Pennsylvania Sportsmen Urge Gov. Corbett Not to Lease State Land

Susan Phillips

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Susan Phillips tells stories about the consequences of political decisions on people's every day lives. She has worked as a reporter for WHYY since 2004. Susan's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election resulted in a story on the front page of the New York Times. In 2010 she traveled to Haiti to cover the earthquake. That same year she produced an award-winning series on Pennsylvania's natural gas rush called "The Shale Game." She received a 2013 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Award for her work covering natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. She has also won several Edward R. Murrow awards for her work with StateImpact. In 2013/14 she spent a year at MIT as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow. She has also been a Metcalf Fellow, an MBL Logan Science Journalism Fellow and reported from Marrakech on the 2016 climate talks as an International Reporting Project Fellow. A graduate of Columbia School of Journalism, she earned her Bachelor's degree in International Relations from George Washington University.

January 26, 2012 | 1:06 PM

Mark Stahl / Getty Images

Gary Tierno fishes for trout with his daughter Sarah on Pennsylvania's opening day, April 17, 2004.

A coalition of hunters and anglers say no more state forest lands should be leased to oil and gas developers. The groups, primarily consisting of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, sent a letter to Corbett on Thursday, telling him the 700,000 acres already under lease threatens the state’s “hunting and fishing legacy.”

“Pennsylvanians have a rich heritage of hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor traditions on state forest lands. Passed down from generation to generation, these sporting traditions have become part of the commonwealth’s cultural and social fabric. Hunting and fishing is not just a pastime though—it is also big business. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than $4.3 billion in revenue is generated in Pennsylvania each year from fishing, hunting and wildlife-related recreation—and state forests serve as the cornerstone for these activities.”

The groups’ letter points to a 2010 study by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that concludes new gas drilling leases would “significantly alter the ecological integrity and wild character of our state forest system.”
The sportsmen tell Corbett they’re worried about forest “edge effects” associated with clearing land for drilling, especially in the Southwestern and North central parts of the state.

“North central Pennsylvania contains the bulk of the commonwealth’s Class A and wilderness trout watersheds. This area also encompasses Wildlife Management Unit 2G—the area that had the highest rates of grouse flush in the state in early 2011 and the highest bear harvest during the 2011 season.”

Among the groups that signed on to the letter are the National Wildlife Foundation, United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, and the state’s local chapters of Trout Unlimited.
“Gov. Corbett is looking for a quick, easy way to fill the gaps in the state budget,” said Ken Undercoffer, president of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, “but we can’t sacrifice our state forest system, our natural resources or our hunting and fishing heritage, for a short-term gain.”
Governor Ed Rendell signed an executive order forbidding any more leasing of state forests just before he left office. But Corbett is expected to lift that ban, and some speculate that announcement could be made in his upcoming state of the state.