Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest Lease

Last week, Gov. Rendell announced 32,896 acres of state forest land had been leased to Anadarko Petroleum for drilling for $120 million. The no-bid deal was for land previously leased, but never drilled, and – combined with the additional revenue from earlier leasing of state lands – will generate the $180 million budgeted for next year’s revenue. Of course, that means that can’t use that revenue to balance this year’s $1.1 billion + shortfall. Rendell thus plans to eschew previously scheduling bidding on new state lands in the Marcellus Shale formation, and now support a moratorium on additional drilling on state lands.

However, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Responsible Government,explains this no-bid contract should outrage Pennsylvanians, as the state received less than the market value and what could have been obtained through competitive bidding, for the land leases and represents another backroom deal by the Rendell Administration.

Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest Lease