RASC Hamilton Fwd: Cherry Springs area - more gas development - petition to stop it

[Andrew Blanchard]

Hello everyone, Don Pullen a friend and past guest speaker of the Hamilton Centre has requested our help with a Dark Sky Site, by asking us to sign the petition below. I know you will all be interested in helping Don out on this one, as it goes to a very important cause, and only costs you a few minutes of you time

Have a great day and summer. 

Andy Blanchard
289-337-6766H
905-847-7777B
905-330-5626C

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Don Pullen <dpullen at sympatico.ca>
> Date: 18 June, 2013 10:19:09 AM EDT
> To: dpullen at sympatico.ca
> Cc: 'Chip and Maxine Harrison' <chipmaxharrison at hughes.net>
> Subject: FW: Cherry Springs area - more gas development - petition to stop it
> 
> Hi Friends,
>  
> I'm sending this out (BCC) to a number of my friends that I know who have been or are still attending Cherry Springs State Park (CSSP) and their beautiful dark skies. I'm also including several friends who are members of area astronomy clubs who may have members who visit this park in the hopes you will forward it to them on my behalf.
>  
> Some of you who do visit the park regularly may know Maxine Harrison who has been the executive director of the Cherry Springs Dark Sky Fund which helps provide additional services to the park for the astronomers, does a lot to promote the park to the region and works very hard to help preserve the dark skies there. Her husband, Chip Harrison is the manager for Lyman Run State Park, where CSSP falls under his jurisdiction. Between them, they've done a lot to help develop the park into the wonderful resource we have for astronomy.
> During this past year, I have also become a board member of the Dark Sky Fund, so I've taken my interest a little further in supporting the park.
>  
> Today, Maxine forwarded the following information about a petition that's going around relating to CSSP and it's skies.
>  
> There is a push to further develop the Anadarko gas reserves on state lands to the east of Cherry Springs.
> http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/index.aspx
> From this map, you can see that Loyalsock is east of Tioga which is next to Cherry Springs (Susquehannock). Tioga is where the PA Grand Canyon is located - some of you may have visited there too.
>  
> The "Sec Allan" that Maxine refers to is Richard Allen,  who until recently, was the Secretary of DCNR  (the top guy). I was asked to stay behind at one of the star parties to meet with Richard to try to help promote and preserve CSSP. He seems to have been a big supporter of CSSP and preserving state lands. But this has not gone over well with the new Governor (Corbett) and those who care little about the land and only getting more tax revenues from gas wells. So Rick Allen was fired for apparently opposing the Governor and defending the state's Constitution.  Other "official" reasons may have been given, but, well you can read between the lines. (As a sidenote, and I'm no expert, but PA is a Commonwealth with their own constitution which includes provisions to protect state lands.) 
> (DCNR is the Department for Conservation and Natural Resources which administers the state parks for Pennsylvania.)
>  
> Setting aside the other "alleged" problems associated with "frac'ing", as many of you know, the gas wells cause a lot of light pollution(LP), especially during the flaring that goes on during the earlier development  of each well and each time they refrack to get more gas. Also the lighting at the sites for safety are another major source of LP. Some of you have seen it at CSSP and the rest of you have heard about it or seen photos. This is risking CSSP's Gold status with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).  My home club (HAA ) has been a financial supporter of the IDA for a number of years.  Perhaps you or your club also supports the IDA. 
>  
> Maxine has forwarded a petition that is going around to try and stop the drilling. She is encouraging us to sign it, along with comments, and to pass it along to others you may know who have a vested interest in preserving the dark skies at CSSP.
> If you do add comments, which I recommend, be sure to mention you are from out of state  (for those who are), and that the dark skies draw you to PA where you bring in money to the local businesses and thusly more tax revenue. Not only do you enjoy CSSP, but often many of you visit other local attractions. Out of state revenue and tax dollars often attracts a lot of attention by the powers-that-be. If you can, mention specifics like fuel for vehicles, motel stays, groceries, restaurants, etc. A couple of additional well chosen sentences that re-enforces the money, we as tourists bring into the state, may help to be more persuasive. The link to the petition also has a sample letter which you can chose some wording from, though it's not as specific to CSSP. But it may further help to inspire you.
>  
> I've sent this to the council of my home club, the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers (HAA), and have asked them to forward it to our members to help drum up support. I'm asking that you would do the same with your  own local clubs (as applicable). If you know that only a few of your members go to CSSP, then you may consider sending it to just them. But if the numbers are reasonably significant like it is for the HAA, then a wholesale email might be worthwhile. Perhaps a few dozen additional signatures from out of state may help.
>  
> Thank you and I look forward to seing you under the (hopefully) dark skies of CSSP. Perhaps we'll meet at the Black Forest Star Party in Sept.
>  
> cheers,
> Don
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chip and Maxine Harrison [mailto:chipmaxharrison at hughes.net]
> Sent: June 18, 2013 8:21 AM Don's
> To: ghonis at ptd.net; astrotony at verizon.net; dpullen at sympatico.ca; outsider000 at yahoo.com; dave.mitsky1 at comcast.net; Steve at CCDNavigator.com; polcouncil at gmail.com; jeastlake at comcast.net; ohara at verizon.net; e_miles_mckinley at yahoo.com; degrove at verizon.net; stargirl-13 at comcast.net; sclaus at zitomedia.net; markcasazza at gmail.com
> Subject: Fwd: FW: D18 Keep the pressure up on DCNR & the Governor . . . Sign the Petition
> 
> I am forwarding this petition to all of you and encourage you to send it on to all those you think might like to sign.  I believe this was one of the main reasons why Sec. Allan was fired when he recently stated that there would be a continued moritorium on drilling on state lands.  But they had to dig around to find some other dirt to get him on.  He was a very strong supporter of CSSP and as many of you know, you can already see the effects of Anadarko activity from CSSP and the Fire Tower Overlook...I can only imagine how much worse it can get if they expand their activities at these proposed sites, along with the destruction of so much beautiful woodlands.   Please take a moment to look over the petition and sign if you will - adding any comments about the possible degradation of the sky at CSSP.  We are in very real danger of losing our Gold Level status due to gas drilling...I don't know about you, but I don't like the color SILVER...or BRONZE.
> Pass this along to your club rosters as well please.
> Max
> 
> 
> ------------ Forwarded message ------------
> From: mary heston <hestonmt at hotmail.com>
> Date: Jun 17, 2013
> Subject: FW: D18 Keep the pressure up on DCNR & the Governor . . . Sign the Petition
> To: Jill and Tony Adami <tjadami at verizon.net>, Linda Berkowitz <elbwitz at verizon.net>, Bob Mothes <gainespa at verizon.net>, chipmaxharrison at hughes.net <chipmaxharrison at hughes.net>, Curt Weinhold <curtwphoto at gmail.com>, Henry berkowitz <hlemc at verizon.net>, Jennie Borneman <jeb9835 at yahoo.com>, jennifer144 at hotmail.com <jennifer144 at hotmail.com>, lrfitzg at zitomedia.net <lrfitzg at zitomedia.net>, Olga Gray <lggr43 at gmail.com>, Stephen Heston <hestonsf at gmail.com>, Wayne Gray <4waygr at gmail.com>
> 
> 
>  
> From: FORESTcoalition at aol.com
> Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:13:05 -0400
> Subject: D18 Keep the pressure up on DCNR & the Governor . . . Sign the Petition 
> To: forestcoalition at aol.com
> 
>  
>  
> After the departure of Secretary Rick Allan, It is important to keep the pressure up on DCNR.
>  
> Please help protect Rock Run, the Old Loggers Path and a very special area of unbroken forest habitat by signing the petition at
> http://www.change.org/petitions/corbett-administration-prevent-drilling-by-anadarko-in-loyalsock-state-forest
>  
> Then copy & paste some of the wording from that statement and send it to loyalsock at pa.gov   Please CC your legislators on it.   That will count as your public comment on the Anadarko/DCNR negotiations.
>  
>                .  .  . and please forward this.  Many thanks,
>  
> Dick
> R. Martin   Coordinator    www.PaForestCoalition.org
> 
> Mission: Good Stewardship of our Public Lands
> Caring for what God has created
> 
> Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation
> Litigating for our environment - with a 96%
> success rate in over 125 legal actions
> www.pedf.org 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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