Responsible Drilling Alliance
Seeking truth about the consequences of shale gas development   
RDA e-Newsletter September 2012 v.1    
In This Issue
Keep it WILD FAQs
Support RDA's Efforts
Directions To Ralston
Meet Our Mascot
Concerned Citizens Don't Want Gas Drilling In Rock Run Area
State Forest Gas Leases
Keep It WILD FAQ's 

So - what's happening exactly?   

We'll meet in Ralston at the Fire Department. From there, volunteers will direct you on a 0.4 mile walk into the Loyalsock State Forest. We'll gather in the woods just off the road for music and speakers. After that, maps of noteworthy spots along Rock Run will be distributed. To avoid heavy traffic on the narrow road, attendees are strongly encouraged to carpool. RDA will facilitate movement from place to place so that our impact is minimized.

  

Who will be speaking?  
  • Rev. Leah Schade, pastor of the United in Christ Church in Union County
  •  Ralph Kisberg, RDA President
  • Mark Szybist, RDA Board of Directors and attorney for Penn Future
  • Jim Dunn, Armstrong Township Supervisor and member of the Lycoming County Planning Commission
  • Kevin Heatley, RDA Restoration Ecologist
  • Barb Jarmoska, RDA Board of Directors
  • Morgan Myers, RDA Director of Communications and Outreach
  • Rev. Daishin McCabe, Mount Equity Zendo   
Do you have permission from the Fire Department? The DCNR?
Yes, RDA has rented the Ralston Fire Department and our event has been confirmed with DCNR. They're expecting us.  

Where should we park?
There's limited parking at the Fire Hall. Once the lot fills, volunteers will direct you to available spaces nearby. The best way to ensure parking availability is to carpool.  

  

Should I bring my wallet?
The event is totally free. Organic cotton Keep It WILD t-shirts may be available for purchase by check or cash. Purchasing a t-shirt will help pay for the cost of running the campaign. Donations are also accepted. 

Is the event handicap-accessible?   
Unfortunately, no. Our wooded gathering place is not easily handicap-accessible, and RDA is unable to make accommodations given the terrain. We
sincerely
apologize. However, it may be possible to hear presentations from a car parked along the road.

Can I bring my dog? 
It's best to leave dogs at home or in the car (parked in shade) during the actual event.

Will there be food?
No. If you plan to hike afterward, you should pack water bottles and snacks. There's one small general store in Ralston.    

What happens if it rains? 
We'll hold the event in the Fire Hall instead of the woods.

  

  Can I volunteer?  
Yes! Please e-mail RDA to express your interest. We need all hands on deck for a smooth-flowing event. 
Support RDA's Efforts  
Are you interested in contributing your time, talents, or resources to seeking truth about shale gas development? Join Responsible Drilling Alliance or donate today.     
This Saturday: Keep It WILD 
Directions To Ralston Fire Department

To generate a map from your starting point to the Ralston Fire Department, click the map above and input your beginning location. For those with GPS systems, the address is:
10970 Pennsylvania 14, Ralston, PA
Meet Our Mascot: Sal the Salamander
Image: Barb Feigles of Ralston
RDA chose this cute little guy as our mascot after encountering one on the Old Loggers Path. The red eft salamander is a good "indicator species" - a gauge of the relative health and well-being of the forest and water habitats. Please join us September 8th in Ralston so that sensitive species like this have a fighting chance.
Concerned Citizens Don't Want Gas Drilling In Rock Run Area

By Joseph Stender for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette

RALSTON - Gas companies may be a prevalent force in the area, but some local people are joining forces to try to stop drilling from a certain section of state forest here.

They are planning to show support for the Rock Run watershed section of the Loyalsock State Forest, which they say is being threatened by drilling, by gathering at the Ralston Fire Co. to stage a "Keep it Wild" event at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

 

"We want to draw attention to the fact that this beautiful area ... is going to have gas development in the general vicinity (of Rock Run)," said Ralph Kisberg, president of the board of the Responsible Drilling Alliance.

 

Kisberg said that the stream and green scenery is the "area's gem." He added: "We don't think it's the right place for it."

 

When asked about the situation in the area, Christina Novak, press secretary for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said there is not yet any drilling activity at Rock Run.

 

But in an email Novak went on to say that there is no way of knowing what will happen in the Rock Run area in the future.

 

"In this area, there is a complex combination of publicly and privately owned surface and subsurface rights, so at the moment there is no definitive answer about what will occur in the future," she said.

 

With an uncertain future for the area, the group of concerned citizens will meet behind the fire company Saturday. From there the group will walk into the section of forest to see the sights and to show what they are fighting for.

 

"We want to meet in Ralston and get some people together that feel that this area is off-limits to gas development. This should be the last place it occurs," Kisberg said.

 

Continue reading...
State Forest Oil & Gas Leases
Map: DCNR
















For more information on state forests and the Marcellus Shale, go to DCNR's website or download their fact sheet on oil & gas leasing statistics.