Pennsylvania Senate Favors Gas Drillers Over State Parks

The recently passed Senate’s budget bill (Senate Bill 850) included such drastic cutbacks that it would force the closure of at least 35 state parks, and 1,000 miles of state forest roads, which would sharply reduce access for anglers, hunters and hikers. According to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources The Senate’s proposal would be absolutely devastating Pennsylvania’s efforts to preserve our natural resources for present and future generations.

It is funny how the Pennsylvania’s Senate is willing to cut back on things which the people of Pennsylvania use and enjoy. Yet they refuse to institute a new source or revenue on industries which are exploiting PA’s own resources for profit.

House Bill 1489 would amend the state General County Assessment Law to explicitly make underground resources such as natural gas and oil subject to real estate assessment and taxation. The bill would require gas companies to pay taxes on the resources they extract, but wouldn’t add any tax burden to landowners.
However, the bill has been stalled in the House Finance Committee since May 2007, and sentiment among supporters is that State Senate Republicans, on principle, won’t support a tax bill

Scientists estimate the natural resource to be worth as much as one trillion dollars which would go a long way to help Pennsylvania’s budget shortfall. The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, in a report, supported the governor's proposal, saying severance taxes are common across the United States as a way to cover the public costs -- most notably environmental ones -- created by resource extraction. 14 states with greater natural-gas production than Pennsylvania levy a severance tax or a conservation fee. The report concludes that without a tax, the costs of drilling would be shifted to local taxpayers.

While all taxes are burdensome and painful, this bill is beneficial to the entire commonwealth. Rather than shift the burden of drilling to the taxpayer, shouldn’t the companies who are profiting from exploiting this resource give something back to the state they are profiting from? Also why are the Republicans trying to blatantly kill a bill which would help the citizens of Pennsylvania as well as provide funds to cover costs to remedy any environmental remediation necessary from the drilling and extraction?
If you wonder why the Senate would rather close at least 35 state parks and 1,000 miles of state forest roads, which benefit the citizens of Pennsylvania rather than tax gas drillers who make profits exploiting Pennsylvania’s natural resources I strongly recommend you cal or write your State Senators and ask them why!