How will natural gas drilling impact state forest lands?
We took four years to develop a natural gas lease agreement that protects the land so there is little or no impact on the ecosystem. Our preference is deep drilling, which is what is necessary to reach the Marcellus Shale formation. It requires less of an impact on the forest because the wells are spaced farther apart. We worked with legislators and the oil and gas industry to be able to safely lease land. Our forest management practices are certified as sustainable by an independent international organization. Q: The Governor has proposed using $174 million in income from the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling leases to help close the budget deficit. How is this affecting DCNR? A: We will operate our agency on a significant portion of these fund dollars. Every dollar in the oil and gas fund we spend is a dollar contributed to the general fund. This use of the fund will help DCNR and the Commonwealth to weather some of the most challenging economic times in decades and preserve DCNR’
