HARRISBURG - State Sen. John Wozniak, D-Johnstown, is facing a difficult vote in the near future when it comes to a proposed plan to temporarily stop all new gas drilling on state forest land.
The senator issued a statement Tuesday, suggesting he is torn between the two often competing interests - protecting the state's environment or promoting the region's economy.
The comments were solicited by The Express in connection with House Bill 2235, which was recently approved by the house and has been forwarded to the Senate.
The legislation, currently under the review of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committee, is expected to see some opposition.
"The bill, which calls for a moratorium on new gas drilling on state forest lands, just passed the state House last week," Wozniak said. "Clearly, the Senate should take a good look at the bill and learn more to properly evaluate its impact.
"While we have to implement environmental rules to protect our natural resources and state forest lands - which may or may not include a moratorium - we also can't forget that further development of the gas play will create jobs and development in an economically hard hit region."
Wozniak said it is important to strike a proper balance between economic development and environmental protection.
"I am anxious to question experts and learn more about the impact of the proposed moratorium on the industry and whether this approach protects our forests and public lands," he added. "Three years is a long time to suspend drilling and curtail job growth. That's why we need to fully comprehend how this action effects our economy, environment and ability to gain energy independence."
Pennsylvania's forests harbor one of the largest and highest-quality natural gas reserves known to man, and the growing industry activity in the state has sparked a number of debates, many of them being addressed in bills moving through the Commonwealth's General Assembly.
Last year, the state made $128 million leasing 32,000 acres of state forest for Marcellus exploration.
The present budget proposed by Gov. Ed Rendell calls for another round of leases that could raise $112 million for a cash-strapped state government facing another year of budget difficulties. Yesterday, however, Rendell through his support behind the moratorium.
Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, offered the legislation designed to hold the line against further drilling to provide officials with a step back and to "analyze the impact the industry will have on our state forests."
HB2235 would impose a three-year moratorium on drilling on state lands.
Rep. Michael Hanna, D-Lock Haven, a co-sponsor of the bill, has urged his constituents to contact Wozniak and encourage him to vote for the legislation.
Hanna said the bill would give the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources enough time to assess the impact of drilling.
"While there are currently only a few natural gas wells in Pennsylvania's state forests, that number is expected to reach several thousand," Hanna said. "We as legislators need to do our part to preserve our state's forests, an irreplaceable natural resource.
According to the House Committee on Appropriations, the bill also provides that the DCNR shall not offer post-moratorium leasing unless it is sure the lease "would not compromise the state forests environmental, ecological, recreational, social and aesthetic values."
The bill also requires DCNR to monitor and assess the impact of leases already granted for the purposes of natural gas exploration,d drilling or production.
Nearly half, or about 692,000 acres of state forest, are already under lease for natural gas drilling. The leases have generated millions of dollars for state government. Sproul State Forest, the state's largest, lies is western Clinton and northern Centre counties. It contains 280,000 acres, much of it under lease.
The state's fiscal year 2009-10 budget included a $60 million transfer from the oil and gas lease fund to the general fund and state officials were pleasantly surprised when revenues doubled that amount. Six tracts leased this spring equal 31,967 acres, or 1.5 percent of the state's total forest land. Those tracts are located in Elk, Moshannon, Sproul, Susquehannock and Tioga state forests in Clinton, Cameron, Clearfield, Potter and Tioga county.
The appropriations committee report, prepared by budget analyst Antoinette Marchowsky, said revenue from future leases "cannot be quantified at this time."
