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Wednesday, July 12, 2000 Page: 6A
TWO MONTHS AGO, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT BEGAN: “WHAT IF SOMEBODY
CONSPIRED TO THREATEN OUR WATER SUPPLY, EXPLOIT, AND PERHAPS DESTROY A LARGE
PORTION OF OUR REGION’S NATURAL RESOURCES AND NOBODY CARED?”(MAY 23) AS IT
TURNS OUT, SOMEBODY DOES CARE. IN THE TIME SINCE THAT LETTER WAS WRITTEN, I
HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING AND JOINING WITH A RATHER EXTRAORDINARY
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME TO BE KNOWN COLLECTIVELY AS DEFEND OUR
WATERSHED! THIS ORGANIZATION HAS ESSENTIALLY “ERUPTED” FROM A BROAD
COALITION OF RESIDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IT INCLUDES PEOPLE FROM
MANY PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINES AND FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. WE ARE JOINED BY ONE
CONVICTION: THAT THE CURRENT THREAT TO THE REGION’S WATERSHED AND OPEN SPACES
CREATED BY SOUTHERN UNION’S PERFIDY AND THE CURRENT OWNERS’ APPARENT AVARICE
MUST BE COUNTERED BY PUBLIC EDUCATION AND POLITICAL ACTION. WE ARE NOT
IMPRACTICAL. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE RIGHTS OF THE CURRENT OWNERS, WHOEVER THEY
ARE. WITH THE RIGHT TO OWN THIS RATHER EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTY HOWEVER, COMES
CERTAIN DUTIES. I THINK THAT THESE RESPONSIBILITIES WERE POIGNANTLY DESCRIBED
IN THE 1996 LAND USE MANAGEMENT PLAN COMMISSIONED AND SINCE IGNORED BY PG
ENERGY ITSELF: “THIS LAND USE PLAN FOR PG ENERGY OWNED WATERSHED LANDS IS
BASED ON A FOUNDATION OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. PG ENERGY COMPANY, AS PROPERTY
OWNER, HOLDS THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WISE USE AND CARE OF THAT
PORTION OF THE WATERSHED OWNED BY PG ENERGY … THIS STEWARDSHIP IMPLIES A
COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY THE PUBLIC AND OTHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS SHARE
WITH PG ENERGY TO PROMOTE THE LONG RANGE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE WATERSHED.”
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CURRENT OWNERS DO NOT SHARE THESE HIGH IDEALS. THE ASKING
PRICE FOR LAND IN MANY CASES HAS BEEN FIVE TO 10 TIMES THE APPRAISED VALUE AND
AS MUCH AS 20 TIMES THE PURCHASE PRICE. THIS MAKES IT ALL BUT INEVITABLE THAT
THE LAND WILL ULTIMATELY BE SOLD TO ENTREPRENEURIAL, RATHER THAN CONSERVATION,
INTERESTS. WE STILL BELIEVE THAT A REASONABLE SOLUTION IS ACHIEVABLE.
MULTIPLE PARTIES, INCLUDING THE STATE GAME COMMISSION, DCNR, SEVERAL LAND
TRUSTS AND MULTIPLE OWNERS OF ADJACENT LAND HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN
ACQUIRING SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THE PROPERTY FOR CONSERVATION. IN THE
MEANTIME, WE AS A GROUP WILL CONTINUE IN OUR MISSION TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AS
TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE TO THEIR FUTURES. WE WILL BE ONE OF MANY
ORGANIZATIONS MONITORING THE ABUSE OF THE WATERSHED BY INAPPROPRIATE TIMBERING
AND OTHER PROFIT-MOTIVATED ACTIVITIES. INTERESTED PEOPLE CAN CONTACT US BY
WRITING DEFEND OUR WATERSHED!, BOX 2612, WILKES-BARRE, PA 18703, OR
[email protected].
DR. HENRY F. SMITH JR.
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DEFEND OUR WATERSHED!
MOUNTAINTOP