Phone zap continues Thursday, Jan 22, 2026!
Make a quick phone call to Governor Josh Shapiro to protect nearly 100 acres of irreplaceable natural land in FDR Park.

In September 2024, the City of Philadelphia applied to the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection for a permit allowing it to destroy most of the remaining Meadows. But what the city is telling the DEP contradicts the FDR Park Plan published by the city’s partner, the Fairmount Park Conservancy.

The most obvious contradiction: The city’s application claims that large areas will become “border meadows” — right where the Park Plan shows seven artificial turf fields. 

So what’s the real plan? Here’s a clue: In the city’s application, some trees are marked as protected. But not in the footprints of the turf fields shown in the park plan. In those footprints, every tree is to be destroyed. Young trees, mature trees, heritage trees. All of them.

This contradiction is the main reason the city’s application has been in limbo. But the DEP could make its decision any day now — and the DEP is part of Governor Shapiro’s administration.

The next few days are critical — your phone calls can stop this permit!

What to do:

If you’re a Pennsylvania resident, we’re asking you to call Governor Josh Shapiro’s office at 717-787-2500 between 10am and 4pm.
Alternatively — or if you can’t get through their phone queue — you can text 717-788-8990, or use this online form.

Suggested message:

Hello, my name is and I live in [city]. 

I’m calling to ask the Governor to stop a deceptive permit application from being approved. The City of Philadelphia is asking the Pennsylvania D.E.P. for a Chapter 105 permit to bulldoze 80 to 90 more acres of natural land in FDR Park. 

The City’s application claims it will create border meadows, but the published park plan shows artificial turf fields in those exact areas.

We’ve already lost 75 acres of tree canopy and meadowland in FDR Park. It’s a violation of Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment.

I urge Governor Shapiro to oppose this needless environmental destruction and ensure this permit is denied.

You’ll probably just be leaving a message, but in case they ask, the DEP file number is E5101224-007.

If you get any meaningful response, please tell us what they said.

If you live in Pa. Senator Nikil Saval’s district, can you make a second call? Here’s how to call him with a similar message. Thank you!

Background:

This is Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment, which every part of city and state government is bound to uphold:

Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Article I, Section 27

The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.

For more on how the City’s misleading application violates the Environmental Rights Amendment and Pa. Code Chapter 105), see these comments sent to the DEP. 

This annotated construction drawing shows that protected trees are only outside the footprint of the turf fields — and generally shows the city’s inaccurate representation of the tree population to be destroyed.

And here are the facts on how artificial turf endangers us, our children, and the environment.