Calling on Gov. Wolf to protect the Loyalsock State Forest

Summertime for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians of all walks of life means picnics, hikes, swimming and fishing on Pennsylvania's great public lands. One particular gem among our state parks and forests is the Loyalsock State Forest -- and this week, the Save the Loyalsock Coalition, representing 100,000 members, urged Gov. Tom Wolf to use his power to protect 25,000 acres of this irreplaceable place from gas drilling.

Rock Run - photo courtesy of Jeff Mitchell

The Save the Loyalsock Coalition was organized in 2012 in response to an urgent threat of proposed drilling on an extraordinary 25,000 acre tract of state forest land known as the Clarence Moore Lands, located primarily in Lycoming County. The Coalition's statewide and local conservation, recreation, fishing and outdoors organizations have engaged citizens and the previous administration in response to the threat of drilling in one of the area's last remaining unfragmented forests.

Gov. Wolf has already worked to protect other state lands from gas development, beginning with Executive Order 2015-03 to again prohibit new leases for gas development in our state parks and forests -- reversing the decision by the Corbett administration. However, since the Clarence Moore Lands are not protected by the moratorium, the magnificent Rock Run (pictured above), the Old Loggers Path trail, and an Audubon Society-designated Important Bird Area are all still at risk of being irreversibly altered by major gas development. 

"Unbroken wilderness areas across our Commonwealth are being increasingly reduced due to gas development infrastructure," said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of PennFuture. "Keeping the Loyalsock's unique Clarence Moore Lands safe for citizens to hike, fish, and experience while protecting rare and endangered species' critical habitat are values shared by countless Pennsylvanians."

You can tour this beautiful and wild part of Penn's Woods via the Loyalsock story map, thanks to FracTracker. Read the Coalition's full letter and press release, and watch for more actions you can take to add your voice to hundreds of thousands of citizens saying: Save the Loyalsock Forest.

Kate Gibbons is northeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Wilkes-Barre.