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Several file appeals ANF's forest plan
By MERRILL GONZALEZ
Era Reporter
The number of appeals received to date on the final Allegheny National Forest plan stands at 75 at this time. Individuals and groups had until July 2 to submit them, but some may still trickle in.
Deb Beighley, assistant director of appeals and litigation for the U.S. Forest Service said Thursday that number of appeals is not considered a high number. She also said they have not looked at the content of all of them yet.
“The appellants could have one issue or many concerns,” said Beighley of the appeals. “The numbers don’t dictate the complexity or levels of concern. There could also be support (of the plan) issues.”
Kane School District and Mead Township supervisors announced recently they filed a joint appeal of the ANF’s new management plan.
Sandra Chlopecki, superintendent of Kane Schools and Terry Hawk, Mead Township supervisor, are listed on the appeal that describes the district and the township as members of Allegheny Forest Alliance.
Allegheny Forest Alliance is made up of school districts, townships, recreation groups, businesses and others that supports and promotes sustainable forestry, environmental stewardship and multiple-use management of the ANF and other public forestlands on the Allegheny Plateau.
The appeal holds similar language to the AFA and Warren County Commissioner John Bortz’ appeals in that they claim the forest service did not give meaningful opportunity for input.
According to published reports, the appeal submitted by the school district and the township also notes that Executive Director of AFA, Jack Hedlund, attended the public meetings held by the forest service representing the many member groups of the AFA.
It states background work done by the AFA included identifying issues that are important to townships and school districts and they felt those issues were not respected by the forest service planning team.
According to media reports, in the appeal the two groups felt Hedlund did not have adequate opportunity to state their concerns.
An appeal submitted by the AFA suggests the forest service didn’t meet often and early enough with public officials and larger organizations that would be affected by the forest’s final plan.
Hedlund said those with an economic interest in the plan should have been involved as well, including Appalachian Regional Commission, North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission and agencies in the Southern Tier.
Hedlund also suggested that the forest service might have identified other areas of concern than recreation, vegetation management and habitat diversity in the need for change if they had met with those and members of the oil and gas industry.
Bortz’ appeal said he felt forest officials did not follow procedure by not giving public officials the opportunity to provide more input until late in the revision process.
His appeal also suggested the forest service adopted a plan that leaves Warren County powerless when it comes to recreational development.
Two other appeals include concerns over the oil and gas industry’s work in the ANF.
An appeal submitted by a coalition of Allegheny Defense Project members, Heartwood, Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club and five individuals through the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Environmental Law Clinic, complained the forest service did not change the plan from the 1986 plan enough to prevent or curtail drilling for oil and gas on forest land.
The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association also filed an appeal.
Their appeal suggests the new plan shows an attempt of the forest service to “seize administrative control of oil and gas development in the forest.”
The Friends of Allegheny Wilderness sent a letter to Regional Forester Randy Moore last week, not as an appeal, but to express concerns over the process used by the forest service to determine what areas would be best as wilderness areas; and the fact more areas were not identified for wilderness proposal.
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