Posted: | March 19, 2014 02:55 PM |
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From: | Representative Rick Mirabito |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Legislation Empowering Citizens to Protect Public Lands |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to give citizens much greater input into significant decisions affecting State Forest lands in Pennsylvania and to require much greater transparency and accountability on the part of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the state agency which makes these decisions. Pennsylvania’s State Forests are public lands, and DCNR is required by law to manage our State Forest lands as a trustee for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians, including generations yet to come. Recent developments involving the Loyalsock State Forest in Lycoming County have shown that DCNR currently is not required to inform or engage the public in a meaningful way when it makes significant and far-reaching decisions regarding the management of these public lands. This legislation will amend the Conservation and Natural Resources Act to require DCNR to provide notice and seek public input before authorizing any major unconventional gas development project on State Forest lands in Pennsylvania. The bill does not cover shallow gas or oil wells. Citizens have a right and a responsibility to know what developments are being proposed on public lands for their input to be meaningful. Specifically, the bill will require:
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Introduced as HB2318