In October 2010, after a bill imposing a moratorium on gas drilling in the state forests passed the then Democratic-controlled Pennsylvania House of Representatives but died without a vote in the Republican State Senate, Governor Rendell issued a moratorium on leasing further state forest acres for gas drilling.
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/state-officials-to-tap-state-forest-drilling-royalties-for-revenue-1.1450154?localLinksEnabled=false.
Just prior to the November 2010 election, Tom Corbett promised to rescind immediately Rendell's executive order imposing a moratorium on state forest gas drilling. That's a promise I am glad that Corbett so far has broken. Why?
Professional biologists and scientists stated further drilling in the state forests would endanger the sustainable forestry certification that the state forests have and would take place in especially ecologically precious and sensitive parts of the forest. Importantly, the loss of certification for the forest would cost thousands of timber jobs that rely on the certification of the timber in markets. Those are the reasons why Governor Rendell issued the 2010 executive order imposing a moratorium on leasing further state forest acres for gas drilling and remain the reasons why the moratorium must continue.
In the linked to piece, Secretary Allan of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says that no plans exist to rescind the Rendell executive order imposing the gas drilling moratorium. And so it the moratorium continues for another year.
Sadly, the forest is seen by some as a cash crop-literally. I'd like to believe we have an obligation to preserve some of our forest for just that...forest. I can't help but react every time I pass a "Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful"..they need to rethink the location of these signs...What is the value of a view? What price to walk in the deep woods and smell Penn's Woods? Priceless....
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