Penn State Cooperative Extension is helping Pennsylvania landowners understand their natural gas leasing rights: Workshops and a live call-in television program with Penn State Public Broadcasting have reached more than 20,000 Pennsylvanians. For more information, go to http://naturalgas.extension.psu.edu.

When Michael DiBerardinis was named Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) in 2003, he embarked on a year of travel and dialogue with more than 2,000 DCNR staff and stakeholders. The result was a new action plan for the agency responsible for 117 state parks and 2.1 million acres of state forest land. He recently talked with Penn State Outreach magazine about DCNR’s expanded mission, as well as the University’s activities to protect natural resources.

Q: What is your primary mission as DCNR secretary?
A: Historically, DCNR was seen as the steward of public lands, but we have expanded that mission to be stewards and advocates for all the natural resources of Pennsylvania. We are focusing on people, communities and economies. We asked people what they value, and that helped us create a set of new goals to frame our work. One example: We have embarked on a statewide tree planting project in metropolitan areas. Penn State Cooperative Extension is a prime partner.

Q: You have been a Philadelphia neighborhood activist, recreation commissioner and vice president at the William Penn Foundation. How did these roles prepare you for your current position?
A: As a neighborhood activist, I had a deep belief in the extension of our democracy into people’s everyday lives, engaging citizens in the civic life of their cities and neighborhoods. As recreation commissioner, I learned people want to connect in an active way with nature, so we built hundreds of outdoor and environmental education programs. At the William Penn Foundation, I ran the grants program and learned that grant-funded programs need to be connected with other groups, agencies, and institutional and governmental players to build endurable economies and communities.

Q: What is one of DCNR’s biggest challenges?
A: We’re consuming land at a clip far exceeding population growth. This may be the result of Pennsylvania’s role as an industrial leader. When the core of our major cities experienced big hits as the industrial economy declined, we became particularly susceptible to sprawl and urban development.

Q: How is DCNR responding?
A: We have protected more land—140,000 acres—in the last five years than in the previous 35 years. We’ve added to park land and forest land, and we’re helping counties, nonprofits and local governments that want to build trails and protect important rivers, streams and other natural resources to do that.

Q: Nature tourism is growing, with the first nature inn under development at Bald Eagle State Park, as part of the Pennsylvania Wilds initiative. Why are people more interested in this type of recreation?
A: There is an immense demand for in-park, modern overnight accommodations. Many people are interested in the opportunity to watch wildlife, take a hike or a paddle and enjoy some interpretive programming, but they prefer not to sleep on the ground. We wanted to create more ecologically sensitive and less impactful accommodations and model conservation as we build nature inns that meet LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] silver or gold certification.

Q: The agency recently conducted a lease sale for gas development on DCNR land. How will natural gas drilling impact state forest lands?
A: We took four years to develop a natural gas lease agreement that protects the land so there is little or no impact on the ecosystem. Our preference is deep drilling, which is what is necessary to reach the Marcellus Shale formation. It requires less of an impact on the forest because the wells are spaced farther apart. We worked with legislators and the oil and gas industry to be able to safely lease land. Our forest management practices are certified as sustainable by an independent international organization.

Q: The Governor has proposed using $174 million in income from the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling leases to help close the budget deficit. How is this affecting DCNR?
A: We will operate our agency on a significant portion of these fund dollars. Every dollar in the oil and gas fund we spend is a dollar contributed to the general fund. This use of the fund will help DCNR and the Commonwealth to weather some of the most challenging economic times in decades and preserve DCNR’s ability to manage state parks and forests, promote land conservation and sustainable communities, and provide outdoor connections for citizens and visitors.

Q: Penn State is helping to educate landowners about the Marcellus Shale formation and natural gas leases (see box). What do you think about these efforts?
A: The University is providing an invaluable service by educating and protecting our natural resources—one the state isn’t capable of doing. Penn State is making a direct connection to landowners, educating them on the options and potential impact of their decisions.

Q: Do you have any advice for Penn State?
A: As a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, I’ve developed a deep understanding and respect for Penn State’s impact in the Commonwealth. My only advice is: Keep up the good work.