Allegheny Defense Project members are making an announcement
that Allegheny National Forest officials have identified threatened
landscape areas in the forest.
Within those identifications, the ADP says the forest service
“is looking to close the Westline Cross-Country Ski Trail because
of the amount of oil and gas drilling that has recently occurred
there in recent years.”
After obtaining and evaluating ANF leadership meeting notes from
a July 2005 meeting, Allegheny Defense Project officials sent a
press release announcing these plans by the forest service.
Steve Miller, public affairs officer of the ANF, said Friday
that he could not comment in detail about the ADP’s concerns
because the Final Forest Plan is still in the appeals process at
this time.
But he did say, “The five most threatened areas (the ADP lists)
as threatened are listed in the perspective of scenic
integrity.”
The ADP’s release states, “The five ‘most threatened landscapes’
according to the Forest Service are: Westline area, Longhouse
Scenic Byway, Salmon Creek, Sackett area and the Rocky Gap ATV
trail area. The reason given for all five areas being classified as
“most threatened” is current or potential oil and gas drilling
activities.”
“The Forest Service and DEP are failing to protect the Allegheny
National Forest from oil and gas drilling,” said Ryan Talbott,
forest watch coordinator for the ADP. “These documents are from
2005 when the Forest Service told the public it would not consider
oil and gas drilling a ‘significant issue’ for forest plan
revision. Now, we find out that the Forest Service knew the impacts
from oil and gas drilling were significant but communicated to the
public otherwise.”
However, Miller said that the most significant issues raised in
the notes from the leadership meeting were addressed in the final
forest plan decision.
“The Notice of Intent addresses issues through standards and
guidelines and monitoring strategies,” added Miller. “Management of
oil and gas activities concerns were addressed in all of the
alternatives.”
Miller is referring to the alternatives used to determine which
direction the forest service would take to manage the forest for
the next 10 to 15 years.
As well as providing information, the forest service is looking
to close the Westline Cross-Country Ski Trail. The ADP release
adds, “Other so-called mitigation measures the Forest Service lists
to respond to the impacts of increased oil and gas drilling include
‘maintain vegetation buffers’ and ‘allow time to heal land.’ The
ADP says this is unacceptable.”
“The attitude of the Forest Service is shocking and
embarrassing,” said Bill Belitskus, ADP board president. “Instead
of utilizing all the resources available to a federal agency to
protect Pennsylvania’s only national forest, the Forest Service
contemplates closing recreational trails. The Forest Service must
act now to prevent further impacts to the Allegheny and develop a
restoration program to address these areas it considers most
threatened.” ðð
The documents also list numerous “potentially threatened areas,”
most of which the Forest Service again identifies oil and gas
drilling as the main threat. Among the areas potentially threatened
by oil and gas drilling are: Mill Creek, Brush Hollow, and Twin
Lakes Hiking Trails; Brown Run, Crane Run, Arnot Run, Bogus Run,
Iron Run, Bear Creek and South Branch Kinzua Creek at Allegheny
Snowmobile Loop.
“These areas span the four-county region of the Allegheny,” said
Megan Rulli, outreach coordinator for the ADP. “There are many
areas of the Allegheny that are being converted from a natural
forest setting to an industrialized oil and gas field at the same
time the Forest Service and Governor Rendell are promoting this
region as part of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Tourists do not want to
drive hours to see oil and gas drilling throughout the Allegheny
National Forest.”
