Keeping with his pledge to pursue solutions for the oil and gas
drilling lull on the Allegheny National Forest, U.S. Rep. Glenn
Thompson, R-Pa., met Friday with Secretary of Agriculture Tom
Vilsack, who, the congressman said, made a commitment to keep the
forest issue high on his priority list.
Since the U.S. Forest Service Eastern headquarters in Milwaukee,
Wis., has taken over the responsibility of issuing Notices to
Proceed, the documents that allow producers to start developing on
forest land, not a single approval has been given for producers
looking to develop mineral rights on the Allegheny.
Thompson has decided to investigate the issue to discover why
drillers have not been allowed to access their mineral rights.
Thompson said more than 30 oil and industry-related companies have
contacted his office to explain that the Forest Service is
illegally preventing them from accessing what is rightfully theirs.
According to state law, the mineral rights in a split estate is the
dominant estate. Approximately 93 percent of the mineral rights
underneath the forest are owned privately.
Earlier this month, Thompson met with Eastern Regional Forester
Kent Connaughton, who told the congressman that approvals are being
held up due to issues with four lawsuits against the Forest
Service.
The lawsuits come from both sides of the argument.
Environmentalists have sued the Forest Service, claiming it has not
done enough to regulate oil and gas development on public property.
Oil industry representatives have sued the Forest Service, arguing
it has gone above its authority in telling private property owners
how and when they can access their minerals.
All the suits against the Forest Service boil down to its
authority to regulate wells on the forest.
Thompson said that since he has taken office in January, the oil
and gas dispute on the Pennsylvania’s only national forest has been
his top priority.
Thompson feels that denying producers access to their mineral
rights is not only contrary to the reasons why the forest was
established, but also takes a toll on the regional economy, which
benefits from oil and gas development, Thompson said.
“I took this opportunity with Secretary Vilsack to reinforce
that this new policy is a significant change from the more than
80-year relationship (producers have had) with the Forest Service,”
Thompson said of his meeting with Vilsack.
The Forest Service is in the process of creating a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement, which is supposed to specifically
outline the Forest Service’s authority to regulate oil and gas
developments.
Thompson’s meeting with the secretary was aimed at continuing
the relationship the Forest Service has with private producers, he
said.
Beyond agreeing to follow the issue on the Allegheny closely,
Vilsack released relatively little information on when the
Milwaukee headquarters would be issuing its first Notice to
Proceed, Thompson said.
The congressman said the chairman of the House Agriculture
Committee – of which Thompson is a member – has asked to be kept
informed of the situation. Thompson said he will next brief the
chairman on what he has discovered.
“This was just Friday,” Thompson said of his meeting with the
secretary. “We have to give the secretary time to do whatever
research he needs.”
