No New Drilling Leases on Pennsylvania's State Forests and Parks

Powersource.post-gazette.com (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 30) - Pennsylvania's new governor, Tom Wolf, officially banned new oil and gas leases in state parks and forests.  This officially ended plans by the legislature and the previous administration to raise millions of dollars for the budget this fiscal year through new drilling deals.

In signing the executive order, Wolf said natural gas development is a vital element of the state's economy.  But he made an economic case for preserving the state's public natural resources as well.

Wolf's action will not halt development that is already taking place on state lands.  Roughly 700,000 acres of state forests are available for natural gas development, either through state leases or private leases where the state does not own the oil and gas rights below the surface.

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