The Pennsylvania Legislature Is Giving Away Our Land

Remember the pay raise debacle?  Well, it appears some of our State representatives have not yet learned their lesson.

 Representative Mike Hanna (D-Centre/Clinton) is attempting to transfer 1,800 acres of land owned by the State penitentiary at Rockview to Penn State University and a local municipality, Benner Township.   Penn State is to receive the uplands bordering the canyon, while Benner Township would get the canyon portion.  Penn State has stated they intend to construct buildings to do agricultural research and conduct “production agricultural operations.”   The land lies roughly halfway between State College and Bellefonte, and with two I-99 interchanges bracketing the property, it is incredibly valuable for development.  Penn State already has more than 2,000 acres of farm land at its agricultural research facility south of the campus (http://research.cas.psu.edu/RockSprings/history.html) and even more when you add in its other facilities around the state. 

 Last August, at the end of the legislative session, Rep. Hanna attempted to ram through legislation (HB 1657) that would have transferred the land to Penn State.  Unfortunately for him, the community was alerted to his maneuver and a deluge of phone calls to the State Government Committee, chaired by Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia), put the brakes on the transfer.

 So why should anyone else care about a land transfer in the middle of the state.  What’s the big deal?

 Well, if you fish for trout, or care anything about Spring Creek, you should be concerned because the property straddles about 5 miles of Spring Creek.  As trout anglers know, Spring Creek is one of the most famous and most productive trout fisheries in the eastern United States.  Unfortunately, Spring Creek is already stressed from urban sprawl and the attendant pollution, so Penn State’s proposed--and unproposed--activities will further stress this outstanding fishery.

 And if you’re a hunter, this land transfer is definitely not in your interest. 

 The Pennsylvania Game Commission has been trying to get this property for many years as compensation for the 950 acres of State Game Lands 176 that Penn State has adversely affected through their sewage spraying operation.  A report by Penn State students and faculty states that “forested areas receiving the spray have suffered severe winter ice damage, invasion of weedy edge species, and, in some cases, a general deterioration of forest structure”  

http://www.bio.psu.edu/greendestiny/publications/gdc-indicators_2000.doc

 In addition, PSU’s sewage spraying violated federal regulations governing the use of game lands that was purchased with federal Pittman-Robertson dollars that come from excise taxes that hunters pay on firearms and ammunition.   As a result of this violation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service required Penn State to pay $8.3 million to the Game Commission, with the stipulation that replacement land had to be found by February 28, 2008, or the Game Commission could evict Penn State from the land.

 Well guess what?  February 28 is rapidly approaching, and not only has replacement land not been found, but Penn State has actively thwarted the Game Commission’s effort to obtain the Spring Creek property.  PSU had signed an agreement saying they would help the PGC find replacement  land, but we guess that means land somewhere other than close to Penn State.

 But the real question is why Rep. Hanna is acting as a surrogate  for Penn State as the university is not even in his district.  Moreover, the community surrounding this property is adamantly opposed to PSU getting this land.  Despite this grassroots opposition, Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) is the only politician in the area questioning the land transfer.  Senator Jake Corman (R-Centre), Rep H. Scott Conklin (D-Centre), and of course, Rep. Hanna, are not. 

 This lack of consideration of the taxpayers’ and voters’ concerns reminds us of another recent legislative maneuver, the legislative pay raise.  It was politicians who decided how much of a pay raise they deserved – without any public notification or input.  The decision to transfer this valuable property was similarly made without any public involvement whatsoever. 

 In the past, whenever the State decided to divest itself of land, it was required to first ask other State agencies who might have an interest in that land if they wanted it.  They changed that procedure to one where the legislators could be involved in bringing home the bacon.   Based on this episode, it is clear we need to revert back to that earlier system so that the public’s property does not go to those with the most influence.

 At present, HB 1657 is in the House State Government Committee.  Attached is the contact information for those members.  If your representative is on that list, please place a call and ask him or her to oppose HB 1657.   Instead, ask them to support the transfer of this land to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.  If the bill does not come out of committee, it will not be voted on by the full House.   

Josephs, Babette, Majority Chair       
D-Philadelphia County, 
300 Main Capitol Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120                       
717-787-8529
RepJosephs@pahouse.net

Blackwell, Thomas, Majority Vice Chair
D-Philadelphia County
107 East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-0861
http://www.pahouse.com/blackwell_

Carroll, Mike
D- Luzerne/Monroe Counties
28-A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: (717) 787-8982

Cohen, Mark
D-Philadelphia County
128 Main Capitol Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: (717) 787-4117
http://www.pahouse.com/cohen

Curry, Lawrence
D-Montgomery/Philadelphia Co.
28B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-1079
http://www.pahouse.com/curry

Florindo Fabrizio
D-Erie County
100 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-4358
http://www.pahouse.com/fabrizio

Freeman, Robert
D-Northampton County
207 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-3815
http://www.pahouse.com/freeman_

Gibbons, Jaret, Majority Secretary
D-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence Counties
117A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-705-2060
http://www.pahouse.com/gibbons

Kortz, William
D-Allegheny County
06B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-8175

Kula, Deberah
D-Fayette/Westmoreland Co.
104A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-772-1858

O'Brien, Michael
D-Philadelphia Co.
224 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg
Harrisburg, PA 17120.
717-783-8098

Oliver, Frank
D-Philadelphia Co.                                 
34 East Wing   
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-3480
http://www.pahouse.com/oliver

Parker, Cherelle
D-Philadelphia Co.
112 Irvis Office Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-2178
http://www.pahouse.com/parker

Remaley, Sean
D-Allegheny County
313 Main Capitol Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-4444
http://www.pahouse.com/ramaley_

Vitali, Greg
D-Delaware County
103-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-7647
http://www.pahouse.com/vitali_

Youngblood, Rosita
D-Philadelphia County
121-A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-878-7727    
http://www.pahouse.com/youngblood_

Baker, Matthew, Minority Chair
R-Bradford/Tioga Counties
3 East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-772-5371
http://www.repbaker.com

Benninghoff, Kerry
R-Centre/Mifflin Counties
141A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-1918
http://kerrybenninghoff.com

Clymer, Paul
R-Bucks County
216 Ryan Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-3154
http://www.paulclymer.com_

Creighton, Tom
R-Lancaster County
400 Irvis Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-772-5290
http://www.repcreighton.com_

Gingrich, Mauree
R-Lebanon County
430 Irvis Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-1815
mgingric@pahousegop.com

Grell, Glen
R-Cumberland County
404 Irvis Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-783-2063
ggrell@pahousegop.com

Mantz, Carl, Minority Secretary
R-Berks/Lehigh Counties
53B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-3017
http://www.repmantz.com

Marshall, Jim
R-Beaver County
53A East Wing 
Harrisburg, PA 17120     
717-260-6432
jmarshal@pahousegop.com

McIlhattan, Fred
R-Armstrong/Clarion Co.
415 Irvis Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-772-9908
http://www.fredmcilhattan.com

Quigley, Thomas
R-Montgomery County
51A East Wing  
Harrisburg, PA 17120  
717-772-9963
tquigley@pahousegop.com

Rapp, Kathy
R-Mckean/Warren Co.
161B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-1367
klrapp@pahousegop.com

Vereb, Mike
R-Montgomery County
160A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-705-7164
mvereb@pahousegop.com

Watson, Katharine
R-Bucks County
14B Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-5452
http://www.kathywatson144.com

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