The rights of private mineral owners in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) would be reasserted under legislation that U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) reintroduced on Tuesday.
The Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act would reinforce federal court rulings dating back to 2009 that the U.S. Forest Service doesn’t have legal authority to restrict access to private mineral rights in the ANF.
“This legislation reaffirms nearly a century of cooperation between the owners of private mineral rights in northwestern Pennsylvania and the federal government,” Thompson, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, said. “Despite repeated attempts by extreme environmental groups to shut down energy production in the Allegheny National Forest, the legislation will provide certainty and protect the jobs and communities that rely on the forest’s resources.”
The Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act would reinforce that the Forest Service does not have authority to draft new rules pertaining to access to private mineral rights held in ANF, which spans 500,000 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania.
In 2016, the bill cleared the Natural Resources Committee and was passed by the House without objection. The Senate didn’t take up the measure before the 114th Congress ended.