Those of us who are increasingly disgusted by the rapid dispersed industrialization of the PA Wilds, the Endless Mountains and our lumber heritage region have stood by, resignedly, while our so called leaders have sold out so many of our favorite public land places to shale-gas development. Here in Lycoming County, we have witnessed this destruction in our Tiadaghton State Forest as the beautiful Pine Creek valley has been turned into an industrial park along the mountaintops on either side of the creek around Waterville, the Bull Run area, above Ramsey, and on Huntley Mountain between Pine Creek and Little Pine. In the Loyalsock State Forest, we know the Allegheny Ridge, where the southern end of the Loyalsock Trail begins, has a gas industry bulls eye on it, and development has begun on top across the Loyalsock creek on Jacoby Mountain, and is well along east of RT 14 around Frozen Run and Bodine Mountain.

Development on the glacially carved, fairly flat and wide ridge tops mitigates the visual damage for most of us, minus the wretched scars of pipelines running up and down forested mountain slopes, unless you do a sobering flyover or are among the many who for decades have enjoyed the experience of hiking up numerous trails and wandering around on top, enjoying rejuvenating solitude in places where nature, not man, dominates the experience of being there.

Many who live far away and only have enjoyed the wild wonders of our area infrequently, appreciated knowing they were there, not just for human access, but for the wildlife and as sources of pure water, native fish populations and production of oxygen. We accepted these changes for the most part, grudgingly and with a sadness that comes with understanding the power of the energy extraction industry and the complicity of politicians easily swayed by false economic arguments and seemingly easy solutions to complex societal problems like unemployment, and budgetary constraints.

But now, right here in Lycoming County, we are facing what to many is the unthinkable. This will surely be the last straw to all who love the outdoors, who's needs include at least occasional exposure to the wonders of nature, are deeply moved by natural beauty and invigorated by displays of the power of nature over the scope of time. We now find our own most special place threatened, the wild wonder where we take out of town visitors, where we retreat to be awed and inspired, our own Rock Run, east of the village of Ralston, facing bulldozers and drilling operations in its watershed.

Here is what we know about the situation: After numerous RDA members reported seismic testing activity in the Rock Run area last summer, a search of Courthouse records revealed that Anadarko Petroleum had purchased, not leased, but purchased, for the sum of $6M, mineral rights in a checkerboard type pattern that reaches the Rock Run drainage in parts, while being mostly located to the south and east of it, up on Sullivan and Potash Mountains, and to the east around the old Masten town site, right in the heart of the circular route of the Old Logger's Path.

Due to a court case ruling we won't get into at this time, the Commonwealth lost those mineral rights, but had retained them in mostly adjoined rectangular blocks either surrounding or touching Anadarko rights in what looks to be about a 20,000 acre region. We understand that legally, subsurface rights take precedence over surface ownership rights and that the DCNR is probably stuck with having to grant some kind of access to Anadarko get to their eons in creation windfall, but what we don't understand is why the DCNR won't do everything legally in their power to slow and minimize any development in that precious wild wonder.

In fact, what we fear is the Corbett administration, in their typical gas mania, will not only offer development paths of least resistance, rather than avoiding ecologically and aesthetically sensitive ones, but will try and cut a deal for leasing the rights to the checkerboard of parcels that remain in the Commonwealth's hands.

For those who love this special place, please make your concerns and feelings known to our Governor and his DCNR Secretary Allan. If someone could persuade the person who currently occupies the Sun-Gazette editor post, or your local paper's editor, to get outside take a look around up there, as well as those who control the purse strings of Lycoming County's Visitor's bureau, it is a long-shot, but maybe that would help.

Essentially, we are at the mercy of Anadarko Petroleum, but not those poor souls trapped in the local office on E, 3rd St. in Williamsport. The problem lies with the bosses in Oklahoma City who only see our most valuable natural asset as it appears on a flat map on their walls and in underground seismic data images.

In the coming weeks we will send you our thoughts on how to approach this line in the sand we would like, with your help, to draw. Please let us know if you'd like to attend meetings on dealing with the situation, send us your thoughts on how you feel about it and what you'd like to do. Above all, grab your family and friends and get out and enjoy a quite hike on the OLP followed by a revitalizing dip in the sacred waters of incredibly clear and cool Rock Run while you still can.