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Department of Conservation and Natural Resources close to officially adopting proposed management plan
By KYLE MILLIRON
Era Reporter
Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is close to officially adopting its proposed management plan now that it has chewed on and responded to public comments.
In October and September of 2007, DCNR held nine public meetings throughout the 2.1 million acres of state forest land to solicit the public opinion towards the Department of Forestry’s proposed update to the management plan. From Carlisle to Coudersport, stake holders in state forest activities funneled into schools and convention centers to voice their opinions on Pennsylvania’s state forest land.
The result was a spectrum of opinion that reflected each stake holder’s view of the forest’s use, environmental sanctuary or economic powerhouse.
“We recognize that some of the issues are very volatile,” said Christina Novak, press secretary for DCNR. “But, we have to look at our mission to sustainably manage the forest for future generations.”
Novak is referring to issues such as oil and gas leasing and recreational activities.
Possibly the most “volatile” debate about state forest use is oil and gas well drilling. Environmentalists, in last year’s public comment period, unleashed arguments that spoke of forest fragmentation and surface destruction, while oil companies and producers highlighted the economic benefits of increased exploration.
Attempting to straddle the fence, DCNR focused gas leasing on medium and deep well exploration. By doing this, Novak said that surface impact can be minimized and profits can still be realized. According to a DCNR Oil and Gas Position Statement dated April 1, 2008, shallow gas wells generally only require 40 acres of spacing, but medium and deep gas well spacing is between 180 and 640 acres.
Focusing on medium and deep gas wells allows DCNR to continue reaping annual revenues from state forest leases. In 2007 leases on state forest land generated $4.3 million in revenue, according to the Position Statement.
“We put lease revenues into an Oil and Gas Lease Fund,” Novak said. “We use these funds on conservation and recreation activities.”
One of the uses for the Lease Fund is to purchase mineral rights below state forest land that DCNR does not own. DCNR owns approximately 85 percent of the subsurface of the forest. On the remaining 15 percent, it has limited authority to regulate oil and gas wells, so by purchasing the mineral rights with money from the Lease Fund, DCNR obtains greater authority to regulate the surface impact.
DCNR did lift its ban on shallow gas wells, but Novak said this is only on a case-by-case basis. The ban prevented any and all shallow gas wells on state forest land. By lifting the ban, DCNR officials have OK’d shallow wells in areas where gas is found while drilling deeper wells or where areas already have surface impact from activities like strip mining.
DCNR also received an array of opinions regarding alternative energy uses on forest land, including wind generators and carbon sequestration sites.
On the “pro” side of wind turbines is the fact that it is an environmentally clean energy source; it’s renewable; and the amount of surface that would be impacted is minimal. Opponents of “wind farms” argue it would fragment the forest and interrupt the environment for many wildlife species; it would be aesthetically displeasing; and would not produce a positive cost to benefit ratio.
Carbon sequestration, which Novak said is only being discussed at this point, is the process of piping carbon dioxide — the main gas responsible for global warming — into underground rock formations that capture it below the Earth’s surface. Environmentalists herald carbon sequestration as a legitimate means to reduce global warming.
DCNR is analyzing the viability of sequestration on forest land, but officials said no plans have been formulated.
Among other topics to which DCNR responded include: motorized versus non-motorized recreational use, deer management practices, the use of herbicides to prevent invasive species from spreading and increased planning and recreation programming.
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