State proposes lifting drilling ban in our forests

To the shock of PennEnvironment and concerned citizens across the Commonwealth, this fall, state officials announced their proposal to lift the five-year ban on oil and natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania’s 2.1 million acres of state forests.

Pennsylvania’s state forests are critical for healthy rivers and streams, safe drinking water, undisturbed wildlife habitat for the state’s native species, and recreational opportunities for millions of Pennsylvanians and Americans.

Unfortunately, proposals have been introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that would give oil and gas companies unfettered access to the Commonwealth’s state forests for drilling.

“Pennsylvania’s state forests are some of our most important wild places, and the state’s residents would be shocked to find out that state officials are making it easier for polluting, extractive practices to take place on public park and forestlands,” said PennEnvironment Director David Masur.

At the same time, under intense pressure from oil and gas companies and their allies in the Pennsylvania Legislature, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has simultaneously proposed lifting the five-year ban on shallow drilling in Pennsylvania’s state forests. In response to this action, PennEnvironment mobilized our e-activist network during a statewide public comment period to garner support to uphold the moritorium on drilling in state forests and parks.

Drilling reaches record levels

Unfortunately, many of Pennsylvania’s public lands and wild places have already been lost to extractive and degrading industries. Oil and gas drilling is currently at record levels throughout much of the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania’s landscape is scarred by more than 45,000 active gas wells and over 16,000 active oil wells, as well as more than 100,000 abandoned and inactive wells. In the Commonwealth’s only national forest, the Allegheny National Forest, more than 10,000 wells already exist.

“Our state forests belong to the public trust; we shouldn’t allow tham to be destroyed for short-term private gain,” said Masur. “The remaining tracts of public lands that aren’t already accessible to the timber, mining and gas companies must be protected.”

DCNR implemented a ban on natural gas drilling in state forests in 2003, in response to a 2002 proposal by the agency to open nearly 25 percent of Pennsylvania’s state forests to deep-well drilling.

The statewide vocal outcry from concerned Pennsylvanians, elected officials and the media convinced DCNR to halt this proposal.

Soon afterward, DCNR implemented the current ban on shallow natural gas drilling, arguing that shallow drilling posed a greater environmental threat to our state forests than deep-well drilling.