The Hellbender Chronicles

The "storm that is brewing" is the one due to the fact that we now import 62% of our oil and gas and the imports continue to rise. We do need to thoughtfully develop most, though not all, areas with oil and gas potential. Renewables just don't cut it at this time, both volumetrically and economically. Hopefully they will some day, but that day is still decades away I believe. Yes, we can and should conserve more. However, as our population increases so does the total energy needed to maintain the population even with conservation in effect. The answer is more technology to make renewables competitive, but I am convinced we yet need oil and natural gas to get us over the hump until this happens. ADP should help this to happen in the relatively environmentally benign ways, rather than seek to cut our nation's supply of energy.

Sea,

Renewables are simply not going to be competetive until we stop subsidizing non-renewables. But renewables aside, we do have the technology now to conserve energy. While insulation, double-pane windows, materials technology, and HVAC fans are far less sexy than windmills and solar panels, the fact is that we can actually save money by using technology we already have. The big problems are 1) that energy is generally cheap, so those who can afford to waste it do so shamelessly, and 2) that those who cannot afford to waste energy also cannot afford the inital outlays of cash to retrofit buildings and purchase energy-efficient cars and applicances (or their landlords have zero incentive to do so.) This isn't rocket science, and you don't need a Harvard degree in economics to figure out what needs to be done. Stop subsidizing Exxon, redirect subsidies to help low-income folks with heating bills and to purchase energy conserving technology, and tighten efficiency regulations.

Sorry, but I'm just not willing to give up some of the last, best places on earth so that some guy can drive a Hummer and heat his McMansion. Give up the mega-SUV, a couple hundred square feet, and help the elderly caulk their windows and suddenly we can have our public lands and protect them too.

Wow, now that's radical...

Rachel

Any notion that stopping these three wells at Salmon Creek, or drilling in the entire Allegheny for that matter, will hinder out nation is simply not true -- Even Pennsylvania General Energy admitted that much at our appeal in Pittsburgh nearly two years ago.

This is about damaging public lands for private profit. Three years ago, there was a scenic overlook along the North Country Trail at Salmon Creek that provided one with a beautiful view of the valley -- now, that valley contains the scars of new road development and storage tanks. This is a discrace to be happening on public land for what amounts to a drop in the barrel in terms of our energy supply. Again, the slightest effort in conservation will more than make up for what can be extracted from public lands, including the Allegheny National Forest.

With the Martin Run Project, the current regime in charge of the ANF continues to show their disrespect for the very forest they are charged with. What gall (and confidence)they have to propose this timbering project adjacent to the heart of the proposed Tionesta Wilderness Area.

They are currently moving into the Painter Run watershed in spite of the absurdity of that salvage project and the subsequent damage to the area.

I spent some time in the Martin Run area on Thursday. I was doing trail maintenance on the North Country Trail so I have no broad observations to add. I did learn some things though. At least one clearcut which technically isn't along the trail will be very visible from the trail. And if my experiences hold true it will contribute additional windfall that will require additional trail maintenance. Using volunteer labor as a subsidy for logging operations is the effective outcome and its disgusting. It may be time to start billing the Forest Service for time spent clearing logs near clearcuts.

The amount of trail maintenance required is stunning. Between the treefall caused by openings such as roads and clearcuts and the treefall caused by tree decline issues and storm activity the trail is an absolute mess. I sawed dozens and dozens of limbs and stems and still only covered a couple of miles and had to ignore many large stems and one particularly ugly treefall.

(Plea: To you reading this we are looking for help in maintaining the NCT.)

A. Blowdowns are temporary, random, and natural. Roads and trails are not. Nor is salvage. We were at a camp in Sigel last July when the storm went through. My daughter and I went outside to enjoy the storm until she bolted inside. I stayed. We lost a few mature hemlocks. It was a humbling experience. Those trees won't be salvaged.

B. I spent this morning at Hector Falls and environs. I can only hope that this spectacular area gets wildeness protection, as proposed by the ADP.

C. The devastation on FR258 from the July storm is incredible. One can only conclude that the previous extraction in this area was at least a factor in the number of trees blown over. It is not just a coincidence that their fences are constantly being damaged by windthrow.

D. My pet project was Painter Run. The original windfall was back in 2001. The July 2003 storm added to the damage. Their stone pit clearing is located just to the north and east of the area which seems most suseptible to windfall.

Rj

Rachel,

I couldn't have said it better myself. Just simple conservation measures along with a little common sense will help us preserve our very few remaining wild areas.

djc

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