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LOCK HAVEN -- A proposed change to the Duke Military Operating Area -- an Air National Guard flight training region covering much of the PA Wilds, including northwestern Clinton County -- has been rescinded, according to a joint release from Pennsylvania's U.S. Senators.
The change would have established the Duke MOA as a low-altitude training area, and has been hotly debated locally since it was first brought before the Clinton County Commissioners two and a half years ago.
The proposal came from the Maryland Air National Guard, which has long conducted training drills in the area at 8,000 to 17,000 feet above sea level. The Guard was looking to conduct low-altitude drills in the area. According to the proposal, this would have meant planes flying as low as 100 feet above ground level at a minimum of 170 days out of the year.
The proposal included Maryland Air National Guard A-10 Warthogs, as well as authorizing New Jersey and D.C. wings to fly F16s. In addition, other wings across the country would have been able to request airspace.
The Maryland ANG estimated as many as 272 days of use and expected various military aircraft, including F22s and F35s, to utilize the airspace.
If it had been approved, the ANG would have controlled both the airspace and who flew in it.
Not much has been heard about the proposal following a May 2023 webinar, hosted by the Clinton County Commissioners, which served as the board's last chance to encourage public comment, for or against the MOA, prior to a May 17, 2023 deadline.
After hearing concerns from North Central Pennsylvania organizations and residents about the possible dangers this plan would pose to the Pennsylvania Wilds region's economy, environment and quality of life, U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman repeatedly pushed the Air Force to abandon the plan, according to the release.
"From the moment the Air Force's proposal was announced, I've been deeply concerned about how low, loud and frequent flights could disrupt livelihoods in a tranquil region that has built its identity on outdoor recreation," said Senator Casey (D-PA). "After years of pushing the Air Force to abandon this plan, I'm glad that they are respecting the wishes of the people of North Central Pennsylvania. I will always fight to preserve the PA Wilds and the rest of the natural resources that make our Commonwealth so beautiful."
"This decision is a huge win not just for the beloved natural resources in the Pennsylvania Wilds, but also for the many Pennsylvanians who call this region home," said Senator Fetterman (D-PA). "I'm proud to have fought and delivered for these too often forgotten North Central Pennsylvania communities alongside Senator Casey. I'm also committed to working with our partners in the Air Force and National Guard to ensure our military remains strong and prepared -- and I know we can do this while making sure Pennsylvanians' voices are heard."
The 13-county Pennsylvania Wilds region contains the greatest concentration of public lands in PA and accounts for $1.8 billion in tourism, the release stated.
However, there is another likely reason for the scrapping of the low-altitude MOA proposal: the U.S. Air Force announced on March 7 that the A-10 Warthog would be retired, and that Maryland's Warfield Air National Guard Base was "the preferred location to transition from an A-10 to a cyber wing mission."
Divestment of the 21 A-10s at Warfield ANGB was forecasted to begin in fall 2024, according to the Air Force.