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Ok...something just seems so wrong here...State and Federal Park Lands were made into parks to protect their natural beauty, were SET ASIDE LANDS that were/are supposed to be PRESERVED...many of these beautiful lands, their waterways and scenic vistas have been protected not just for decades, but in many cases for generations as families down through time have enjoyed, used and taken advantage of lands acquired and set aside with the help, they set asides and the maintaining of them paid for with our own tax dollars, and various fees we pay to use certain aspects of said parks, such as camping. So imagine my surprise yesterday to read a twitter from a woman, where in she stated a certain segment of a particular hiking trail in a Pennsylvania Park was being rerouted around a Shale Gas Drill (FRACKING) site on these public lands. She found out from her husband who was planning out the Scout Troops annual 50 mile hiking adventure. I tweeted about it, provided a link for those wishing to verify the information being provided.
Now tonight, again on Twitter, I stumble upon a link (from the opposition) which led me to an article wherein the primary focus was the state of Ohio's plan to sell (un)Natural Gas Leases inside the boundaries of Ohio's State Parks...we are not just talking one lease, but untold HUNDREDS of leases if one is willing to just read between the lines a tiny bit. The basic strategy apparently, is to use the money from this despoiling of the Parks to maintain and beautify them...EXCUSE ME? Isn't a great deal of the beauty of the parks lost when you have contaminated water ponds, ground water contamination, scarred land, and loud trucks rumbling back and forth all day through the once quite rural park lands?
Can someone please tell me what I am missing here? Surely this is one of the most ruthless rapes of our Park System ever stumbled upon? Surely, the governor of the Great state of Ohio is being very shorted sighted when he is willing to permanently and forever destroy vast stretches of our Park system to address short term budget shortfalls? Furthermore, is it just me, but if the state is supposed to be regulating these companies, protecting our environment, making sure the tenants of the Clean Water Act are adhered too, does the sale of such leases by the states create a HUGE CONFLICT OF INTEREST...after all, would not the sale of such leases, put one in bed with the very people they are supposed too be protecting us against?
