held at the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area along Hope Road, two miles south of Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County.   

Volunteer Forest Firefighters Grants 

Local firefighting forces in Pennsylvania's forested, undeveloped and unprotected rural communities may be eligible for funding from the USDA Forest Service.  The funding is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).   

A record $559,211 is available for grants not to exceed $7,500 for items such as mobile radios, installation of dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation, wildfire fighter training, or conversion and maintenance of federal excess vehicles received from the bureau and used for fire suppression.  Priority will be given to those applicants seeking funds for projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing.   

Grants are awarded on a cost-share basis and cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.  Approved items must be purchased between October 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008.  Grant applications must be submitted to the Harrisburg headquarters of DCNR's Bureau of Forestry by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2008.  For further information, contact Forest Program Specialist, Charles C. Choplick at (717) 787-2925, cchoplick@state.pa.us or click here.    

New Driver's License Center Opens in the Lehigh Valley 

The town of Easton welcomed the addition of a new driver's license center on March 18, 2008.  Due to population growth in the region, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) felt the new center was necessary to supplement the existing Lehigh Valley Driver License Center to ensure better service to area residents following a thirty-five percent increase in transactions over the past five years at the existing center.   

The Easton center will offer commercial and non-commercial knowledge testing; photo services for a driver's license or ID cards; and out-of-state driver's license/ID card transfer.  Non-commercial skills testing will also be available beginning April 1.  Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. 

For those needing to visit a driver's license center, the following listing includes PennDOT's 2008 holiday closings scheduled through the end of the year: 

• May 24 & 26, 2008 - Memorial Day
• July 4, 2008 - Independence Day
• August 30, 2008 & September 1, 2008 - Labor Day
• October 11 & 13, 2008 - Columbus Day
• November 11, 2008 - Veterans Day
• November 27, 2008 - Thanksgiving Day
• November 28, 2008 - Day after Thanksgiving
• December 25, 2008 - Christmas Day
• January 1, 2009 - New Year's Day

Note the closings on your calendar or download and print a copy of the 2008 schedule for future reference.     

For your convenience, a host of online services may help you avoid that trip to a Licensing Center .  PennDOT also has a Customer Call Center to answer any questions at 1-800-932-4600. 

2008 Debut of Peregrine Falcons 

For the eighth consecutive year, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will provide an up-close look at Peregrine falcons nesting atop the Rachel Carson State Office Building.  The tradition continues, before a worldwide audience, as the story of the current nesting pair returns to the ledge of the 15^th floor for their fourth season together, beginning the life cycle of the next brood. 

Peregrine falcons are an endangered species in Pennsylvania, making the nest at the Rachel Carson State Office Building even more extraordinary.  So far, the nest has directly contributed to repopulating the Peregrine population in Pennsylvania, producing 34 eggs, with 19 surviving, since the 1990's.  On March 22, 2008, the current female falcon laid the first egg of the 2008 season.  The eggs should begin to hatch around Mother's Day, May 11 and first flights should occur around Father's Day, June 15. 

Two cameras will chronicle the falcons round-the-clock while streaming the footage live via the Web.  Live video feed along with information on the falcon's history, including daily updates and facts is available on DEP's website.

Also, see the PA Game Commission (PGC) profile on the peregrine falcon online.