Holiday Hike! Loyalsock State Forest Devil’s Elbow Natural Area Sand Spring Trail When: December 29, 2012 Time: 1100 Where: Meet at the trailhead parking lot at 1100 Please carpool with a friend or two! This is an easy 2.96 mile loop. Come explore and learn about our “Special Places” Email: keepitwild@sosinpa.org for directions & information

"Salamanders among species facing greatest threats from Northeast drilling"

Salamanders among species facing greatest threats from Northeast drilling -- report E&E News, Energy Wire Gayathri Vaidyanathan Dec 18 Salamanders do not have lungs or gills, and breathe through their skin; thus, they are particularly vulnerable to water quality and acidity in the woodland streams of Pennsylvania and New York. Together with salamanders, 14 other species of animals and plants in the Marcellus and Utica shales are especially at risk from shale gas development, according to a report published in the journal Environmental Practice. Of the 15 species, four -- the Cheat Mountain salamander and West Virginia spring salamander, along with the plants shale-barrens pimpernel and northern blue monkshood -- are on federal or state endangered species lists. In hydraulic fracturing, companies blast millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand at shale to release trapped gas. In the process, flowback and produced water come back to the surface and need to be disposed of. Recent studies have suggested that streams in the Marcellus Shale have become more saline due to oil and gas-related activities (EnergyWire, Nov. 7). The increased salinity can pose a threat to salamanders, which are sensitive to water quality, according to the report. Of the many species that reside in regions that overlap with potential shale gas development, the West Virginia spring salamander is of special concern, said Erik Kiviat, executive director of the nonprofit research group Hudsonia and co-author of the study. There are about 250 individuals of this species, which is on the federal endangered species list. The reptiles live in the General Davies Cave and depend on the water quality of a nearby stream. The species is vulnerable to extinction because it occupies such a small geographic range, Kiviat said. The report focuses on shale gas in combination with threats from coal mining, urbanization, logging and other developments. The effect of shale gas extraction in the Northeast on biodiversity has been relatively unstudied. Few studies that establish baselines of biodiversity exist. In other states, such as North Dakota, where energy extraction has been happening for a few years, scientists are beginning to set up some baselines for charismatic species such as mule deer. Even so, animals often get lost amid the larger concerns over public health impacts (EnergyWire, July 9). "Conservation scientists are very concerned about forest fragmentation because there are many animals and plants that require relatively large areas of contiguous forests," Kiviat said. "And if something happens such as clearcutting or clearing of the forest for energy development or agriculture or something else, it can fragment a forest in a way that it can make it unsuitable for some of these species." Designing management programs to protect some of these species can be challenging, since they have not been well studied, according to the report. And fracking may be beneficial for a few species, such as the Appalachian cottontail rabbit, which is known to colonize clearcut areas and shrub lands. Pipelines and abandoned well pads may be an ideal habitat for the animals. But the study cautions that the benefits to a few species will be at the expense of threats to many other species.

DRILLING IN ROCK RUN? - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

DRILLING IN ROCK RUN? - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

Backpacker Magazine: Hike it Before it's FRACKED!

 

The Old Loggers Path is featured in the November 2012 issue of Backpacker Magazine. The article is excerpted below.

RDA Annual Membership Meeting

What's Scarier Than Ghouls & Goblins?

Anadarko Drilling Near Rock Run!  

Calm your fears: send an email to DCNR Secretary Richard Alan (cyntthomas@pa.gov) asking him to keep Anadarko OUT of the Clarence Moore tract. You can snail-mail him at:

Richard J. Allan, Secretary
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
P.O. Box 8767
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Happy (belated) Halloween from RDA! And thanks to member Mary Howe for carving such a stellar pumpkin.

Frozen Run Gorge- a hidden gem of the Loyalsock

The beauty of the Loyalsock State Forest is not limited to Rock Run or the Old Loggers Path.  A few years ago I ventured into the isolated western edge of the state forest.  It was a searing hot June day as the deep green foliage simmered through the haze.  I drove my car up the long, dirt road on Bodine Mountain where I passed a large drilling operation.  The workers just stared at me as my car crested the mountain.

I headed north along the baked ridge, passing a beautiful view to the south.  I reached a small dirt parking area.  I stopped, but my goal was still far away.  I was determined to explore the lonely, isolated Frozen Run Gorge.

I found a small tributary as it cascaded down a rugged glen with boulders and small waterfalls.  I battled through brush and crouched under hemlocks.  Sweat crept down my skin and drowned my brow.  The water danced down the gradient as I carefully descended the glen.  I found an old logging grade and I reached Frozen Run.

This esoteric stream flowed under towering hardwoods as its clear current parsed the forest.  I first hiked upstream, passing a creek clogged with large boulders separated by crystalline pools.  The clear water fell with gowns of white that glistened in the unrelenting sun.  Frozen Run took a tortured course over ledges and between boulders, creating a place of impressive beauty.

I reversed course and hiked downstream, finding another old woods road.  The creek lept from boulder to boulder.  To my surprise, there was virtually no stinging nettle in the gorge.  The creek became constricted and massive boulders crowned the rim.  I reached Boulder Falls, a place of sublime wonder.

                                                       Boulder Falls, Frozen Run Gorge

The massive white boulders were perched in improbable positions on the crest of the ledge that created the falls.  At the foot of the falls was a large pool.  I've seen many special places, but to see one that few others have experienced made it especially memorable.  The falls are not very high, but its setting is unlike any I've seen in the state forest.

I continued down the creek, as it fell away along a steep gradient of boulders.  I couldn't imagine what it must be like with high water.  The roar down the gorge would be deafening.  I continued my trek and I reached a stunning mini-gorge with waterslides and cascades that swirled into a deep aquamarine pool guarded by red ledges and lime-colored ferns.  I retraced my steps at a private property line.  I was amazed and fulfilled by what I had seen; I remember thinking this gorge should be a state forest natural or wild area.

I have not been back since; I can only hope Frozen Run Gorge has retained its magic.  I've heard there may be drilling in its headwaters.  Regardless, make the effort to visit this secret, hidden wonder.  It isolation and beauty will make you treasure this place we call home.

Speak Up

The Williamsport Sun-Gazette published an article about gas drilling in Rock Run in today's newspaper. 

Since DCNR still won't hold a public meeting about Anadarko's development plans, let's speak up in the comments section. Better yet, write a Letter to the Editor. 

Remember, one that speaks up is louder than 1,000 who remain silent.

Pitcher Plants

The bizarre and beautiful carnivorous pitcher plant grows discreetly in the Clarence Moore tract of the Loyalsock State Forest. Pitcher plants are rare and sensitive. Should Anadarko drilling operations really be allowed near them?

Please tell Governor Corbett to protect the Clarence Moore tract from Anadarko development. Call him at 717-787-2500 or write to him at Governor@pa.gov

Please act today because tomorrow may be too late.

DCNR & Anadarko Finally Acknowledge Plans For Drilling Old Loggers Path

It may be our State Forest, but it took a Philadelphia reporter to get DCNR to finally admit that Loyalsock State Forest’s  Rock Run / Old Loggers Path / Masten Ghost Town areas are slated for gas development – and without public input. 

"DCNR has given us permission to perform preliminary survey studies, which includes staking the area to show where development locations could be and guide our environmental assessment of the area," states Mary B. Wolf, an Anadarko spokeswoman.

Activists push Pa. to restrict drilling in tract

By Andrew Maykuth

Inquirer Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Environmental activists are pressuring the state to restrict Marcellus Shale drilling on 18,780 acres in a popular recreational area of northern Pennsylvania, where they say the state has a rare opportunity to control natural-gas extraction because of a 1933 deed restriction.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is being pressed to put the brakes on gas development in the Loyalsock State Forest, where an exploration company has begun staking out drilling locations near the Old Loggers Path, a 27-mile loop trail that DCNR says "offers stunning vistas and clear, cold, cascading streams."

Six organizations, including Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, say the state has rebuffed their requests to disclose drilling plans for the forest. They received no response from DCNR Secretary Richard J. Allan to a Sept. 7 letter calling on the agency to hold public hearings on the drilling plans.

"There is no precedent for holding a public meeting on a development plan," Chris Novak, the agency's spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. She said that no drilling has been approved for the disputed area in Lycoming and Sullivan Counties.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp., of Woodlands, Texas, which owns or leases the mineral rights under the forest, acknowledged that it had been in discussions with the state over developing the Loyalsock.

"DCNR has given us permission to perform preliminary survey studies, which includes staking the area to show where development locations could be and guide our environmental assessment of the area," Mary B. Wolf, an Anadarko spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

DCNR itself has touted the area, which includes the Rock Run stream, as exceptional. "Few streams in Pennsylvania can match Rock Run's rich tapestry of deep, crystal-clear pools, cascading waterfalls and massive, weathered rock formations," an agency official said in a 2008 DCNR news release.

The environmental groups complain that DCNR's caginess reflects the Corbett administration's favoritism toward development of the Marcellus Shale, which the governor regards as the cornerstone of a rejuvenated Pennsylvania energy industry.

"This is kind of emblematic of the administration's approach to the public," said Richard Martin, coordinator of the Pennsylvania Forest Coalition, which has urged its members to write to DCNR's Allan.

Loyalsock State Forest lies above some of the most productive land in the Marcellus Shale, which has been generating a growing income for Harrisburg. About 725,000 of the state's 2.1 million acres of forests have been leased for gas development.

Marcellus Shale royalties quadrupled from $10.7 million in 2010 to $41.8 million last year. Through August of this year, the state has generated $41.5 million in royalties from Marcellus wells, matching last year's income in the first eight months of 2012. But the state earns no royalties on 290,000 acres of state forest under which it does not own the mineral rights. That includes several substantial tracts of the Loyalsock.

The state typically would have little control over drilling activity on land where it does not own the mineral rights. Courts have ruled consistently that mineral rights trump surface rights - the sub-surface owner needs access to the land in order to mine or drill the minerals.

But environmental groups say that an unusual covenant in the deed to 18,780 acres of the Loyalsock gives the state uncommon power to control the surface activity.

In 1933, the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Co. sold the land to the state and kept the "mineral estate" for itself. The deed allowed the owner of the mineral rights access to the surface for 50 years.

In the 1980s, after the 50-year-provision expired, the state asserted that the mineral rights reverted to the state. But the Commonwealth Court in 1989 ruled that the mineral rights belonged to the current owner, a man named Clarence Moore. Moore still owned the mineral rights, but he no longer had surface access - the rights had expired in 1983.

The ruling was reaffirmed in 1999 by the Pennsylvania Board of Claims.

Moore later sold ownership of the mineral rights, which is now split between Anadarko and International Development Corp. IDC has leased its interest to Southwestern Energy Co.

Environmental groups discovered the provisions while researching the deeds in the Lycoming County Courthouse, said Ralph Kisberg, the president of the Responsible Drilling Alliance in Williamsport.

Mark Szybist, a PennFuture lawyer, said that the state could use the deed restrictions to force Anadarko to reduce the disturbance to the sensitive forests in exchange for surface access. Anadarko could also use horizontal drilling techniques to access the property from adjacent land it is leasing.

"We're saying these are public lands and the public should have a say in how those lands will be used," Szybist said.

DCNR says the issue is not open to discussion.

"It is DCNR's job to balance the many uses of our state forest lands, including recreational uses and mineral extraction," Novak said. "As you know, our state forests are independently certified as well-managed, and that acknowledges that we do a pretty good job balancing uses and protecting the future health of the public lands."

Anadarko says it, too, is mindful of the area's natural beauty.

"We recognize the importance of public lands in Pennsylvania, including the Loyalsock State Forest," said Wolf, the company's spokeswoman.

"As with all of our operations, and in particular on state forest land, we are looking to minimize surface disturbance and protect special places like Rock Run."

She said Anadarko would continue to work with DCNR and the state Department of Environmental Protection "to communicate approved plans as appropriate." *

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20121009_Activists_push_Pa__to_restrict_drilling_in_tract.html#ixzz28o1EAISL

* Ed Note:  That could be interpreted as "we'll let you know when it's a 'done deal' and you can't do anything about it".  

As of today it is NOT a done deal. 

It is irresponsible of DCNR to sign any surface access agreement without first studying the area to determine what species of special concern should be protected, and how.

            If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.   It's that simple.

Write to Secretary Allan at rjallan@pa.gov , agingrich@pa.gov , ddevlin@pa.gov , tborawski@pa.gov and cc coalition-secretay@comcast.net and your State Representative and Senator.

Anadarko's Plan For Sullivan Mountain?

We received this map from the PA Forest Coalition and noticed that the coins' placement closely corresponds with stakes we found marking future well pad sites on Sullivan Mountain. Is this Anadarko's development plan for the Clarence Moore tract?

Each coin represents a potential well pad. The coins' surface area is larger than a well pad would be, but the number and distribution remains relevant. That's a lot of impact for such a beautiful, ecologically sensitive area.

Greedy Business

by Jackie Strosser

I have been camping in an old Civilian Conservation Camp in Masten, in Lycoming County, PA for over 20 years. The camp has quite a long history in my family - my PopPop began visiting there when he came home from WWII. This camp has become a special place in my heart. Being there gave always gave me a feeling of peace & quiet and serenity. Once, I was even blessed to see a mountain lion cross my path a hundred feet from me while in my car. But recently, things have changed. Wildlife is being forced out of their homes and onto roadways and getting killed. The grey mud and the stench of oil is terrible. Old CCC camps & hiking trails are being destroyed due to the gas drillers. Beautiful creeks & streams have been ruined.

The drilling industry has no respect for our Pennsylvanian forests. Instead, all they see are dollar signs. This is a greedy business. Pennsylvania is known for its beauty and natural forests full of mountain laurel, the state flower. It is heartbreaking that this could be taken from us if we don’t fight it. Please don’t allow drilling in our pristine forests!   

Petition To Protect The Loyalsock

Click here to sign the petition.

Preserve the beauty of some of Pennsylvania's most pristine areas - put a halt to the destruction of Old Logger's Path!  A get-away in the woods known to locals and tourists alike, is now being threatened by our insatiable greed for fuel. If the drilling planned for this area is allowed to continue, an area once renowned for its isolation and tranquility will become a man-made wasteland. 

Not only could the fracking of Old Logger's Path and the surrounding areas make the trail nearly unexplorable, but the flowing waters of Rock Run, located just outside the trail, will likely become too toxic for any sort of life. Swimming, exploring, learning and escaping will no longer be an option for those who admire this land. Human, plant and animal life will all suffer from this decimation.  Once this area is destroyed, the chances of it ever being returned to it's natural glory are grim.

It is up to us to decide what sort of world the next generation will live in.  Our children, and our children's children should not have to hear stories of what a beautiful planet we once inhabited. They should not have to wonder what clean, natural environments really look like. Wild areas and the safety that they offer is more valuable than oil will ever be.

Keep the planet we were given safe, make your voice heard and stop the toxic development of our last remaining natural havens!

Proprietary Plans On Public Land

Although Responsible Drilling Alliance has been aware of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's plans to develop gas rights in and around the Old Loggers Path, Rock Run, Pleasant Stream and other Lycoming and Loyalsock Creek headwater streams for some time now, the plans have yet to be revealed to the public. Apparently such information can be considered “proprietary” despite the fact that the development will take place on public land.

When will this information become public? The people of Pennsylvania deserve the right to offer input on the management of public land before  another insider deal is done. Why don't stakeholders other than the developer and an administration with huge campaign contributions from the gas industry have a seat at the table with the DCNR? A true gem of our public lands is on the chopping block, and no direct benefit to the public - in fact, only detriment - will accrue from shale gas development.

On September 7th, Responsible Drilling Alliance, the PA Forest Coalition, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Keystone Trails Association and the Sierra Club sent a letter to DCNR Secretary Richard Allan asking for environmental impact studies, public meetings on development alternatives, and public comment periods on any proposed agreements between DCNR and Anadarko. We have yet to receive a response.

RDA President Ralph Kisberg and PA State Senate candidate Luana Cleveland spoke to a high level DCNR staff person in Harrisburg on Tuesday who denied any talks between DCNR and Anadarko about developing the Clarence Moore tracts.  On Monday, State Rep. Garth Everett told RDA that Anadarko and DCNR are "discussing development of the Clarence Moore tracts". On Wednesday, RDA found stakes for a "preliminary" pad site on a portion of Clarence Moore where maps tell us DCNR controls surface development. We also saw flagging for road widening and the placement of gas and water pipelines.

If Rep. Everett was mislead and there are no disucssions between DCNR and Anadarko, how would the latter be able out a portion of forest that the former has jurisdiction over? Something doesn’t add up.

The stakes and flagging RDA discovered Wednesday are in addition to those found on Crandall Town Trail last week. This new "preliminary" site is along John Merrell Road, about  0.4 miles west from Cascade Road on Burnett’s Ridge.

Well pads around here have typically been constructed following a loose southwest to northeast trend line, with each pad along that line ideally about 1/2 mile apart. By extrapolating this pattern you get a rough idea of Anadarko’s planned layout for the Clarence Moore 25,000 acres of mineral rights. In the case of other developments on large tracts of land, a trend line will emerge approximately every 2 miles to the north and south. The discovery of the sites planned for Burnett’s Ridge and Sullivan Mountain confirms this basic well pad layout pattern, although topographical and water features have modified it somewhat.

The length of some operators' laterals has approached 10,000 feet. By exercising its surface control of ¾ of the Clarence Moore tract, DCNR could force the company to push their trend lines farther apart. This would mitigate surface disturbance to the state forest by about half. If development were delayed for a longer period, hydraulic fracturing technology might evolve to the point where the surface need not be disturbed at all. If the administration were willing to include the public in its negotiations with Anadarko, perhaps this region's beauty, tranquility and decades of forest equity would not be thrown away so easily.

DCNR’s furtive behavior concerning its negotiations with Anadarko does not serve its mission or the interests of the people. Why are surface use plans on public land allowed to be considered proprietary? Why does DCNR deny negotiations with Anadarko when all evidence points to the contrary? Most of all, why is public land being developed without public input?

Photos From Clarence Moore  

Hikers visiting from Philadelphia

Anadarko wants to build a well pad along this trail

Ralph pointing out Potash Mountain and Pleasant Stream drainage

Beautiful fall colors

Alternatives

Vista on Old Loggers Path

Anadarko well pad stake on Burnett Ridge

Anadarko well pad stake on Burnett Ridge

Clarence Moore: Who Controls What

The map above shows who controls the surface use of Clarence Moore tracts in the Loyalsock State Forest. DCNR is highlighted in yellow, and the mineral rights' owner (in this case Anadarko and one other corporation) is highlighted in blue.

The Northeast corner of this particular section of the state forest is missing from the map. The missing portion contains the Devil's Elbow Natural Area, which has headwaters for the North Branch of Rock Run. It also has large marshes and healthy hemlock stands. It is entirely in yellow and therefore, we believe, under DCNR surface control.

Lost & Found In The Loyalsock

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation stake on Sullivan Mountain.

A map of Anadarko's planned well pad site.

Responsible Drilling Alliance got lost in the Loyalsock State Forest this week and found a secret well pad site. Happy accident? Perhaps not for Anadarko, who last week told PA House Representative Garth Everett they had "no concrete plans to develop Clarence Moore right now."

Clarence Moore is the tract of land encompassing portions of Rock Run, Old Loggers Path, Masten Ghost Town, and other beloved areas of the Loyalsock State Forest. RDA launched the Keep It Wild campaign earlier this month to pressure DCNR & Anadarko to leave the sensitive area undeveloped. Despite public outcry, Anadarko's intentions to move forward with development are clear.


Anadarko picked a discreet place for their future well pad. It's on the Crandall Town Trail, an offshoot of Old Loggers Path. Despite marshy conditions, Anadarko chose a patch of forest on the broad, flat top of Sullivan Mountain.

Anadarko's proposed site will be built on marshy ground.

Anadarko's planned well pad is between two headwaters, Buck Run that feeds into Rock Run, and an unnamed stream that feeds into Pleasant Stream. Doe Roe is another vulnerable Sullivan Mountain stream with headwaters in Anadarko's bulls eye zone. The snapshot below shows how streams begin in this ecologically sensitive area.

Doe Run headwaters

As evidenced by the pink ribbons tied on tree branches adjacent to the stream, the Doe Run area is a sensitive wetland.

However, the wetland delineation (indicated by the pink ribbons on either side of the stream) seems a bit narrow:

Pink ribbons on either side of Doe Run delineate the wetland.

The well pad stakes aren't the only evidence of the gas industry's footprint on Sullivan Mountain. Seismic flagging litters the forest floor and the dirt road is torn up from heavy traffic.

Road damage on Sullivan Mountain.

 Still, RDA's hike on Sullivan Mountain wasn't all bad news. We saw a snake, a turkey vulture, two does, and lots of bear droppings.

The clock is ticking for the Loyalsock State Forest, and Anadarko isn't wasting any time. Responsible Drilling Alliance will continue to say, "Not here, not now."

Please join us in support of this wild wonder by telling DCNR, Anadarko, and your local newspaper to "Keep It Wild."


by Morgan Myers
RDA Communications & Outreach

DCNR & Environmental Review

by Robert “Butch” Davey

Former district forester, Sproul State Forest

On DCNR and Public Comment

To the best of my knowledge the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has yet to conduct a public meeting where statements are recorded under oath. However DCNR has conducted many public informational meetings.

The Bureau of Forestry (B of F) conducts public informational meetings when Forest Resource Plans are revised every 15 years. These type of meetings are done when policies and procedures within the Bureau of Forestry mandate are updated. Usually the attendees can ask questions and make statements. The main purpose of such meetings is informative rather than to seek input from citizens.

On the Environmental Review Process

The Environmental Review which DCNR B of F uses is not an environmental impact statement which examines various alternatives including no change. The environmental review is an internal document consisting of 20 or so items which are addressed as to the environmental effect, good or bad, of the proposed project. The environmental review can be prepared by Forest District personnel or a company requesting a project or activity occurring on State Forest land. The document is submitted to the central office of the B of F for review. Each of the division chiefs prepares comments or signs off on the review without comment. This is not a document of choices and alternatives but rather a document concerning a proposed project. Unless the procedure has changed the public is not involved. The environmental review should be available to the public.

On Protecting Threatened and Endangered Species

The Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) is a historical compilation of data and locations of species of flora and fauna of special concern. When a project is being planned the PNDI records are searched in the Harrisburg Central office for the area where the project is proposed to determine if a species of concern will be affected. This is determined to be a “hit”. The information on the species being harmed is kept confidential. This is done to keep collectors from disturbing the species of concern.

For instance, in North Central Pennsylvania the Allegheny Wood Rat (Neotomia magister) is a species of concern. The habitat and population of this rodent has diminished. The Allegheny wood rat is listed as a threatened species and has been proposed as a candidate for the federal endangered species list. There are several web sites with more and better information on PNDI.

On Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Prevention

In Pennsylvania all earth-moving activities require a written accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation prevention plan (E&S). For most earth-moving activities the county Conservation District staff reviews the plans for completeness and adequacy to prevent accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation. A letter to this affect is sent to the earth mover by the Conservation District. The major exception to this procedure is the oil and gas industry. The Department of Environmental Protection ((DEP) Bureau of Oil and Gas has been tasked with the review for all gas drilling permits. This policy change was the result of oil and gas operators being slowed down in their zeal to have permit applications processed pronto. The average time DEP spends on reviewing an E&S for a gas well site is reported to be 25 minutes.

If 20 acres or more of earth disturbance is planned a full-scale earth disturbance permit is required. This is a much more detailed plan and requires more information and review.

From the information it appears that the watersheds in the Rock Run section of the Loyalsock State Forest are high quality and exceptional value. These are streams with the highest quality water and the least human and industrial activity and pollution.  It is crucial to protect these valuable water courses.     

Robert "Butch" Davey is a former district forester of Sproul State Forest and worked for the Bureau of Forestry for over 40 years. Davey is also on the board of directors of Keystone Trails Association.

Podcast: Garth Everett On Rock Run

PA House Representative Garth Everett discusses DCNR, Anadarko, and Rock Run at the Lycoming Creek Watershed Association meeting. Podcast available here.

Footage From Keep It Wild

RDA Presdient Ralph Kisberg gives a general run-down of the situation in the Loyalsock State Forest near Ralston.

PennFuture staff attorney and RDA Board Member Mark Szybist explains the legal background behind Anadarko's purchase of mineral rights in the Clarence Moore tract.

Armstrong Township Supervisor and Lycoming County Planning Commission member Jim Dunn speaks about community identity and special places.

Restoration Ecologist and RDA member Kevin Heatley explains the landscape impacts of industrial development.

Part One

Part Two

Local business owner and RDA Board Member Barb Jarmoska outlines what steps we can take to protect the Rock Run region.

Rock Run Concerns Continue

Some of the meeting's attendees.

by Morgan Myers

Communications and Outreach Director

TROUT RUN - The Lycoming Creek Watershed
Association held a meeting Tuesday to voice concerns about Anadarko's purchase of mineral rights in the Clarence Moore tract. The acreage in question includes the Exceptional Value Rock Run, the Devils Elbow Natural Area, a 27-mile circular hiking trail known as Old Loggers Path, the Masten Ghost Town and lands that drain into headwaters of Pleasant Stream, Slacks Run, Salt Run, Wallis Run, and Mill Creek.

"Trust me, I understand your concerns," said PA State Rep. Garth Everett at the meeting. "I agree this is a sensitive and beautiful area."

Garth Everett PA State Rep, 84th Dist.

Anadarko and DCNR declined invitations to attend, but Representative Everett relayed their public point of view.

"I sat down with Anadarko. Anadarko feels they have the right to the Clarence Moore tract, but at this time they're quite busy just keeping up with the leases they already have," said Everett. "They have no concrete plans to develop Clarence Moore right now."

Everett recapped a conversation he had earlier that day with DCNR Secretary Richard Allan. "He was very aware of the situation. [Secretary Allan] said there's a lot of heat being generated, but right now there's been no application by Anadarko to DCNR to do any development in the Clarence Moore tract."

Everett went on to add that "the court of public opinion" may be the reason why Anadarko has not yet submitted an application to DCNR.

"Anadarko, in my experience, has been a good company. They're here to drill gas and make money, but they like to say they're good corporate citizens," said Everett. "That doesn't mean a truck won't fall over that has chemicals in it on Pleasant Stream Road or Rock Run Road. That's the danger: the accidental, not the intentional."

Jason Detar Fish and Boat Commission

Jason Detar, Fish and Boat Commission's North Central Fisheries Manager, spoke about the importance of protective regulation for streams that support native fish.

"Pleasant Stream and Rock Run both support wild trout populations," said Detar. "Any wetlands associated with streams essential to the natural reproduction of wild trout get upgraded to 'Exceptional Value' status. Those wetlands receive maximum protection because of their importance in maintaining water quality in the streams themselves."

However, a wetland's "Exceptional Value" designation does not guarantee it won't be developed.

"We have a proactive role and a reactive role," said Detar. "From a proactive standpoint, we can go out and assess our resources so that we can provide as much protection to them as the regulations allow. From a reactive standpoint, we can provide comment on permits to DEP."

Whether DEP heeds Fish & Boat Commission advice when making permit decisions is beyond the latter's authority.

"There's a basic conflict because any company is going to want to optimize their resource area," said RDA President Ralph Kisberg. "That means a certain perfect placement of well pads and laterals. So the question is: what will DCNR let [Anadarko] get away with?"

Ralph Kisberg Responsible Drilling Alliance

"Anadarko owns their half of these rights in perpetuity; What's the big hurry?" said Kisberg. "Maybe in the future they'll be able to run laterals from private land without disturbing the surface at all."

As for the present, many remain concerned about the cultural and environmental degradation posed by the possibility of Clarence Moore tract development. Responsible Drilling Alliance, along with environmental organizations across the state, have asked DCNR and Anadarko to include the public in any conversations about Clarence Moore. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Over 2,600 e-mails have been written to DCNR Secretary Allan so far. We must keep the momentum going. Please help Keep It Wild in the Loyalsock State Forest by the taking action described below.

You Can Help Keep It Wild!

In many places in PA – in fields and forests, parks and pastures – there is little or nothing we can do to stop the industrialization by the natural gas industry that is rapidly changing the culture and character of our PA lifestyle. This fact makes it all the more important to try and save a few precious natural areas of the PA Wilds for our grandchildren to experience. Will you help?

The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has the legal power to keep the drilling rigs out of a beautiful section of the Loyalsock State Forest in northeast Lycoming County by refusing to sign a surface-use agreement. By virtue of the deeds, DCNR is in a unique legal position to protect 18,870 acres from development by not allowing Anadarko Petroleum, owner of the mineral rights on 6,841 acres, to develop this unique and remote forestland. The acreage in question includes the headwaters of the Exceptional Value Rock Run, the Devils Elbow Natural Area, a 27-mile circular hiking trail known as Old Loggers Path, the Masten Ghost Town and lands that drain into Pleasant Stream, Slacks Run, Salt Run, Wallis Run, and Mill Creek.

Please consider writing a personal letter to DCNR Secretary Richard Allan. Keep your letter factual, making it clear that you understand the situation and choosing 1 or 2 of the talking points below.  Please blend those with your personal experiences of hunting, hiking, swimming, picnicking, and/or and fishing in the area.

Here are some things to consider when you write:

ñ    Given the ecological sensitivity and recreational significance of this area of the Loyalsock State Forest , any gas extraction or transmission operations in the forest would immediately and permanently impair pristine areas containing Exceptional Value streams and wetlands.

ñ    The Rock Run / Masten / Old Loggers Path area is both sensitive and unique and should be protected, not exploited.

ñ    Our state forests are a public resource and the public must be involved in the decision.

ñ    DCNR must immediately publish maps showing the precise location of the 18,870-acre and 6,841-acre parcels in the Loyalsock State Forest and post the maps for public view on the DCNR website.

ñ    DCNR may not grant a right-of-way unless it ensures that the surface will be protected. That mandates thorough environmental impact studies before granting any rights-of-way. Remember: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”.

ñ    DCNR must be transparent, publishing all of the environmental impact studies related to the Rock Run headwaters / Old Loggers Path / Masten area development.

ñ    DCNR must hold public meetings on the issue to afford the stakeholders a meaningful opportunity to participate in DCNR’s decision-making.

ñ    Before making any final development decisions, public meetings should be combined with an explanation of the alternative development options, including “no action”.

ñ    For those who cannot attend public meetings, there should be a 60-day public comment Period.

ñ    Anadarko should have the opportunity to present their development plans to the public.

ñ    Anadarko will request rights-of-way across some of DCNR’s 18,870-acres in order to access portions of their 6,841-acres. DCNR should be transparent regarding this by posting the maps on its public web site.

ñ    DCNR is legally obligated to exercise the unique control granted in the deeds in the best interests of the owners of this land: PA residents. 

ñ    Unconventional natural gas development will take place over the next century; there is no rush to exploit every area.

ñ    Future technological development will undoubtedly result in better cementing, fewer accidents and longer laterals. These are all good reasons to be slow and deliberate in approving all natural gas development.

ñ    DCNR must consider all options for managing these exceptional areas. This is a forest owned by the public – not just a cash cow for exploitation.

ñ    Under Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, DCNR has a legal duty to conserve and maintain State Forest lands for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians, including future generations.

ñ    The public resources at stake are the very heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The public’s ecological, recreational, and economic interest in them is simply too important for decisions to be made without input from the public and sound science to document species at risk and harm to the environment.

Please write today, keeping in mind that a letter trumps an email. This may sound a bit old-fashioned, but your letter can’t be deleted with one keystroke. A letter is already a hard copy.

Address your correspondence to:
Richard J. Allan, Secretary
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
P.O. Box 8767
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8767

Secretary Allan's email is: rjallan@pa.gov

Please send a copy of your letter to both your PA legislators
To access contact info, see upper right hand corner at: www.legis.state.pa.us

Please consider sending a copy of your letter to Governor Corbett at his northeast office:

Governor's Northeast Office, Harry Forbes, Director

409 Lackawanna Avenue, Oppenheim Building, 3rd floor

Scranton, PA 18503

Email for Governor Corbett is: Governor@pa.gov

               

       Thank you for taking the time to help protect this treasured part of the PA Wilds.