Pennsylvania Senator Gene Yaw (R) is already under scrutiny regarding possible conflicts of interest. Yaw is chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resource and Energy Committee, and has proposed a number of bills to encourage even more natural gas drilling in the commonwealth.
Yaw owns land in rural Lycoming County, a hotbed of a whole lotta natural gas drilling, and has leased more than 100 acres to Anadarko Petroleum. Yaw represents district 23, which includes all of Bradford, LYCOMING, Sullivan and parts of Susquehanna and Union counties.
Yaw has pooh-poohed the notion of a conflict of interest…….but don’t they all?
Yaw Socks it Loyalsock.
Loyalsock State Forest is located in Lycoming County. The state forests of Pennsylvania were formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and Iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfires that prevented the formation of second growth forests.
Conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies, and the companies were more than willing to sell their land since they had depleted the natural resources of the forests.
These forests are now being threatened by natural gas development. Trees, and wildlife once again face destruction by those in search of the almighty dollar.
On Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 1:00pm there will be a closed door-by invitation only meeting at Forest District 20, Resource Management Center, 6735 Route 220, Dushore, PA 18614 (Phone: 570/946-4049).
This is an INVITATION ONLY-INVITATIONS NOT TRANSFERABLE event. Invitations were sent via snailmail to “local stakeholders meeting regarding mineral extraction issues in Loyalsock State Forest”.
This meeting is being sponsored by, yep, Senator Gene Yaw. Anadarko Corporation is seeking access to mineral rights (i.e. gas drilling) of which 50% is located in Loyalsock State Forest. Yep, same corporation which leases land from Yaw.
Pennsylvania’s state forest is the longest-certified PUBLIC forest in the United States. Note: PUBLIC forest, not corporate forest or Sen. Gene Yaw’s forest.
Article I Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution:
The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.
If Pennsylvania’s State Forests are PUBLIC forests, and Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come, and Loyalsock is a state forest why is the public not invited to attend?
Related: Back-room deals, a public in the dark…time to protect our lands and say NO.
I have been checking my mail everyday, and haven’t received an invitation, have you? Ummm………an oversight perhaps? I hate to think that as a citizen and taxpayer of Pennsylvania that we would not be invited to attend because that would arouse suspicions of something smelly is going on behind closed doors, something Yaw can ill afford at this time.
As Loyalsock is a state forest and owned by the people of Pennsylvania, and as a Pennsylvanians, we are all stakeholders - so where’s our invitation?
Will Yaw’s next bill be to change ownership of Loyalsock State Forest and rename it Anadarko Corporate Gas Field?
And ummm, Senator Yaw? Anadarko may be sending you royalty checks, donating to your campaigns, and playing razzle-dazzle with lobbying money, but it’s WE the People who ultimately decides if you can keep your job.
©2013 by Dory Hippauf
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Funny thing about it all, is not only is he wanting to “Frack the Forest”, but he also wants to increase pipelines to encourage more people to use this fracked/radioactive gas. Wouldn’t surprise me if the next law was to make it mandatory for people to actually use the gas.
All the politicians will have egg on their faces when the frackers continue to manipulate the price of gas and it’s actually twice as much to heat your home/business as is was before!
Alas, it will be too late for the sheeple that followed his insane thinking and also thought this was a good idea.