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Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) Executive Director John Arway will
be the featured speaker at a special evening program being hosted by the
Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Clean Water Institute of Lycoming
College to discuss Marcellus Shale. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on
September 22 in Room D-001 of the Academic Center on the Lycoming College
campus.
Joining Mr. Arway at the meeting will be William Worobec,
president of the PFBC Board of Commissioners. Mr. Worobec represents the
Commission’s 5th District, which includes Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour,
Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties.
Mr. Arway
will offer the Fish and Boat Commission’s perspective on the current and
potential impacts of Marcellus development to aquatic resources, fishing and
boating. He will explain the Commission’s role as it relates to enforcing
pollution laws and advising on Marcellus activities and make the case for
enactment of the proposed severance tax. He will also describe the authority to
enforce water pollution laws vested in the Commission as far back as 1909 and
the important roles that Commission staff continues to play in making sure that
Marcellus and other projects are designed and implemented with as little impact
to the resource as possible.
Mr. Arway will explain how the Fish and
Boat Commission wants to help the industry protect our waters and habitats and
comply with the environmental laws that the General Assembly promulgates. Most
people do not realize that the Commission relies almost entirely on fishing
licenses, boat registrations, and federal funding tied to fishing and boating to
pay for everything it does. This includes trying to keep pace and stay ahead of
the curve on the current and projected impacts of Marcellus development to
fishing, boating, and the resources the Commission is entrusted to
protect.
In a sneak preview of his talk, Mr. Arway noted, “If we received
a portion of a severance tax, we could take a collaborative approach with both
the industry and the other agencies that are reviewing and advising on
projects. Ultimately, we would like to have Commission staff in position to
spend the necessary time reviewing and commenting on projects, working in the
field with developers and other agencies and enforcing the water pollution laws
of the Commonwealth to make sure our resources are protected. I truly believe
that the public expect that service from us, and the resources under our
jurisdiction depend upon it to survive.”
