ANF to Hold Oil, Gas Meetings
Warren, Pa. – Contrary to information portrayed in the recent news release issued by the Allegheny Defense Project, the Forest Service will be conducting extensive public involvement throughout the process to conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement for oil and gas standards and guidelines for the 2007 Forest Plan. The first of the meetings will be next week:
1.Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m., Forest Supervisor’s Office, 4 Farm Colony Drive, U.S. 62 north of Warren;
2.Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., Rice Auditorium (Room 107 in Fisher Hall) of the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford; and
3.Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., Clarion Holiday Inn at the junction of State Route 68 and Interstate-80 (exit 62).
“Not only will there be numerous public meetings, but there will be monthly conference calls with the public to explain and discuss progress, news releases, website postings, and letters that are all designed to be up front and transparent, and encourage participation. This is all above and beyond minimum requirements outlined in regulations, and to imply anything differently is wrong,” said Forest Supervisor Leanne Marten.
Forest Supervisor Marten goes on to say, “For organizations such as the Allegheny Defense Project to come out with such erroneous information is unfortunate and disheartening because it does nothing but confuse members of the public and cause further discontent and strife amongst community members. My goal on the Allegheny is to help employees do their jobs of managing resources and meet the needs of the communities in which we work and live. Because not all members of the public agree with how and what we should be doing on the Allegheny, or at times with the mission of the Forest Service, this can make achieving that goal extremely challenging. Analyzing and deciding on Forest Plan oil and gas standards and guidelines pertaining to surface resource management is such a challenge. As such, I am asking you to please be involved and share your comments.”
Additional information on the proposal of the Agency regarding oil and gas standards and guidelines, the process, and how and when you may get involved can be obtained directly from the Allegheny NF website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny, or by calling (814) 723-5150.
1.Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m., Forest Supervisor’s Office, 4 Farm Colony Drive, U.S. 62 north of Warren;
2.Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., Rice Auditorium (Room 107 in Fisher Hall) of the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford; and
3.Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., Clarion Holiday Inn at the junction of State Route 68 and Interstate-80 (exit 62).
“Not only will there be numerous public meetings, but there will be monthly conference calls with the public to explain and discuss progress, news releases, website postings, and letters that are all designed to be up front and transparent, and encourage participation. This is all above and beyond minimum requirements outlined in regulations, and to imply anything differently is wrong,” said Forest Supervisor Leanne Marten.
Forest Supervisor Marten goes on to say, “For organizations such as the Allegheny Defense Project to come out with such erroneous information is unfortunate and disheartening because it does nothing but confuse members of the public and cause further discontent and strife amongst community members. My goal on the Allegheny is to help employees do their jobs of managing resources and meet the needs of the communities in which we work and live. Because not all members of the public agree with how and what we should be doing on the Allegheny, or at times with the mission of the Forest Service, this can make achieving that goal extremely challenging. Analyzing and deciding on Forest Plan oil and gas standards and guidelines pertaining to surface resource management is such a challenge. As such, I am asking you to please be involved and share your comments.”
Additional information on the proposal of the Agency regarding oil and gas standards and guidelines, the process, and how and when you may get involved can be obtained directly from the Allegheny NF website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny, or by calling (814) 723-5150.
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Comments
http://www.alleghenydefense.org//issues/ogm/Sup_Marten's_response_to_ADP_02_17_09.pdf
Note that this meeting with the oil and gas industry to update it about the changes in the forest plan was on January 16, 2009.
So the oil and gas industry has known well in advance about what is occurring now. But the public gets barely a week's notice to attend meetings that are going to address how oil and gas drilling is managed in the Allegheny.
The Forest Service must treat the public with the same respect it shows the oil and gas industry. This is public land, not the oil and gas industry's land.
The ADP has is right. She is way wrong!