by Sara Haxby, KTA Program Administrator
KTA’s staff and members of the board of directors attended a tour of Tiadaghton State Forest gas development sites, hosted by the Foresters working there. The day began with presentations in the remarkable new Resource Management Center in Waterville, Lycoming County. After Dave Schmidt, Communications Specialist, gave an introduction on the Pennsylvania state forest system, Amy Randolph, Senior Geologic Scientist, provided an illustrated background of the Marcellus Shale and what fracking and drilling look like below the ground. Ben Sands, Recreation Forester, impressed with his 2-layered map showing where pipelines intersect with hiking trails in Tiadaghton State Forest. He shared his experience mitigating the footprint of gas development over the lands used for recreation in the forest.
They provided lunch, and everyone mingled and shared stories. Then the attendees and employees of the Bureau of Forestry separated into SUVs and hit the road. The first stop was an overlook less than a mile as the crow flies from the Resource Management Center, which took time to reach following a low-grade gravel road. The foresters pointed out where pipelines traverse the landscape and where drilling sites were hidden through careful planning and regrowth.
The field tour visited an example of each type of site associated with fracking, drilling, and wells in the forest. At every stop, the foresters shared their stories about how their work has changed or is affected by gas development and pointed out where they learned a lesson or negotiated for less impact. The atmosphere was frank and open.
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20029147.pdf