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Opinion- Pennsylvania Should Protect Its Remaining State Lands From Drilling
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By Bob Pennell, Secretary, PA Council Trout Unlimited
When Gov. Tom Corbett presents his state budget in February, it is imperative that he doesn’t sacrifice Pennsylvania’s remaining state forest lands to oil and gas companies for drilling. To do so would be short-sighted.
As the state looks for new revenue sources, Pennsylvanians should be reminded that the state receives significant income from recreational use of its natural resources. In fact, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than $4.3 billion in revenue is generated in Pennsylvania each year from fishing, hunting and wildlife-related recreation — and state forests and parks serve as the cornerstone for these activities. The ripple effect of this recreational use flows into local communities where small businesses serve tourists, sportsmen and other visitors.
More than 700,000 acres, almost half of Pennsylvania’s state forest lands, have been leased for oil and gas drilling. The administration might view additional leasing as a potential opportunity to increase state revenue, but that decision is shortsighted. Once drilled, these lands will be altered for decades to come. And when these forest areas are altered, it will be decades before they grow back to the size and scale they are today.
Last week, Gov. Corbett fired Kurt Leitholf, who was head of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Citizens’ Advisory Committee, an independent monitor of state forest lands. The independent oversight has been removed and that role will now be shifted to the Corbett administration. In addition, the governor has cut funding to study the effects of Marcellus Shale development on wildlife.
These decisions don’t bode well for the future of state forests and natural resources and could indicate that Gov. Corbett is ready to open the door to wholesale leasing of Pennsylvania’s remaining state forest lands. Hunters have seen the effects of Marcellus Shale development this year — industrial truck traffic now bisects long-held hunting areas and habitat has changed. It’s not at all uncommon for sportsmen to encounter drilling rigs in the middle of hunting lands.
Pennsylvanians have a rich heritage of hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor traditions on state forest and state park lands. Passed down from generation to generation, these sporting traditions have become part of the commonwealth’s cultural and social fabric.
A 2010 DCNR study found that leasing additional state forest lands would significantly affect the wild character and ecological integrity of the state’s forest system. Then-Gov. Rendell had issued an executive order placing a ban on additional leasing of state forest lands based on the agency’s report. The science has not changed.
As more of the state’s lands are drilled, the state must increase its planning and oversight of the industry, particularly on public lands. Decisions about how to best manage the state’s forests should not be subject to the ebb and flow of the political tide.
As our state constitution declares, Pennsylvania’s natural resources are the common property of all the people, including future generations. It is up to the governor and his administration, as trustee of these resources, to conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.
As Marcellus Shale development continues in earnest, there are places that should be off-limits to drilling — special places where Pennsylvanians hunt and fish, irreplaceable backwoods and wilderness areas. These public lands are held in trust by the state for the people and they must be protected as wild to preserve long-held traditions for generations to come.
Bob Pennell serves as Secretary of the PA Council of Trout Unlimited and can be contacted by sending email to: rpennell37@comcast.net. |
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1/30/2012 |
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