Film Festival Inspires Action and Awareness on Climate Change Issues
Ever since our early ancestors began walking upright and scanning the far horizon for danger, opportunity, or just a change of scenery, vision has been our most highly developed sense. Now, in the modern age, a household in the US is more likely to have a TV than a telephone, or even functional plumbing. Nearly half of all children have a TV in their bedroom, and everywhere advertisers seek to gain our attention by using images, bright colors and visual cues to manipulate our thoughts and feelings in order to buy into the belief system that sells their product.
This year, the ADP is using this powerful tool by bringing the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Pittsburgh as part of our efforts to increase awareness and action around climate change.
Celebrate Earth Day Bradford! with a Wild and Scenic Film Festival April 21
On April 21, 2013 we are teaming up with the University of Pittsburgh Bradford's Environmental Studies Club, Bradford Earth Day, among others, to host a Wild and Scenic Film Festival.
Please also stay tuned for a second Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Pittsburgh, PA in the Fall of this year.
Spring is on its way! Flowers blooming, birds returning...
Join us for a short backpacking hike and overnight camp-out on Tracy Ridge, March 23-24 2013. We will meet in a small parking area just north of the Tracy Ridge campground and hike in about ¼ mile to our camping place. Please bring all of your own supplies, but if you need help preparing or are short on some gear we may be able to lend you the equipment you need.
Property Rights Meet Natural Rights in Land Protection
JEFFERSON COUNTY-- A Pennsylvania farmer is pioneering the art of land preservation, in a unique application of a conservation easement on the property deed of his organic farm. By establishing certain deed restrictions and creating a Rights of Nature constitutional document, J. Stephen Cleghorn of Paradise Gardens and Farm has become the first farmer in the state to protect his land for all time using this method. Cleghorn established the easement in memory of his late wife, Dr. Lucinda Hart-González who died of lung cancer on November 14, 2011. On May 10 of 2012 Ms. Hart-González's ashes were scattered on the property and the farm was declared forever inviolate and off-limits to shale gas fracking. The easement is dated as of the first anniversary of her death.
Protecting the Land With Production: Non-Timber Forest Products
Our Appalachian forests are so much more than trees, and even a small forest landowner can enhance the natural character of the forest while making a fair dollar off the stand. Non-timber forest products (NTFP) range from baskets and craft goods made from overgrown vines, to the propagation and harvest of native medicinal plants like ginseng, goldenseal, cohosh and others. Combined, they can mean a more stable (and sometime more lucrative) source of income for the landowner than the value of the trees for timber. The trick is to find the right market and be able to reach it.
In Depth: Allegheny Defense Project and Sierra Club Appeal Decision to Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to Protect the Allegheny National Forest
On November 3, 2012, Allegheny Defense Project and Sierra Club filed a notice that our organizations are appealing a decision by the U.S. District Court in Erie, PA that declared the U.S. Forest Service has no regulatory authority to protect the Allegheny National Forest from the impacts of private oil and gas development. Considering that 93% of the mineral rights underlying the Allegheny are privately owned, this decision will have profound impacts on land, air, and water resources, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities in the Allegheny, particularly in light of the unfolding shale gas boom. The District Court’s decision is deeply flawed because it ignored the very purpose for which national forests in the east were created in the first place – to restore and protect private lands that had been denuded by private industry – namely, the timber industry. Before diving into the District Court’s decision, however, it is necessary first to retrace how we got here in the first place.
Last year was fantastic and this year looks even better! By January 1, 2012 we had a schedule for the entire year: events, dates and everything! Scheduling for the whole year was a huge help for us last season. Everyone was able to plan for events well in advance. We’ve followed the same strategy this year with our 2013 schedule listed below and posted on-line (see events).
Synchronous Fireflies Confirmed on the Allegheny National Forest!
An International Group of Researchers Document Firefly Species in Kelletville
Warm summer nights are just made for camping trips. The long days and long trails, the deep woods and the dark nights sleeping under the stars or swapping stories late into the night evoke the roots of our humanity, a concept which becomes so much clearer when we leave the noise and distraction of modern civilization behind. In the natural world, we can find analog behaviours among our neighboring species that offer insight into our own existence. Examples of cooperation, altruism, sacrifice and friendship among fish, foxes and bugs can be applied to human constructs of economy, politics, commerce and society, for the benefit of our own species and so many others.
The firefly is a fascinating creature that encapsulates so many aspects of this biological parable. Childhood memories of fireflies are almost universal, with some 2,000 known species around the world and 125 in North America. This past summer, an international team of biologists came to the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) to investigate the ADP’s discovery of Synchronous Fireflies (Photinus carolinus) in the ANF, and this fall published their findings in a report.
The effects of our changing climate on forests and ecosystems are well recognized and the focus of a plethora of research projects. Far less attention has been paid to the converse: the contribution that forests make to creating and affecting climate.
Last Memorial Day ADP hosted Heartwood’s 22nd Annual Forest Council at Boy Scout Camp Olmsted in the Allegheny National Forest near Seneca Nation lands. Members of a number of regional environmental organizations were present, bringing skills, experience and inspiration to the weekend gathering.
Tell PA DEP to Protect Pennsylvania's Special Species and Habitats!
We need you to send a letter telling the PA DEP not to weaken its Policy for Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Coordination During Permit Review and Evaluation (DEP ID: 400-0200-001).
The PA DEP is attempting to weaken and circumvent current protections of Threatened and Endangered Species, Species of Special Concern, and Candiate Species, as well as critical species habitat and other special resource areas. Your participation in this commenting process is critical. Please send a letter by (following this link) by the commenting deadline, Monday December 31, 2012.
Please contact Cathy Pedler (814-454-7523, or respond to this email with questions) if you need more information!
You can download the old and new draft policies below and view the public notice for this action.
ADP and Sierra Club Appeal Oil and Gas Ruling to Third Circuit
Groups claim court’s decision will result in unnecessary damage to water and air quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities
Erie, PA – The Allegheny Defense Project and Sierra Club have filed a notice that they are appealing a lower court decision regarding oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In September, U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin sided with the oil and gas industry in holding that the U.S. Forest Service has limited authority to regulate oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest because 93% of the mineral rights are privately owned. The groups argue the decision is flawed because it ignores the history of how the Allegheny National Forest was created and will lead to further degradation of Pennsylvania’s only national forest, particularly in light of the unfolding Marcellus Shale gas boom.
The argument centers on a century-old federal law, the Weeks Act, which granted the Federal government authority to purchase private lands for the creation of national forests in the eastern United States. The Weeks Act was passed at a time when many eastern and southern forests were burning because of widespread, unregulated clearcut logging. This logging also resulted in extensive flooding throughout the eastern U.S. during this era. As a result, Congress passed the Weeks Act in an effort to bring Federal regulation to these forest areas.
“National forests in the eastern United States were created in response to private industry’s widespread degradation of forested watersheds,” said Ryan Talbott, Executive Director for the Allegheny Defense Project. “By restricting the Forest Service’s authority to regulate to protect the Allegheny National Forest from the impacts of oil and gas development, the court is ignoring the very purpose for which the Allegheny was created in the first place – to conserve and protect the watersheds in the upper Allegheny River watershed.”
The groups point to a recent dispute involving the Allegheny National Forest as evidence of why the Forest Service must have authority to regulate drilling in the national forest. Last year, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation filed a complaint against U.S. Energy claiming that the company’s oil and gas operations in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest were causing erosion and sedimentation pollution problems in New York. The groups say that this is precisely the situation that the Weeks Act was intended to prevent.
“Obviously, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is not doing an adequate job of regulating oil and gas drilling if New York has to take legal action to protect its water from the impacts of oil and gas companies operating across the border in Pennsylvania,” said Thomas Au, Conservation Chair for the Pennsylvania Sierra Club. “Congress passed the Weeks Act because states failed to protect the environment. Unfortunately, a century later, the courts are hampering the Federal government’s ability to protect these areas and neighboring states are once again being harmed by industrial operations occurring outside their borders. This is not what Congress intended.”
“Under the court’s ruling, if Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations are degrading water quality or wildlife habitat, the Forest Service and the public are essentially powerless to do anything about it,” said Cathy Pedler, Forest Watch Coordinator for the Allegheny Defense Project. “The Allegheny National Forest is more than an oil and gas field but the court’s decision elevates oil and gas drilling above all other uses of the forest and prohibits citizens from having any say in how the drilling occurs. There can be reasonable regulation of oil and gas drilling while respecting the rights of private mineral owners. That should be how our national forests are managed.”
Contact:
Ryan Talbott: 503-887-7845 (Allegheny Defense Project)
Cathy Pedler: 814-520-4639 (Allegheny Defense Project)
Thomas Au: 717-234-7445 (Pennsylvania Sierra Club)
Please join us for our Fall Gathering near Kane, PA!
September 28-30, 2012, the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) is holding its 19th Annual Fall Gathering at the Homestead of Bill and Mary Belitskus near the Allegheny National Forest (ANF).The theme this year is "Defend Your Place."
Please join us in defending "our" place (water, air and soil) and celebrating our work of defending the Allegheny. Take part in the camaraderie with fellow activists while camping, hiking, participating in workshops, listening to music, eating great food, and just having fun!
Call Cathy Pedler 814-454-7523 if you need more information.
If you need to reach us on the weekend of the Fall Gathering call 814-520-4639.
29 July 2012
Summer Outing and River Float August 4 and 5 at Buckaloons!
Please join us for a leisurely float down the Allegheny River!
On August 4 and 5 we will spend the weekend at the Buckaloons Recreation Area near Youngsville, PA and enjoy a relaxed float down the Allegheny River. We plan to meet at Buckaloons at 10 AM on Saturday the 4th to set up camp (look for signs for our group). We'll have lunch, and then plan to hit the water for a 5 mile float at 1PM (Feel free to take a shorter float. We will place cars for pick-up at our take-out points). We will camp Saturday night at the Buckaloons Campground breaking camp on Sunday August 5 by 3PM.
Synchronous Fireflies! Early Summer (late Spring) Outing June 22 to June 24
June 22 to June 24 Join Us to Observe and Document Synchronous Fireflies in the Allegheny National Forest
The Synchronous Fireflies have started their display in the Allegheny National Forest! On the weekend of June 22 to June 24 we will be camping near Kelletville in the Allegheny National Forest to observe and document the rare synchronous firefly population in "The Branch" Watershed. Our camp will be near the intersection of FR 127 and FR 145--we will post signs on FR 127 just past the intersection. See this link for our camp site location. The site will also be near the intersection of the North Country Trail and FR 127. Look for signs to the camp. To prepare for our firefly watching weekend you can download a flash chart here which will help you identify different types of fireflies. If you are interested in following our Firefly Watch activities please sign up for the Firefly Watch Group to get updates on firefly monitoring and research in the ANF.
Hearing Scheduled in ANF Oil and Gas Lawsuit: WE NEED YOU THERE.
Oral Arguments will be heard 9AM July 2nd in the Erie Federal Courthouse, Erie PA.
A federal judge in Erie recently scheduled oral argument for July 2, 2012 regarding motions filed by parties involved in litigation over oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest. U.S. District Court Judge Sean McLaughlin ordered the arguments in the case, Minard Run Oil Co. v. U.S. Forest Service.
We need you there to show support for the protection of our Allegheny National Forest. We need you to be present to witness the proceedings. Please Join Us on July 2nd 9AM in the Erie Federal Courthouse (17 South Park Row, Erie, PA).
The litigation began nearly three years ago after the Forest Service entered into a settlement agreement with three conservation groups, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, Allegheny Defense Project, and Sierra Club. Under the settlement, the Forest Service agreed to undertake “appropriate” environmental analysis of proposed oil and gas drilling projects prior to authorizing access across Allegheny National Forest lands.
The plaintiffs in the litigation, Minard Run Oil Co. and Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, sued the Forest Service and the three conservation groups, claiming the settlement exceeded the Forest Service’s authority to protect Pennsylvania’s only national forest from the impacts of oil and gas drilling. In December 2009, Judge McLaughlin granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, which blocked the settlement from going into effect while the case was being litigated.
Both the Forest Service and the conservation groups appealed that preliminary decision. In September 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld Judge McLaughlin’s preliminary decision. The parties are now at loggerheads about how the case should proceed. The oil and gas plaintiffs want Judge McLaughlin to simply convert his previous preliminary decision into a permanent injunction against the Forest Service. That would effectively bar the Forest Service from attempting to implement any measures to mitigate the environmental impacts of most oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest.
Please mark your calendar for July 2nd, 2012 and join us at the Erie Federal Courthouse (17 South Park Row, Erie, PA). Call 814-520-4639 if you need more information.
Donations Needed for Matching Challenge!
Great thanks to our anonymous supporter who has provided us with a matching donation challege in honor of the memory of our friend Joe Martin. Between now and our Spring/Early Summer Outing on the June 22-24 Weekend, we need to raise $1500 which will then be matched by $1500 for a total of $3,000.Please help us with your donation (all amounts will help us meet our goal!)...Read More
Heartwood Forest Council Article in the Huffington Post
We all had a great time with Heartwood during the May 25-28, 2012 Forest Council! Read More Here.
6 May 2012
Tell Your Representative to Protect the Allegheny National Forest by Voting NO on HB 1904!
The Allegheny National Forest is the most industrialized forest in the U.S. Forest Service System due to even-aged management (serial clear-cut logging) for high-value timber species, and because of intensive, full-field mine-out, stripper well oil and gas drilling, and marcellus shale gas drilling. These activities together are destroying every use and enjoyment of the forest, including recreation, wildlife habitat, water quality, and air quality. Now Pennsylvania Representative Kathy Rapp and her colleagues want to make this the permanent condition of the Allegheny National Forest by passing House Bill 1904. Help us stop them by sending a letter to your representative to tell them to protect the Allegheny National Forest by voting No on HB 1904. Read More
9 April 2012
ADP Hosts Wild and Scenic Film Festival!
April 22nd Celebrate Earth Day at U of Pitt Bradford, Bromeley Family Theater, Hike at 9AM, Doors Open for films at 12:30PM
On April 22, 2012 we are teaming up with the University of Pittsburgh Bradford's Environmental Studies Club, Bradford Earth Day and others to host a Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Mark Your Calendar! for a family day of hikes, food, music, door prizes, and 9 great films!...Read More (Volunteers Needed!)
Donations Needed for Matching Challenge!
Great thanks to our anonymous supporter who has provided us with a matching donation challege in honor of the memory of our friend Joe Martin. Between now and our Spring Outing on the June 23-24 Weekend, we need to raise $1500 which will then be matched by $1500 for a total of $3,000.Please help us with your donation (all amounts will help us meet our goal!)...Read More
Heartwood Forest Council Comes to the Allegheny National Forest!
The May 25-28, 2012 Heartwood Forest Council will be held in the Allegheny National Forest. The last FC in the ANF was 10 years ago! Make sure you attend this historic event!
Heartwood and ADP are co-hosting the 2012 Forest Council at Camp Olmsted in the Allegheny National Forest: Become Your Place, Defend Your Self!
Join Us For: Speakers, Outings, Forest Watch Training on Shale Gas Issues, Organic Meals, Camping and Recreating on the Allegheny River.
Speakers include Attorney Thomas Buchele of the Lewis and Clarke Law School, Former Pittsburgh Councilman Doug Shields, ADP Board President Bill Belitskus, Representatives of the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) Kinzua Dam Relicensing Committee (KDRC), Sandy Dowdy and Autumn Crouse, Teachers from the Onödowa’ga: Wadehsayë' Oiwa'shö'öh (Seneca Language Nest) and many more....Read More
Natural Springs Mapping and Testing in the Allegheny National Forest
On March 3rd a group of eight intrepid activists conducted the Allegheny National Forest, Forest Watch Springs Tour, a survey of natural springs in the forest area where communities, campers and travelers have traditionally found this most precious of natural resources. The objective was to locate ten of the total of seventy springs in the forest, and to test the water quality before shale gas drilling occurs in the area...Read More
Synchronous Firefly Watch: Volunteers Needed!
WE NEED YOU TO WATCH FIREFLIES!
Last year during our spring outing we discovered a population of synchronous fireflies. In the fall of last year, the Allegheny National Forest Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) approved a small grant to pay for firefly researchers to travel to the ANF in June to study this population. We are very excited about the start of the field season, which for us has already begun. It is very important that those of us living in an around the ANF, or who are willing to visit the ANF for the purposes of this study, begin to watch for the first occurence of firefly activity now....Read More
Winter Outing 2012 Report
On February 4th and 5th we had a blast on our Winter Outing backpacking and camping trip at Tracy Ridge! The purpose of the 2012 Winter Outing was to gain winter camping experience and to enjoy our beautiful winter weather...and we did!...Read More
18 January 2012
No Drilling Without Protection for Communities! No to HB 1950 and SB 1100!
A Renewed Call To Action By the Friends of South Fayette
As you may be aware on Wednesday, December 14th 2011, the state Senate debated House Bill 1950, then voted in favor to pass the bill and forwarded it to the state House of Representatives for passage. Because of action by citizens like you lawmakers voted "not to concur" with HB 1950 which will trigger more negotiation in 2012 on this inherently flawed legislation.....Read More and Send Letters to Governor Corbett, Your State Senator, and State Representative
You Can Monitor Oil and Gas Activity on Public Land
Subscribe to SkyTruth
Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) has initiated a partnership with SkyTruth. You can too! SkyTruth has created a valuable, GIS subscription service which provides environmental advocates, like you, with the information necessary to protect the places we all care about...Read More and Subscribe
Winter Outing 2012
Join Us for a Backpack Hike and Camp at Tracy Ridge February 4!
The purpose of the 2012 Winter Outing is to gain winter camping experience and to enjoy our beautiful winter weather. We will meet at 3PM on February 4, 2012 at a small parking lot just north of the entrance to Tracy Ridge on the west side of Route 321. We plan to break camp by 1PM on February 5, 2012....Read More and Sign-Up
Public Lands Action Team (PLAT) Meeting February 18, 2012 in Pittsburgh.
Join the Action Team to Protect Public Lands!
On Saturday, February 18, 4:00 PM, the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club will be hosting a meeting of the Public Lands Action Team (PLAT) in their office at 425 N Craig St Suite 202 Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
The purpose of the meeting is to form a PLAT in Pittsburgh with the Allegheny Group of the PA Sierra Club and to educate everyone about public land issues, actions, and outings for 2012. Speakers will include Ernie Reed of Heartwood, Bill Belitskus board president of Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), Cathy Pedler ADP Forest Watch Coordinator, and Matt Peters who serves as a board member for both organizations....Read More
3 January 2012
State Representative Kathy Rapp Conflict of Interest
Statement of Financial Interest Reveals Oil and Gas Industry Income
State Representative Kathy Rapp, who represents Warren, Forest, and parts of McKean County, recently introduced legislation aimed at stripping the U.S. Forest Service of authority to regulate to protect the Allegheny National Forest from the impacts of oil and gas drilling. The legislation, HB 1904, attempts to limit the Forest Service from regulating virtually any aspect of oil and gas drilling on the Allegheny National Forest. Additionally, the legislation is aimed at prohibiting the Forest Service from regulating consumptive use of water withdrawals of millions of gallons of fresh potable water from aquifers and springs and clean water from streams for hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The Marcellus Shale gas drilling process contaminates the fresh water used for fracking, creating wastewater highly contaminated with toxic chemicals, heavy metals, radioactive contaminants, and total dissolved solids.
The Allegheny Defense Project claims that Rep. Rapp is using her position in government to promote a company that she benefits from financially even though that company has a track record of violating environmental laws. According to an April 4, 2011 statement of financial interests, Rep. Rapp disclosed that she receives income not only from her job as a state representative but also from EXCO Resources, an oil and gas company that drilled approximately 40 Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania in 2011 according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection...Read More
31 December 2011
2012 Schedule: Mark Your Calendar!
Please pencil in the following events on your calendar and enjoy 2012 with us!
Some of our important projects (such as the potable water study, see below) were not funded (due to an overly influential industry presence on the ANF).
Please help us work on these projects with a financial contribution: Donate Today!
Or help us with a contribution of your time and talents: Get Active! Outings are a great time to catch-up and to learn about what is happening on the ANF and on PA's other public lands.
Please feel free to reply to this email with questions, requests for more information, or with ideas or talents you would like to share.
The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund will hold a Democracy School on December 3, 2011, at Mount St. Benedict in Erie, PA. The school will be a one day event from 9AM to 5PM....Read More and RSVP.
Taking the Public Out of Public Land
Appeals Court Decision Threatens Allegheny National Forest
A recent decision by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals regarding oil and gas drilling on the Allegheny National Forest prompted David C. Fredley to offer his opinion supporting the court’s decision. (“Stand up for states’ rights,” Oct. 31, 2011). The court held that the Forest Service has almost no authority to protect the Allegheny from oil and gas drilling since it does not own the mineral rights under most of the forest. Several aspects of Mr. Fredley’s column, and the court’s decision, merit a response....Read More
Enough Is Enough!
Enough is enough, from the lawless marcellus shale gas companies, to a governor elected with gas money and the rogue legislature and agencies that should be working for the people's constitutional right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment...including generations yet to come. Many citizens’ families are ill from unconventional hydrocarbon shale gas extraction and hydrofracking. Dr. Goldstein of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health stated, “…there will be disease clusters and lawsuits…”
Our land grant university, Penn State, is caught taking gas industry money to crank out discredited research to influence public policy in Pennsylvania....Read More
8 October 2011
Fracking the Finger Lakes: Videos
Watch Videos from Fracking the Finger Lakes: The Rest of the Story. Bill Belitskus, Sandra Steingraber, David Slottje, Kevin Heatley: Fracking the Finger Lakes, The Rest of the Story. Steingraber explains that the Marcellus Shale is actually a living ecosystem, not a dead, inert layer under our feet. Geologist have just recently fully appreciated the fact that there are more living organisms in the deep strata beneath us than there are in the world’s oceans....Read More
Chris Hedges October 10
The Death of the Liberal Class (and the Corporatization of America)
Monday, October. 10, 7PM. Free and Open to the Public, Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center at Mercyhurst College 501 E 38th Street Erie, PA. In Death of the Liberal Class, Hedges argues that the pillars of the liberal establishment – the press, liberal religious institutions, labor, public education, culture, and the Democratic Party – have surrendered to corporate interests....Read More
Democracy School December 3
The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund will hold a Democracy School on December 3, 2011, at Mount St. Benedict in Erie, PA. The school will be a one day event from 9AM to 5PM....Read More and RSVP.
ANF-ASP Border Work Day October 23
Date: October 23, 2011
Location: NY Allegany State Park Administration Building (Red House Area of the Park)
Time: 9AM
On October 23 Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), and Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) will work with state surveyors to walk and mark the boundary between the Allegany State Park in New York, and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania.Bring loppers or pruners, work gloves, and safety goggles if you have them. For more information call Bob Van Hise (ADK): (716) 628-0355...Read More
7 September 2011
A Gathering Remembering Joe
Date: September 11, 2011
Location: Mystic Waters Resort. 920 Parkside Drive Limestone, NY
Time: 1PM
On September 11, 2011 at 1PM we will gather to remember our friend Joe Martin. A memorial service will be held at the Mystic Waters Resort. Lunch will follow the service....Read More
Schedule of Events: 18th Annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge
Join us September 16 to 18 for Allegheny Defense Project's 18th annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge.
The Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) is holding its 18th Annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge (Loop B) in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) September 16-18.
Schedule (coffee and fire at all times):
Friday Sept 16:
4PM Set-up camp
6PM Dinner
Saturday Sept 17:
8AM Breakfast, Silent Auction Bidding begins on over 50 quality outdoor clothing items.
8:30AM Speaker, Tyler Heron, of the Seneca Nation, member of the Deer Clan, will discuss the impact of paradigms on the environment, culture, and community.
10AM Hike and Forest Watch Training. ANF-ASP Boundary. Lunch on the trail
12PM Lunch for those hanging out at the fire, chatting and drinking coffee.
5PM: Dinner
7PM: Music and smores (bring your instruments! we'll have smore fixins)
9PM: Night Hike
Sunday Sept 18:
8AM Breakfast
9AM Silent Auction Bidding ends (and the winners take home their loot!)
10AM Tracy Ridge Loop Hike
10AM Optional Canoe/Kayak expedition from Willow Bay to Tracy Run. Hike from the mouth of Tracy Run to Water Falls. If you are interested in this trip you must RSVP Allegheny Outdoor Adventures.
Location: Hammondsport Central School Auditorium 8272 Main Street, Hammondsport, New York 14840
Bill Belitskus, Sandra Steingraber, David Slottje, Kevin Heatley: Fracking the Finger Lakes, The Rest of the Story...Read More
ANF-ASP Border Work Day September 10
Date: September 10, 2011
Location: NY Allegany State Park Administration Building (Red House Area of the Park)
Time: 9AM
On September 10 Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), and Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) will work with state surveyors to walk and mark the boundary between the Allegany State Park in New York, and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania.Bring loppers or pruners, work gloves, and safety goggles if you have them. For more information call John Gilewicz (ADK): (716) 515-8939...Read More
16 August 2011
18th Annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge
Join us September 16 to 18 for Allegheny Defense Project's 18th annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge.
The Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) is holding its 18th Annual Fall Gathering at Tracy Ridge in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) September 16-18. Please join us for camping, hiking, workshops, music, food and fun!...Read More
North Country National Scenic Trail Association Work Day
The Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the North Country Trail Association will hold a work day on Satuday August 20, 2011 on the North Country Trail at Ludlow. The project will be constructing a stone stairway. Please Contact Bill Beltiskus for more information 814-778-5173.
3 August 2011
Summer Outing! Location Change!
August 5-7, 2011 the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) will hold its Summer Outing! We will camp at our Spring Outing camp on The Branch (at Kelletville) and recreate in and around Mayburg, including a float down Tionesta Creek on Saturday August 6 (and probably again on Sunday :). We will have a Forest Watch Update and Strategy sessions during the weekend, but intend to primarily have fun! Please bring all of your own gear, but let us know if you do not have camping supplies and we may be able to help you out.....Read More.
Help Us Walk the Line on August 13
Join us August 13 to survey of the NY and PA Border Between the Allegheny National Forest and the Allegany State Park
On August 13 Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), and Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) will work with state surveyors to walk and mark the boundary between the Allegany State Park in New York, and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. Our mission will be to continue to locate the 15 granite boundary markers that were placed in 1888 at one mile intervals to demarcate the Pennsylvania – New York state boundary. We will also be marking the boundary line with new signs and survey paint and tape.
We Need Your Ideas For Restoration and Recreation on the ANF!
Deadline for full proposals August 9!
Cathy Pedler represents the Allegheny Defense Project on the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) to accept project proposals that would enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve land health and water quality on the Allegheny National Forest (see USFS press release below). Please share your ideas with us that generally meet the guidelines outlined on the USFS website....Read More and Take Action!
8 July 2011
Walking the Line
A Survey of the NY and PA Border Between the Allegheny National Forest and the Allegany State Park
On May 12 and 13, and June 6 and 7, 2011, Cathy Pedler, Forest Watch Coordinator for the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), and Neil Woodworth, Executive Director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) walked the boundary between the Allegany State Park in New York, and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. Our mission was to locate the 15 granite boundary markers that were placed in 1888 at one mile intervals to demarcate the Pennsylvania – New York state boundary...Read More and Take Action!
Report: Spring Outing 2011
Synchronous Fireflies!
On June 17-19, and on June 21st the Allegheny Defense Project met near the confluence of Salmon Creek and The Branch (a tributary of Salmon Creek) for our Spring Outing. We returned on June 21 to document a nighttime event of unbelievable beauty...Read More
We Need Your Ideas For Restoration and Recreation on the ANF!
Deadline for Ideas July 12 (not mandatory but helpful)!
Deadline for full proposals August 9!
Cathy Pedler represents the Allegheny Defense Project on the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) to accept project proposals that would enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve land health and water quality on the Allegheny National Forest (see USFS press release below). Please share your ideas with us that generally meet the guidelines outlined on the USFS website....Read More and Take Action!
Summer Outing! Mark Your Calendar!
August 5-7, 2011 the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) will hold its Summer Outing! We will camp near the Darling Branch (tributary of Bobb's Creek) and recreate in and around Mayburg, including a float down Tionesta Creek on Saturday August 7. We will have a Forest Watch Update and Strategy sessions during the weekend, but intend to primarily have fun! Please bring all of your own gear, but let us know if you do not have camping supplies and we may be able to help you out....Read More.
10 June 2011
ADP Spring Outing June 17-19
On June 17-19 Allegheny Defense Project will meet near the confluence of Salmon Creek and The Branch (a tributary of Salmon Creek) for our Spring Outing. Follow this link to a map of the camp location and/or see illustrations below. The easiest path to the site is from Route 666 crossing the bridge over Salmon Creek at Kelletville near Cougar Bobs. We will make camp Friday evening (June 17), starting at 5pm. The camp will be beside the Branch where the North Country Scenic Trail crosses FR 127 (AKA the Branch Ridge Road) and meets The Branch. Saturday morning we will discuss issues and strategy in a Forest Watch update. Saturday afternoon we will hike and backpack as far as we like on the North Country Trail and spend Saturday night on the trail. Please bring all of your own gear and food (including device to filter water). Our base camp Friday night (June 17) will be a primitive camp with no facilities. Saturday night (June 18) will be backpacking hiking and camping.
Please also feel free to join us for socializing and Forest Watch update Friday evening or Saturday morning even if you do not intend to camp.
Contact: Office: 814-454-7523 Cell: 814-520-4639 (We will be unable to communicate by phone after noon Thursday June 16)....Read More.
EPA Issues Final Permits for Injection Wells in Columbus, PA!
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2029
Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program
Notice of Final Permit
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, announced on June 8, 2011, the issuance of two final permits under the authority of the federal UIC regulations at 40 CFR Parts 124, 144, 145, 146 and 147 to Bear Lake Properties, LLC of Bear Lake, Pennsylvania. These permits have been authorized for the purpose of constructing and operating two UIC Class IID commercial brine disposal injection wells, the Bittinger #1 and the Bittinger #4, at the Bear Lake Properties disposal facility, located in Warren County, Columbus Township, Pennsylvania.....Read More
7 May 2011
Allegheny Defense Project Appeals Water Diversions
Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved Diversions for Marcellus Shale Drilling
The Allegheny Defense Project appealed three projects approved by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) for the diversion and importation of water from the Ohio River basin. The SRBC approved the projects at its quarterly meeting on March 10, 2011. The projects authorize Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) and Ultra Resources to import millions of gallons of water from the Ohio River basin into the Susquehanna River basin in support of the companies’ Marcellus Shale drilling operations....Read More.
We Need You to Comment on the Forest Planning Rule!
Please help us tell the Forest Service that the proposed Forest Planning Rule would severely undermine transparency and the role of the public in the decision making process. The planning rule as currently proposed by the USFS lacks specificity and clarity. It fails to require the professional expertise of other Federal and State agencies whose information is critical. It allows the agency unwarranted and unnecessary latitude and lack of accountability in using “meeting other multiple use objectives” as an “escape clause” in following the clear requirements of the rule....Read More
Rimrock Clean-up May 22nd!
The "Friends of Rimrock" will do it's third annual spring clean up on Sunday, May 22nd 2011, 10AM to 3PM (bring your lunch and whatever tools you have available).
Everybody is welcome to come out and help. "Friends of Rimrock" is a coalition of different outdoors and environmental groups. Some of our members are from: the Allegheny Defense Project, Allegheny Outdoor Adventure Group, the Tionesta Snowmobile Group, and Save Our Streams PA. And, we are joined by "regular people" who just want to help clean up Rimrock, which is undoubtedly the "Crown Jewel" of the Allegheny National Forest. It is the most advertised and most visited attraction in the ANF....Read More
On March 31, 2011 Chris Moore hosted a WQED TV panel discussion, Drilling For Answers: The Marcellus Shale Debate. The panelists included, Bill Belitskus, Board President of Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), Stephanie Simmons, Risk Assessment Specialist, formerly with the Sierra Club; Kathryn Klaber, President & Executive Director, Marcellus Shale Coalition; and Jon Laughner Co-Director, Penn State Cooperative Extension's Marcellus Education Team...Watch It!
Date: April 14 (see link below for additional dates and venues)
Time: 6:30PM
Location: COCE Student Union, JCC
Description: The League of Women Voters Buffalo/Niagara and UB Green are cosponsoring five community screenings of Gasland (2010) in March and April. All screenings are free and open to the public. Jamestown Community College will host a screening of Gasland followed by a panel discussion, including Albert Brown of FrackAction, Sarah Buckley of Protecting Our Water Rights,Roger Willis of Universal Well Services, Cathy Pedler of Allegheny Defense Project-Forest Watch Coordinator, and a representative from the Independent Oil and Gas Association, moderated by Minda Rae Amiran of the League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County....Read More
A public screening of the Academy Award nominated documentary Gasland will bring the story of natural gas drilling and the controversial practice of hydrofacturing to light on Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the North East High School Auditorium, 1901 Freeport Road. Admission is free.
Gasland deals with an issue that is being widely discussed in North East since news of 11 new natural gas wells in North East Township became public in January. The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history, which is sweeping across the United States and Pennsylvania, has hit home....Read More
Panelists testified at a hearing on two upcoming studies indicating that drilling for natural gas in U.S. may not be as safe or environmentally conscious as previously thought.
PANEL 1: Deputy Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency Bob Perciasepe
PANEL 2: Conrad Daniel Volz, director, Center for Healthy Environments and Communities Jack Ubinger, senior vice president, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Robert Summers, acting secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment Jeff Cloud, vice chairman, Oklahoma Corporation Commission David Neslin, director, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Tell the USFS to Protect the Salmon Creek and the Branch Watersheds!
The Salmon West Project, located in the southern part of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) proposes actions including over 2,140 acres of serial clear-cuts, over 10 miles of road construction (8 of which is re-construction), 13 acres of stone pit expansion and new pit excavation, over 1,753 acres of herbicide application, 1,431 acres of fencing, over 526 acres of prescribed burning, as well as other “treatments.” This project is part of an ANF projects total since November 2009 of over 20,000 acres of serial clear-cuts, and over 10,000 acres of herbicide application.....Read More and Take Action!
On March 31, 2011 Chris Moore hosted a WQED TV panel discussion, Drilling For Answers: The Marcellus Shale Debate. The panelists included, Bill Belitskus, Board President of Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), Stephanie Simmons, Risk Assessment Specialist, formerly with the Sierra Club; Kathryn Klaber, President & Executive Director, Marcellus Shale Coalition; and Jon Laughner Co-Director, Penn State Cooperative Extension's Marcellus Education Team...Watch It!
Date: April 14 (see link below for additional dates and venues)
Time: 6:30PM
Location: COCE Student Union, JCC
Description: The League of Women Voters Buffalo/Niagara and UB Green are cosponsoring five community screenings of Gasland (2010) in March and April. All screenings are free and open to the public. Jamestown Community College will host a screening of Gasland followed by a panel discussion, including Albert Brown and Sarah Buckley of FrackAction; Roger Willis of Universal Well Services; and Cathy Pedler, Allegheny Defense Project-Forest Watch Coordinator....Read More
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is accepting comments regarding the relicensing of the Kinzua Dam hydroelectric facilities. First Energy and the Seneca Nation of Indians are competing for the license. The Seneca Project addresses the ecosystem upstream from the Kinzua Dam (which includes the Allegheny River and Reservoir in the Allegheny National Forest), and proposes twenty-two important studies that must be conducted during the relicensing process. .....Read More and Take Action!
ADP is participating in public forums on unconventional shale gas drilling including the following venues:
GAS DRILLING ON PUBLIC LANDS
Date: March 24; Time: 7PM; Location: United Church of Christ, 11 W. Main St., Norwich, NY ....Read More
DRILLING FOR ANSWERS: THE MARCELLUS SHALE DEBATE
Date: March 31; Time: 8PM; Location: WQED TV ....Read More
GASLAND AT JAMESTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE (JCC)
Date: March 31 (see link below for additional dates and venues); Time: 6:30PM; Location: COCE Student Union, JCC ....Read More
Attend Public Meetings on USFS Proposed Rule Making
Please attend Public Forum on Proposed Forest Planning Rule Changes
Date: March 23
Time: 2-5PM AND 7-10PM
Location: Marienville ANF District Office, Marienville PA
Description: Planning Rule Forum Meetings. Please attend if you can we will need everyone commenting on this in May....Read More
Tell EPA: No Injection Wells For Shale Gas Waste Water. Hearing and Comment Deadline March 23!
March 23rd there will be an EPA Public Hearing for a Deep Injection Well to be used for Waste Water and other waste materials from Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling. Tell EPA not to issue permits!....Read More and Take Action!
Public Meetings For Seneca Project, Kinzua Project Feb. 23 and 24 2011
Please join us on February 23rd and 24th 2011 in Warren, PA and Salamanca, NY for Public Scoping Meetings regarding relicensing of the Kinzua Dam hydroelectric facilities.....Read More
More ClearCuts Proposed. Tell the Forest Service to Protect the Millstone Creek Watershed!
The Millsteck Project, located in the southern part of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) near the Clarion River, proposes actions including over 6,700 acres of serial clear-cuts, almost 7 miles of road construction, 15 acres of stone pit expansion and new pit excavation, over 3,000 acres of herbicide application, over 3,000 acres of fencing, over 1,700 acres of prescribed burning, as well as other “treatments.”...Send a Letter to the Forest Service!
Injection Well For Marcellus Waste Water. Public Hearing and Comment Deadline February 23!
February 23rd there will be a EPA Public Hearing for a Deep Injection Well to be used for Waste Water and other waste materials from Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling....Read More
Oral Argument Heard in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals
On January 27, 2011 the Third Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument on our (FSEEE, Sierra Club, and ADP), and the USFS Appeal of the Preliminary Injunction (PI) granted by the U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania in Minard Run Oil Company et al. v. USFS et al....Read More
The First Must Be The Last: Drilling for Marcellus on the Allegheny
On December 16, 2010 a Forest Watch Team traveled down FR 186 in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), to a spot just over 6,000 feet from Bill and Mary Belitskus' homestead (ADP's board president, and ADP field office)....Read More
Timber! Forest Service Plans to Log and Herbicide Proposed Morrison Run Wilderness
On December 16, 2010 a Forest Watch Team traveled down FR 267 in the Allegheny National Forest to explore the proposed Morrison Run Logging Project....Read More
Inauguration Day Rally for Clean Water, Clean Air, Clean Land.
On January 18, 2011 Bill Belitskus and other Pennsylvania Citizens traveled to Harrisburg for an Inauguration Day Rally for Clean Water, Clean Air, Clean Land. Tom Corbett was sworn in as Pennsylvania's next Governor. The assembled group of citizens made sure their voices were heard...Read More
ANF-ASP Flight with Lighthawk, Adirondack Mountain Club, Carl Heilman II, and Allegheny Defense Project
On October 18, Neil Woodworth, Executive Director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, Bob Keller, our Lighthawk Pilot, Carl Heilman II, nature photographer, and I took a flight together over the Allegany State Park (ASP) and the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Our mission was to document the destruction of the ANF near the ASP border (see image below) where US Energy had recently polluted Yeager Brook, a tributary of Quaker Run in the Allegany State Park and toto fly south to document the Marcellus Shale Gas well drilling sites on the ANF and on the in-holdings within the footprint of the Allegheny National Forest....more
DEP Admits It Has No Authority To Permit Water Withdrawals For Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling In Western Pennsylvania
Nonetheless, DEP continues to encourage illegal water withdrawals
On July 26, the Allegheny Defense Project sent a letter to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger challenging the agency’s statutory authority to permit water withdrawals for Marcellus Shale gas drilling in western Pennsylvania. Marcellus Shale gas drilling requires millions of gallons of water for the High Volume Slick-water Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing process....more
ADP Responds to PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Admission that DEP has no Legal Right to Authorize Water Withdrawals for Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling in Western Pennsylvania...more
Lessons from Pennsylvania: Impact of Marcellus Shale Gas Development on Rivers, Forests, and Streams
On Monday, November 1, 2010 Bill and I traveled to Lansing, NY (just north of Ithaca) to give a presentation on "Lessons from Pennsylvania: Impact of Marcellus Shale Gas Development on Rivers, Streams and Forests."...more
I have just returned from the People’s National Oil & Gas Summit in Pittsburgh and I must say there are not enough words to describe and communicate a true understanding of the experience. ...more
On September 26th, an ADP Forest Watch Team visited an Atlas Energy Marcellus well site located south of Route 346 (West Washington Street) and Stickney, on FR 173....more
Marcellus Shale Gas Well Hunting in The Branch-Coalbed Run Watersheds
Our hunting for PGE Marcellus Shale Gas well sites began on August 22nd. Bill Beltiskus and I searched the roads south of Mayburg for a path that would get us close to the Collins Pine in-holding south of The Branch and Coalbed Run where our Internet search of permitted wells on the PA DEP web site told us there would be two Marcellus Shale Gas wells and a number of water wells for High Volume Slickwater Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing....more
What Happens Behind Closed Gates: US Energy In the Quaker Run Watershed
On August 21, 2010 an Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) Forest Watch Team investigated Oil and Gas drilling projects on Wolf Run Road and FR 370 (off of FR 202 north of Route 346/West Washington Street) in the extreme northeastern portion of the Allegheny National Forest. The drilling we investigated are the projects of US Energy Development Corporation. This area falls within the Quaker Run Watershed and includes the tributaries of Yeager Brook, Chander Run, and Coon Run. On FR 370 ADP found multiple, flagrant violations in the new oil and gas drilling site...more
Marcellus Shale Protest November 3rd in Pittsburgh
This November the gas industry will gather at The DUG East Conference (Developing Unconventional Gas): Marcellus And More Appalacian Shales. The Conference will be held at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. As Pennsylvania citizens concerned about the health of our communities and the environment on which we depend, we will attend the conference in the streets. We hope you will join us (The Marcellus Shale Protest)...more
On September 17-19 Allegheny Defense Project Board, Staff, Supporters, Friends, Family, (and the Curious) came to the Loleta Recreation Area for great food, fun, and information sharing. We set up camp Friday night at the Millstone Group Camp area ....more
Suddenly it’s October 15th! There’s been no newsletter since August 15th because apparently the fun just hasn’t stopped long enough to write up everything that we’ve been up to. So that you don’t go uninformed any longer I will give you the short story on our activities and elaborate in the next newsletter when I get Forest Watch reports finished. ....more
Join Us! 17th Annual Fall Gathering: September 17-19 at Loleta!
The Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) is holding its 17th Annual Fall Gathering at Loleta in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) September 17-19th. What is the “Fall Gathering”? It’s a family oriented event providing time for Allegheny Defense Project members, supporters and “environmentally conscious” individuals to come together in the fall to camp, hike, eat and learn about issues impacting the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania’s only national forest...more
Reuters News: Pennsylvania broke law on natgas water
By Jon Hurdle, PHILADELPHIA | Mon Aug 9, 2010 7:59pm BST
(Reuters) - Pennsylvania regulators are illegally allowing natural gas companies to withdraw water from rivers and streams for use in the Marcellus Shale drilling boom, an environmental group claims.
The Allegheny Defense Project says the state's Department of Environmental Protection has no legal right to permit drillers, as it does, to take millions of gallons of water from rivers in the western part of the state....more
On July 24, and again on August 8, 2010 Allegheny Defense Project board, staff, and volunteers visited the Elk State Forest to view the EOG Marcellus Shale gas drilling sites in the our state forest lands. Elk State Forest currently has over 16 permitted wells in Mckean County. We visited the area of the forest south of Kersey to check on a cluster of permits that we learned about from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Rig Report data. According to documents recovered in our July 8, 2010 file review at DEP, EOG plans to drill 500 wells in Clearfield and Elk Counties within the next four years, just in the Susquanna River Basin.....more
On July 31, 2010, I met up with old and new friends for an overnight backpacking trip in the Hickory Creek Wilderness. Our trip started at the Whole Foods Cooperative Association in Erie, PA, where seven of us had met and planned the event through the Cooperative's Education Program the previous month....more
Over the past two and a half years, seven lawsuits have been filed against the Forest Service regarding its regulation (or lack thereof) of oil and gas drilling on the Allegheny National Forest. The oil and gas industry filed six of those lawsuits claiming the Forest Service has no authority to protect Pennsylvania’s only national forest from the damaging impacts of oil and gas drilling....more
Press Release: Department of Environmental Protection Unlawfully Permitting Water Withdrawals For Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling in Western Pennsylvania
Only riparian owners can make use of water in streams and rivers
Natural gas companies have descended on Pennsylvania’s forests and farmlands to drill into the Marcellus Shale. Each Marcellus Shale gas well requires millions of gallons of water for the drilling process. That water is taken from Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers under the alleged authority of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP, however, does not have the authority to permit water withdrawals in Pennsylvania...more
Letter To John Hanger: Department of Environmental Protection Unlawfully Permitting Water Withdrawals
July 26, 2010
Via Electronic Mail and Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested
John Hanger, Secretary
Department of Environmental Protection
Rachel Carson State Office Building
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Dear Secretary Hanger:
Marcellus Shale gas drilling poses significant risks to Pennsylvania’s waterways, both in terms of water quality and quantity. Drilling a Marcellus Shale gas well requires millions of gallons of water that drilling companies withdraw from our streams and rivers. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) website, in addition to several media reports and documents obtained through recent file reviews, the DEP is purportedly authorizing water withdrawals for Marcellus Shale gas drilling under an allegedly comprehensive regulatory scheme that protects Pennsylvania’s waterways. The fact is, however, that any purported “approval” or “authorization” or “permitting” by the DEP of a surface water withdrawal in western Pennsylvania would be clearly illegal, beyond the DEP’s statutory authority and in direct contravention of the rights of those who hold valid surface water rights under Pennsylvania law...more
Over 1,000 Attend EPA Hearing on Hydraulic Fracturing Study
July 22nd the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held one of four public hearings for a study on Hydraulic Fracturing that will look for potential relationships between the process and drinking water resources. The EPA held the meeting in a Hotel in the the Southpointe Industrial Park near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which also happens to be the base for Chesapeake Energy, Columbia Gas Of Maryland Inc., CONSOL Energy Inc., EOG Resources Inc., Halliburton, Range Resources, and Reliant Energy...more
July 1 to 7 the Rainbow Family celebrated their annual gathering near the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area in the Allegheny National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service and State Police created an unprecedented oppressive atmosphere for the visitors...more
The heat is on in the Allegheny. As citizens begin to take action to protect their homes and drinking water, industry representatives are getting more aggressive. Several recent incidents in the Allegheny National Forest including a verbal assault by an oil field worker in Kinzua Heights, and theft of legal monitoring equipment on private property suggest that citizen action is riling the oil and gas industry...more
A Report on the NCT Allegheny 100 Challenge and Small Whorled Pogonia Survey in the Tionesta Scenic and Natural Areas
The adventure started June 18 at the North Country Trail Head on RT 346 near the New York border. John Stoneman, of Allegheny Outdoor Adventures, and I arrived just as the other hikers were starting out. Boots hit the trail at 6PM sharp. The event was the North Country National Trail ANF Chapter's Allegheny 100 Challenge. Hikers were traveling between 25 and 100 miles on the North Country Trail in the Allegheny National Forest between June 18 and June 20....more
Five Marcellus Shale Gas Wells Planned for ANF Land
Documents from a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) show that there are currently plans for five Marcellus Shale gas wells on the public lands of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF)...more
Report: Gasland Screened In Warren and Bradford
On June 6, 2010 the Allegheny Defense Project and the Boonies International, an Independent Film Festival at Warren, PA hosted the screening of GASLAND in Warren and Bradford PA.....more
North Country Trail Challenge and Tionesta Small Whorled Pogonia Survey
On the weekend of June 18-20 you are invited to join the Allegheny Defense Project in the North Country National Trail ANF Chapter's Allegheny 100 Challenge. The ADP (including you!) will take up the challenge! During the course of the weekend hike as much of the trail as possible and support ADP's Forest Watch work by having friends and family sponsor you by the mile, or simply sponsor the ADP 's Forest Watch Coordinator.
On June 19 wander off the trail with us for a Small Whorled Pogonia Survey in the Tionesta Scenic & Research Natural Areas....more
Royal Dutch Shell Buys Substantial Mineral Lease Acreage In The Allegheny National Forest
Shell Pays 4.7B For Marcellus Firm
May 29, 2010
By Andrew Maykuth, Inquirer Staff Writer
Royal Dutch Shell P.L.C. became the latest big international player to buy a stake in the Marcellus Shale when it announced Friday that it would pay $4.7 billion for East Resources Inc., a Pennsylvania company that has morphed into a hefty natural-gas operator.In buying East Resources, whose headquarters is in Warrendale, Pa., Shell will acquire about 1.05 million acres of gas leases, including 650,000 acres of Marcellus Shale rights in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York.
East Resources, which is based in Allegheny County, is most active in Tioga County, in north-central Pennsylvania, and also owns substantial acreage in Allegheny National Forest....more
Kinzua Heights: Freedom Isn't Free. Citzens Bear Costs Of Violations By Freedom Oil Ventures, LLC
An Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) Forest Watch Team finds multiple, flagrant violations in a new oil and gas drilling site in Brothwell Run on the Allegheny National Forest. On May 22, 2010 the Forest Watch Team participating in our first training session investigated Kinzua Heights area of Brothwell Run, which has been hit hard by oil and gas drilling in the last few years. Residents living in the area had been hearing loud machinery noises during the day and long into the night. We traveled down FR 147, and FR 625 to discover the "Liberty" Farms of Freedom Oil Ventures, LLC of 4801 Lang NE STE 110, Albuquerque, NM 87109....more
Two Years After Spill, Site Still At Risk: ADP Investigates Snyder Brothers 2008 Oil Spill Sites; Finds Valves Still Unlocked and Evidence of More Spills
A team of Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) volunteers discovered that all is not well on FR 267 and FR 269, the sites of a major oil spill two years ago. At these sites, disgruntled former employees of Snyder Brothers, Inc. let loose more than 40,000 gallons of oil that fouled Indian Run, Chappel Fork Creek, and the Allegheny River Reservoir. On May 22, 2010 ADP staff, board, and volunteers visited the sites involved in the spill, observed that the there have been subsequent dike breeches, and that the valves on the same tank batteries that were tampered with in 2008 are still unlocked two years later....more
Another Spill On The Allegheny: Catalyst Energy, May 20, 2010, 10,000 Gallons
Vandals Spill Crude Oil in Forest County
May 22, 2010
1490 News Blog
More than 10,000 gallons of crude oil spilled out of three oil storage tanks in Forest County Thursday morning when vandals opened the valves on them, and then a fire started during the cleanup effort...more
THE BOONIES TO HOST PRE-HBO PREMIERE OF “GASLAND” Live appearance by Sundance Film Festival-winning director Josh Fox
WARREN, Pa., (May 12, 2010) -- The Boonies International, an Independent Film Festival at Warren, PA announces the presentation of the Josh Fox film Gasland at the Struthers Library Theatre in Warren, PA on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 1:30 PM (doors open 1:00 PM); and in Bradford, PA at the University of Pittsburgh at 6:30 PM (doors open at 6:00PM). Warren and Bradford are two of 20 stops on the filmmakers’ grassroots tour with his film through Pennsylvania and New York, in a run-up to its June 21st HBO premiere. The event is part of an ongoing series of independent films being screened in Warren as a means of introducing the community to the world of independent film...more
ADP Investigation of Oil Spill on FR 261 Finds Spill Not Contained by Tank Battery Dike.
On May 4, 2010, four days after a Howard Drilling oil spill was reported in the Warren Times Observer, “Oil Spill In ANF Contained By Dike,” an Allegheny Defense Project team hiked several miles up gated Forest Service Road FR 261 to investigate the spill. Upon arriving at a Howard Drilling tank battery, ADP discovered a spill that had, in fact, breached the dike and flowed several hundred feet downhill toward Mud Lick Run....more
Pine Bear: 10,055 Acre Project Area on the Allegheny
The Pine Bear Project, located on 10,055 acres in the southeastern part of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), proposes approximately 3,000 acres of even-aged logging—1,324 acres of which is clearcuts and 1,781 acres staged clearcuts. Additionally, the project calls for 2,294 acres of other “treatments,” 1,483 acres of herbiciding, 105 acres of burning every 3 to 5 years, over 500 acres of fencing, 12 acres of stone pit expansion, and 2.5 miles of new road....more
The Allegheny Defense Project spent Earth Day this year with the Friends of Rimrock, Tracy Ridge Forest Watch, and Allegheny Outdoor Adventures, cleaning up Rimrock for the 2010 season. Our plan was to clear trails, pick up trash, picnic, and do some climbing and rappelling. We expected the trash scattered around - we were not prepared for the heart-wrenching view afforded us at the scenic overlook......more
May 8-9 Minister Creek Backpacking Trip; May 22 Forest Watch Training; June 6 Josh Fox's "Gasland"
May 8-9: The Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club is joining Allegheny Defense Project for an overnight backpacking trip in the Minister Creek Wilderness Study Area. Learn about the struggle to designate more Wilderness in Pennsylvania's only national forest. Sign-up here!
June 6: MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Josh Fox's documentary, "Gasland"-winner of the Sundance Documentary Special Jury Prize-will be screened in Warren and Bradford on June 6th. There will be a small donation collected at the door ($3). Stay Tuned!
This Earth Day we had a busy week. Our speaking schedule took us from Erie to Philadelphia. Allegheny Defense Project Board Members and Staff spoke about the battle to protect the forest ecosystem and the Allegheny River Watershed on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) and on other public lands in Pennsylvania...more
Donor will give up to $1,000 in Earth Day Challenge!
The Allegheny Defense Project needs your help NOW to challenge the rampant oil and gas development currently devastating Pennsylvania's only National Forest. And now is an excellent opportunity to double your contribution. With the help of an anonymous donor, your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar....more
"Kill the Drill!" Protest at U.S. Energy's Buffalo Office!
On Friday April 16, 2010 about 75 citizens convened at the University at Buffalo's North Campus to protest U.S Energy Development Corporation's proposal to drill for oil and natural gas in the Allegany State Park and Allegheny National Forest. Allegheny Defense Project staff and supporters joined the group that marched to U.S Energy Offices at 2350 N Forest Road in Amherst, NY, on the edge of the UB campus.....more
April 24th Rimrock and Tracy Ridge Earth Day Clean-Up and Camp-Out
Sponsored by the Friends of Rimrock Coalition and Tracy Ridge Forest Watch.
Clean-up: Saturday April 24, 10am. Rimrock Picnic Area Camp-out and Night Hike: Saturday April 24, 5pm. Tracy Ridge Campground Loop C
Come join us in cleaning-up and enjoying Rimrock and Tracy Ridge, two areas the oil and gas industry intends to obliterate with drilling operations...more
On April 15, 2010, ADP Board President Bill Belitskus and I hiked through the Glad Run Watershed, a tributary of the South Branch of Kinzua Creek near Kane, PA. We are monitoring this area because soon this watershed will be subjected to clear-cutting (North Drive In Timber Sale), shallow well drilling (TEIS Area 8), and deep gas well drilling as East Resources moves forward with its plans to drill a Marcellus Shale Gas well in the headwaters of the South Branch of Kinzua Creek...more
On March 20, 2010, a Pennsylvania State Police Officer temporarily blocked the Oil and Gas Issues tour organized as a joint outing of the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club and ADP....more
Drilling Continues! We Need You for Forest Watch Action!
It's spring! In the Allegheny National Forest this means oil and gas drillers will continue drilling thousands more oil and gas wells, and cut hundreds of miles of new roads into an already heavily fragmented forest. We need your help! Because of a very bad decision last December in the Federal District Court of Western Pennsylvania, this destruction is moving forward without environmental analysis or public input.
The Allegheny Defense Project is pleased to announce its newest campaign, Allegheny Forest and River Watch. We’d like to make our Forest Watch efforts more accessible to our members – more accurately, we need your help with our work. In this project, we will train supporters (you!) in our forest watch techniques....more
Federal Court: Allegheny Defense Project will still Appeal Disappointing Decision
Tuesday, March 9, 10AM, Bill Belitskus, Megan Rulli, our attorney Marianne Dugan, and I headed to Courtroom C in the Erie Federal Courthouse for oral arguments on the US Forest Service's motion for reconsideration of Federal Judge Sean McLaughlin's disappointing December 2009 decision...more
Snappy the Hellbender Says, “Come to the Forest! Get Active with ADP!”
These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a groundhog in denial of the imminent arrival of spring. And if you and I are at all similar, it’s becoming easier and easier to imagine yourself stepping into a welcoming, green forest....more
On Saturday February 27, 2010, Jim Clark, Penn State Cooperative Extension Officer Educator for McKean County, presented "Gas Well Drilling and Water Quality.” in the Hamlin Township Office Building, Hazel Hurst, McKean County....more
It has been an incredible few years on the Allegheny. We have been operating in high gear, putting our resources into litigation, press releases, file reviews, public comment, and continued on-the-ground monitoring...more
This is a critical time for Pennsylvania. The Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania State Forests, and communities in general are under siege by oil and gas drilling. The deep well drilling for Marcellus Shale gas across Pennsylvania is the greatest land-use threat to the surface waters and aquifers of our commonwealth...more
The Allegheny Defense Project has three employees to run its campaigns. Our Executive Director, is Ryan Talbott. Ryan was born and raised in the Allegheny National Forest. Born in Warren, he grew up in Marienville, Pennsylvania on the southern boundary of the Allegheny...more
Hello. It's your friendly Outreach Coordinator Megan here to update you on ADP's fundraising efforts. ADP realizes major achievements with a relatively small budget. In December of 2009, the organization kicked off a major fundraising campaign in order to raise $15,000 by the end of May....more
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