Jan 20, 2003 2 min read

The sportsmen and women of Pennsylvania have been badly disappointed by the incoming Rendell Administration even before it has taken office. Gov.-elect Rendell bowed to pressure being exerted state by Sen. Jubelirer and issued a statement supporting construction of a highway through state game lands located along Bald Eagle Ridge near State College.

During the campaign for sportsmen’s votes, candidate Rendell committed that during his tenure state game lands would be protected from PennDOT’s bulldozers. That commitment apparently did not apply to decisions made by him before Inauguration Day.

The decision comes despite his apparent recognition that there exists a safer and less environmentally harmful alternative to constructing the highway along the top of Bald Eagle Ridge.

Rendell’s rationale for supporting the “ridge route alternative” was that this decision process had begun before his election, and the economic development planned around completion of the highway could not withstand the delay that would result by changing PennDOT’s plans to put the highway on the ridge instead of the valley.

The problem with this rationale is that in difficult cases, development interests will always have available the argument that sacrificing natural resources is justified by benefits to local economic interests. Under this rationale, Pennsylvania’s wild resources will always lose.

If this decision sets the tone for how the incoming administration intends to make decisions regarding our environment, then Pennsylvania sportsmen and women had better brace themselves for more sacrifice of their natural areas during the next four years.

Joe Humphreys

Boalsburg