The PA Wells Program

[Outdoor Talk Network by Jim Slinsky]
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The PA Wells Program ©

By Jim Slinsky
05/17/08

“Pennsylvania is the new Texas” are the passionate words emanating from the halls of Harrisburg these days. Our legislators have big smiles on their faces. The thought of gas royalties pouring into the state’s coffers has more than a few legislators planning our financial future. Let’s be honest. Our citizens are taxed out.

However, if you are thinking PA’s financial woes will be resolved for the next fifty years by the Gas Rush of 2008, I have some not-so-good news. It’s called the “Oil and Gas Lease Act of 1955”. It was modified in 1995 with the founding of our DCNR. Per this Act, rent and royalties from gas and oil extraction on state land are earmarked for conservation, dams, flood control, recreation and to acquire more land. Unfortunately, big planners and wishful thinkers are up against it. The Game and Fish Commissions are exempt from the Act.

Let’s talk about the PGC. I heard they don’t expect more than $20 million in gas royalties a year, approximately the same as their timber revenue. It is too early to determine if that is by design or bad luck. No one knows at this time how much of State Game Lands sit on top of the Marcellus deposit. With luck the PGC will reap enough to solve all of their financial problems without a license increase. With a little more luck maybe we will get all new state-of-the-art shooting ranges and major habitat improvements on our SGL’s. If the revenue potential is too great, a few legislators might advocate eminent domain in some form, claiming the revenue is too great for the PGC to keep. One thing is for certain, no one wants to see the PGC grow their bureaucracy without tangible benefits for our sporting class and State Game Lands. Until realistic revenue numbers are established, a hunting license increase has obviously become a dead issue.

Over at the DCNR things are a bit more complicated. State Game Lands are for hunting, which I believe the PGC will not totally forget, but State Forest Lands (SFL) are for resource extraction. At a quick glance it appears most of the gas is below SFL’s. Under the current Act, one would imagine all of our dams will be repaired at no cost to our fishermen or the PFBC. If the gas potential is in the billions as some predict, I would suspect we will get all new hatcheries, too. However, do we want DCNR to unleash a land buying frenzy with the remaining revenue in the years to come? With a diminishing base of hunters we are told, is there any point to continuously buying more land by either Agency? Shouldn’t the revenue after dams and hatcheries go to the state coffers for roads, bridges, schools, sewage treatment facilities, schools, property tax relief and on and on. Doesn’t that gas belong to all the people and shouldn’t that revenue be shared by all the people? I seem to remember when oil began flowing from Alaska didn’t all Alaskans get a royalty check? For certain I know our citizens don’t want to see DCNR grow their bureaucracy before our state and citizens benefit. You know, one thousand more DCNR employees with vehicles and credit cards for everyone.

And then, there is that old matter that must settled. The people of northcentral PA have been squeezed hard for decades. For years the payment in lieu of taxes at $1.20 per acre paid by DCNR and the PGC was a joke. Now that the big ship has arrived in port, shouldn’t those citizens get their cut first? I sense it might be time to settle up.

Let us not forget there was a time when we were told liming our forests was too expensive and killing the deer was cheaper. If the Gas Rush of 2008 is a windfall as some say, wouldn’t it be appropriate to restore our deer herd and lime our forests? Isn’t that conservation? Is the PA Wilds Program about to fade into history?

Frankly, I think getting branded the new Texas is actually a good thing. Now if someone can point me toward those massive bucks scoring over 200 inches of horn, I’d be much obliged, partner.

Doesn’t all of the above mean we are about to enter into PA Wells Program?

Jim Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Outdoor Talk Network”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit his website at www.outdoortalknetwork.com.

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