Tell Governor Corbett not to open up Pennsylvania’s remaining state forest lands for gas drilling.
Approximately one-half of Pennsylvania’s state forest land within the Marcellus Shale region—almost 700,000 acres—is already leased for gas development, putting the state’s hunting and fishing legacy in jeopardy. A 2010 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) study concluded that leasing any more Pennsylvania state forest lands would significantly affect the wild character and ecological integrity of the state’s forest system. As a result, former-Gov. Rendell placed a moratorium on additional leasing of state forest lands. Now, with a budget shortfall looming, Gov. Corbett is threatening to lift the ban and allow for leasing of more state forest lands. The state lands at risk hold some of the best remaining trout habitat and wilderness trout watersheds, and backcountry hunting, fishing, and trapping opportunities in Pennsylvania.
John Dwyer's Angling Journal 