Your Letters: Monday

Wildlife not for everyone

The June 16 CDT reported on the “Wildlife for Everyone” center planned for the southeast corner of Game Lands 176. I believe this project is a huge, obscene mistake.

This 90-acre corner of the game lands is a woodland paradise used extensively by wildlife, bird watchers, bikers, hikers, dog walkers and hunters. Why destroy treasured woodland vitally important to both animals and people to build a 60,000-square-foot outdoor center we don’t need? Why bring air and noise pollution by bus to a parking lot built on destroyed habitat? Isn’t the destruction and development of Circleville Farm enough?

Don’t be fooled by the Orwellian title “Wildlife for Everyone.” I suspect that “Wildlife” means wildlife hunted by members of Pheasants Forever, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Woodcocks Unlimited, Safari Club International, and sportsmen. I suspect “Everyone” means hunters.

If the people developing this monstrosity really believe in wildlife conservation and education, they should use their money to keep our state parks open and our conservation and environmental programs running. The last thing we need is the destruction of habitat and recreational space so we can “study” the wildlife and wilderness we destroy.

Jack Williams State College

Conserve natural resources

In response to the June 9 column by Rep. Kerry Benninghoff about the Rockview state prison land transfer, I must speak out in defense of the conservation of the rich natural resources of our region.

Benninghoff’s legislation (House Bill 1158) provides for the transfer of the Rockview lands, also known as Spring Creek Canyon, to several entities, including Benner Township, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The remaining several acres would be sold to the highest bidder.

I, along with the many conservationists in our region, have concerns with this plan because it does not put in place the master planning and conservation easement processes that are the only way to truly protect the land. Under Benninghoff’s plan, the Game Commission would take over and would have the ability to lease the land to Penn State for agricultural use without compliance with the developed master plan and without the enforcement of conservation easements by the state Department of Conservation and National Resources and ClearWater Conservancy.

The Game Commission, which has been criticized for focusing too heavily on law enforcement, is not the ideal entity to manage this sensitive environmental land. In the House’s last session, legislators rejected a proposal similar to HB 1158 because the Game Commission was unwilling to accept the conservation easement to be granted to DCNR and ClearWater Conservancy.

I have proposed legislation that would give a portion of the land to Penn State to ensure proper protection and conservation. Penn State would, of course, pay less for the land than a private purchaser because it takes on a tremendous financial burden by agreeing to comply with the master plan and the conservation easements, which contain specific language requiring the deeds to contain restrictive covenants guaranteeing that the property will not be sold and will only be used for agricultural education by Penn State, or it “shall immediately revert to the grantor (the commonwealth).”

Penn State is best suited to protect this land. It will honor the memorandums of understanding developed to govern land use, including the protection of the right to public hunting. The conservation easement, enforced by DCNR and ClearWater Conservancy, will protect against development inconsistent with the master plan, which many stakeholders took the time to carefully develop to address the complicated issues involved with preserving this delicate natural resource.

Rep. Mike Hanna Hanna, D-Lock Haven, represents the 76th Legislative District in the state House.

Thanks for flower beds

The community owes a debt of gratitude to all of the people who responded to State College’s request, because of severe budget cuts, for volunteers to help plant and maintain the many beautiful borough flower beds this summer.

Kudos to the residents of College Heights who pitched in to plant the diverter pots and the bed at Hillcrest; to Landscape 2, which planted the bed at Walnut Springs; and especially to Cassandra Burke, a local landscaper, who not only helped by contributing some plants but who rallied many of her fellow master gardener colleagues and other friends to plant and maintain the remaining beds.

When you pass one of these volunteers out weeding a bed this summer, give a honk of appreciation.

Joann Leonard State College

Get on with pool plans

As members of Welch Pool for 35 years, we are eager for the renovations to begin.

However, changes have been held up because several property owners have objected.

The architect’s plan — involving moving the current bike path — was agreed upon by the Centre Region Council of Governments, State College Borough Council and Parks and Recreation.

However, the State College Area school board’s approval was delayed by these property owners because the new bike path would come closer to their backyards, even though it would be built on land currently owned by the school district. In fact, it seems that at least one “backyard” has included some of the district’s land for quite awhile.

The reasons given for realigning the bike path seem sensible. The offer to plant a tree/bush buffer between the new bike path and neighboring property seems fair and reasonable. The delay and additional costs involved in sending the plans back to the architect and through the approval process again would probably postpone renovations for another year.

Let’s get on with it and approve the architect’s suggestion to move the bike path and start renovations for Welch Pool with no further delays.

Betty and John Moore State College

Give Game Commission land

Sen. Jake Corman’s recent op-ed entitled “We must make tough choices” evidently applies only to others. He talks about his childhood when his family had to cut back on expenses and live within their means during tough times. It appears he has forgotten those lessons.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has offered to pay twice what Penn State is paying for the Rockview prison property, yet our elected representatives continue to support the land being transferred to Penn State.

Not only will taxpayers be out the $1 million extra the Game Commission has offered to pay, but the master plan requires millions more to implement it, and $240,000 per year just to administer it. In contrast, the Game Commission does not need any taxpayer funds. It has the equipment, personnel and expertise to rehabilitate the land for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians.

We need our elected representatives to support Rep. Kerry Benninghoff’s bill that would transfer the Rockview land to the Game Commission, an agency with a long history of land stewardship. In doing so, our representatives will not only save state money but will also be following the will of the people.

Gloria and Herb Thompson State College