FRACK THE HUNTERS: PRIVATE INTERESTS ON PUBLIC LANDS

Pennsylvania Hunting and Fracking Vie for State Lands

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Published: November 11, 2011

An area of abundant deer, turkey and bear, known to hunters as “God’s Country,” lies atop vast reserves of natural gas 

Like many hunters, Mr. Volkmar is upset that the State Game Commission is giving over more public land to the gas companies, which is not exactly fulfilling its mission to enhance the hunting experience. The game lands, as he points out, were bought with the proceeds from licenses and fees paid by hunters and trappers.

Carl Roe, the executive director of the game commission, acknowledges that drilling “does look ugly” but said that on most well sites, the agency had no control over drilling-related activities. Although the agency owns 1.4 million acres of game lands, it does not always own the mineral rights beneath them, so their private owners can lease them out to the gas companies — the case with Game Land 59. Where the agency owns the mineral rights, it can and does restrict drilling and construction on certain days during hunting season.