by Curt Ashenfelter, Executive Director
During the last month we have continued our work to protect the Old Loggers Path and conducted a Fundamentals of Fracking Workshop at our Fall Meeting and Hiking Weekend.
The Keystone Trails Association, working with a group of like-minded organizations, recently sought the release of a March 2012 proposal that would detail the plans for development of natural gas infrastructure near and on the Old Loggers Path.
While the Office of Open records ruled that the public has a right to review at least portions of the plan, the heavily redacted development plan revealed little new information.
We already knew from a June 2013 meeting with DCNR that Anadarko wanted to construct over 20 well pads, over 15 miles of new roads, expand an additional 15 miles of existing forest roads to accommodate 18 wheel tractor trailers, clear-cut over 30 miles of new pipeline right-of-ways, build four compressor stations and bulldoze five impoundments impacting approximately 500 acres and significantly fragmenting the forest.
Anadarko’s heavy-handed use of the black magic marker on their proposal makes many nervous that Andarko’s prior pledges to commit to a more transparent process are not true.
We will continue to monitor the process, in the hope that when Anadarko finally submits an updated plan we will have ample time to evaluate and comment on the impacts of any future drilling. DCNR had promised in an August meeting with Keystone Trails Association and others that we would be kept informed and in the loop.
DCNR has reported that at this time there is nothing new to report.
An informed hiker community contacting their state representatives and senators about the impacts of fracking on hiking trails is important to the preservation of our wonderful network of long-distance hiking trails in Pennsylvania. Since 2008, there have been over 5,000 violations of state rules and regulations by the gas industry. The time to protect our hiking trails is now.
Recently, State Rep. Greg Vitali (Haverford) introduced House Resolution 500, calling for the protection of the Loyalsock State Forest from further fracking and gas drilling. This is an important step to help protect a place we love—home to bald eagles, untouched tracts of wilderness, and quiet, clear, clean streams. It will show Governor Corbett that there is bi-partisan support from our legislators for defending the Loyalsock, instead of catering to gas companies. Politicians will only sign onto this if they’re hearing from the voters in their district that they’re supposed to represent. Click here to learn more about how to call, write, e-mail, or visit your state legislator, to ask them to co-sponsor HR500 to defend the Loyalsock State Forest. This is one of our greatest public lands, so we must protect it for now and future generations.