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A bill (S-2618) ready for a Senate vote would establish financial incentives for federal employees to make cost-saving suggestions, as well as to reward agencies to carry those out, according to a report on the bill.

Under the bill, an employee can identify unnecessary surplus salary and expenses and refer them to the inspector general of the agency or other agency employees designated to undertake such reviews, as well as the Chief Financial Officer of the agency for review. If the review finds that spending the funds is not “necessary for their intended purpose,” the agency could keep 10 percent of the savings achieved—while returning the rest to the Treasury—money it could use for its own purposes including monetary awards to the employees or groups of employees who made the suggestions.

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Among other advantages, it said, the measure would put a damper on unnecessary “use it or lose it” spending near the end of a fiscal year—an issue that has been before the committee, or its predecessors, for decades.

Publication of the report by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on the bill, which cleared the committee months ago, clears the way for consideration by the full Senate.

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I want to go outside the shelter realm this week and talk about a creature that we would all like to see reproduce in abundance – not something you would normally hear me say in this column!

It’s almost time for the monarch butterflies to start laying their eggs along the edges of many roads in the rural parts of South Jersey and much of North America. The monarch population is in a spiraling decline and actually below the threshold for possible extinction. These beautiful butterflies spend the colder months in Mexico and this past winter’s count showed a 53 percent decline, a devastating failure in an already compromised population.

One of the biggest issues for these insects is, as is the case for so many wild creatures, the loss of habitat. The female monarch butterfly lays its eggs solely on milkweed plants. They will do this in the months of July and August in our area. In our climate zone, they can mate as many as seven times in this two-month period. The eggs take anywhere from three to 15 days to hatch into larvae. The larvae feed on the milkweed for a couple of weeks then attach themselves to a twig, form a chrysalis and in another two weeks, viola! A gorgeous creature emerges! The adults live from two to six weeks and become the next cog in the wheel of their life and migration cycle.

More: Animal shelter welcomes some interesting arrivals

More: You can make a difference in your own backyard

So, why you may wonder, am I talking to you about butterflies instead of pets? I believe that most of you who follow this column are nature lovers in general. As such, it’s important to us to be advocates of all living creatures and in the case of the peril of the monarch butterfly, there’s actually something easy to do that will help their cause … DON’T MOW THE MILKWEED DOWN!!!

The roads near my house boarder many a farm field, one directly across the street. The milkweed is growing nicely right now and is ripe for the butterflies’ convergence. Last year’s crop was teeming with all sorts of them; flitting images of all colors foraging for food among the milkweed and wildflowers bordering the field.

Imagine my distress when I came home one day in the middle of July to find that the township had mowed down the entire habitat from one end of the road to the other. Aside from the tremendous waste of tax dollars mowing a road that is dominated by farm fields and with only 10 residences, many with naturalized property lines; I was sick thinking about how this is undoubtedly being played out over and over along the edges of thousands upon thousands of miles of highways and bi-ways all across the country.

The patch of habitat close to me is only about a mile long and 10 feet deep. It doesn’t seem like much in the scheme of things, but if I can stop that area from being mowed it’s well worth the effort. A single female monarch lays anywhere from 300 to 500 eggs during July and August, so whatever my little mile long patch can produce, it’s a step in the right direction for the population of these beautiful creatures. 

There’s a plethora of information on monarchs and their habitats on the internet as well pictures that will help you identify different types of milkweed. Many garden centers sell some of the decorative milkweeds that make great, colorful additions to your own gardens. Aside from protecting any habitat in your control, take a few minutes to send an email to your county freeholders and municipal leaders on the subject; they’re always looking for ways to save money; this is an easy one!

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Chris Hawk speaks about adopting a dog or cat from the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter in Vineland on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

The Daily Journal

Shelter Needs: Canned Cat Food (pate’ style), Purina Cat Kitten Chow, Canned Chicken, Hand Soap Sanitizer, Paper Towels, Lint Rollers, Gift Cards from Grocery Pet Supply Outlets.

DOGS OF THE WEEK

Lady Madonna is our sunny little golden girl. She is sweet, smart sassy and fun! Her idea of a great day is playing a nice game of fetch then lounging in the sun taking a nap. If this sounds like your idea of a fun day, then Lady Madonna is your girl!

Trina is a lovely, 6-year-old boxer mix. She is friendly, well-mannered and eager to please. Trina is a sweet, affectionate pup with loads of love to give.

Chloe is a 31/2-year old female mixed breed that is waiting and hoping for a loving forever home.

Hi! I’m FLASH! I’m a sweet and loving 2-year-old mixed breed and I’m looking for someone to teach me a little impulse control, or how to put my super speedy brain and quick reflexes to good work. I’m smart and learn VERY quickly, and I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to have something to DO to help me stay entertained! I am super friendly and super fun!

Jessie is a 10-year-old pit mix who is waiting and hoping for a loving forever home.

Pierre is a handsome, 9-month-old lab and Great Dane mix. He is a nice guy with loads of life to give.

Pixel is a 6-year-old female mixed breed. She may be your perfect match!

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The sad lack of emergency savings is a well-known and often-lamented condition for a huge number of people. And it’s never been more apparent—or more dangerous—than in our coronavirus-induced economic downturn.

According to a 2019 study by the Federal Reserve, roughly four in 10 Americans wouldn’t be able to come up with $400 in a financial emergency.

Part…

America’s national parks are time capsules of sorts; set aside generations ago, these incredible lands allow us to walk the same paths and see the same sights as those who came before us. Just as important, they are a marker of our priorities – a physical representation of a core human responsibility: passing on a better world to our children.

Unfortunately, we’ve been neglecting this obligation for decades. Our national parks are quite literally being loved to death – after decades of widespread use and insufficient investments, these American treasures face a $12 billion maintenance backlog. Roads are crumbling, facilities are wearing out, and important projects are being postponed indefinitely. We haven’t done enough, and our inaction is a threat to the future of “ America’s best idea.”

That changes now. Last week, the Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a bipartisan bill that makes massive changes to protect and preserve our national parks for future generations. It’s no exaggeration to say that this bill is one of the most important works of conservation of the last half century – and its benefits will be felt for years to come.

Included as part of the legislation is the Restore Our Parks Act – a bipartisan proposal I first introduced with Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Mark Warner, D-Virginia, and Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, in 2018. Our bill takes existing funds the government receives from energy development on federal lands and uses them in paying down this maintenance backlog. It’s simple symmetry – the money comes from use of the land, so it’s only right to put it right back into protecting these lands for the future.

When I was growing up, showers always seemed to be going cold – usually just as you were putting shampoo in your hair.

These days, water heaters are a lot more sophisticated and nobody has to worry about leaving the immersion on, thanks to thermostats and mobile-enabled heating apps, while many homes have switched to electric showers. All of which makes it easier to take long and lovely hot showers – but it comes at an environmental cost. 

Showers use an average of 10 litres of water per minute. Most of us spend roughly between 7-10 minutes in the shower, so that adds up to more than 70 litres – less than a bath might use, but still an awful lot. And certainly a lot more than some people in less privileged parts of the world might use – even in a day.

In this country, we have a strange and often conflicted relationship with water – from the debates over water charges to our long-standing obsession with rainfall – and we seem to treat it like there is a never-ending supply.

We have just had one of the driest few months on record – exacerbated by more people at home using water – and are now heading into a phase of drought and shortages.

Consider the journey that the water in your shower has taken before arriving to your tap – from being collected in a reservoir, treated in a water plant to make it potable, then pumped all the way to your home.

In the Netherlands, which has a population of about 17 million, it has been estimated that an average reduction of one minute per shower would save 31.25 million cubic metres of water. That translates as one person saving roughly over 1,800 litres a year – or 1.5 per cent of an average Irish person’s yearly water usage – just by getting out of the shower a bit faster.  

When it comes to showers and their environmental impact, you also have to consider the energy used for heating water.

One study found that people generally underestimate the energy needed to heat up water for a shower – which can account for up to 25 per cent of household’s entire energy use. It’s also worth remembering that cranking up the temperature while you’re in the shower increases the energy costs. (As a side note, some dermatologists advise that shorter, cooler showers are also better for your skin.)

In addition to cutting down on the time you spend in the shower, there’s other simple ways to reduce water usage at home: make sure to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, always run full loads on your dishwasher and washing machine, or keep a jug of water in the fridge to avoid running the tap to get a cool glass. (You’ll get plenty of other ideas at water.ie/conserve.)

This precious natural resource needs to be looked after, particularly when you consider that 2.1 billion people globally do not even have access to clean, safe drinking water.

@SorchaHamilton

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Reference #18.d2be8ac.1592607413.52c44265

By: Chris Harlan

Thursday, June 18, 2020 | 6:25 PM

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The longstanding WPIAL playoff tradition that drew football and basketball coaches to a crowded hotel conference room is ending.

The WPIAL board voted Thursday to eliminate pairings meetings in a money-saving move meant to reduce the league’s 2020-21 budget. Concerned that covid-19 could cause the WPIAL financial pain, the board unanimously approved a $1.69 million budget that’s about $90,000 less than last year’s.

“We had to look at ways that we could cut costs and that’s one thing that stuck out,” WPIAL associate executive director Amy Scheuneman said. “Is this necessary, as far as a cost-and-benefit analysis? That’s one of the things the budget committee recommended.”

The WPIAL instead will reveal the brackets online.

Postseason ticket sales account for the vast majority of the WPIAL’s income, but there’s concern that covid-19 could impact the fall sports seasons. The WPIAL budget predicts more than $1.3 million in ticket sales next school year, including $325,000 for football playoffs and $171,000 for soccer.

Basketball is budgeted for $389,163 in ticket sales.

Those estimates are lower than usual, Scheuneman said.

“We took into consideration that there will be less people (in the stands),” she said, “which is why we had to cut costs as well, so we have a balanced budget in the end.”

The WPIAL budget committee considered four different options for establishing next year’s budget.

A status quo option included projected income as if the WPIAL held full postseason tournaments as usual. One dire option calculated no tournament income. One predicted income with only a few fans, and a fourth option considered 50% attendance.

The committee moved forward with the status quo budget.

“We’re optimistic,” Scheuneman said. “We all want sports. We all want tournaments. We’re going to do everything we can to have them.”

The WPIAL started trimming its budget even before the covid-19 pandemic. The league’s income rose in 2006-07 to $1.9 million, but that total has declined in the years since.

The 2019-20 budget was $1,782,600.

The WPIAL also reduced staff expenses by not immediately hiring a replacement office manager.

Member schools pay a very small percentage of the WPIAL budget. Next year’s dues total $43,200.

The WPIAL estimated it lost nearly $150,000 in would-be ticket sales when spring sports were canceled. Fortunately, of the three seasons, spring is the least lucrative.

Missing fall sports would be more financially painful, Scheuneman said, but the WPIAL could handle it.

A year without sports might be a different story.

“Financially, at this moment, yes, I think we’d make it through the fall,” she said. “An entire year is going to be very difficult. … We have money in the bank to carry us through if we have bad years, but if that happened, what does that look like for the future?”

The WPIAL board resumed in-person meetings Thursday.

Rather than use the WPIAL office in Green Tree, the meeting was moved to the Chartiers Valley administration building, which had more room for distancing.

‘Diversity Council’ considered

The WPIAL will consider creating a Diversity Advisory Council to give additional attention to concerns facing minority communities. The board unanimously supported the proposal during discussions Thursday and voted to explore the idea at a workshop session in July.

Council members would not be voting members of the board.

Football decisions on hold

The WPIAL board briefly discussed the upcoming football playoffs but took no action and referred the issue to the football steering committee for recommendations.

The PIAA finalized state tournament brackets Monday, a prerequisite for the WPIAL to determine the number of playoff qualifiers from each classification.

The WPIAL also hasn’t released championship sites for the football finals.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter .