Economic Expert On Marcellus Shale: ‘This Is Big!’
“This is big,” was the opening remark of Dr. Tim Kelsey, rural economist and community development specialist from Penn State University, speaking to about 70 people attending Tuesday night’s monthly meeting of the Potter County Natural Gas Task Force. From lease payments and royalties being paid to mineral rights owners, to employment and business partnering opportunities, Marcellus Shale natural gas production is an economic goliath, Kelsey said. The challenge for community leaders will be to “minimize the negative implications” and prepare for the years that will follow the boom.
“When it’s gone, it’s gone,” Dr. Kelsey emphasized. “You need to be prepared for that day and not be wholly dependent on it.”
Based on studies of other gas rushes and assessments of the Marcellus Shale potential, Kelsey said the strongest economic activity and creation of jobs will come during a 15- to 20-year “development phase.” Upwards of 90 percent of those jobs will be gone during the ensuing “production phase,” which could last for 50 or more years.
Arrival of gas companies will create an environment where a whole generation of local residents will have employment opportunities that might persuade them to remain in Potter County, rather than moving away due to economics.
Sectors which will benefit the greatest will include energy, retail trade, construction, maintenance and repair, business services, health services, eating/drinking establishments and transportation.
“By and large, the economic trickle-down benefits are across the economy,” Kelsey said. “It’s not simply the gas industry and a few others.”
Local governments should prepare for the changes, he added, through land-use planning to control development and communication with energy companies to exchange information and identify potential problems.
Some members of the audience pointed out that any economic assessment is incomplete without taking into account the potential for environmental degradation due to water pollution, forest fragmentation, or other impacts from gas drilling.
Dr. Kelsey acknowledged that these could be factors, but added that deriving hard data to include the impact in an economic study was problematic.
Additional reports from Tuesday’s meeting will be posted on Potter County Today.
As 2010 U.S. Census forms arrive in Potter County residents’ mailboxes, there’s a less welcome and much more menacing type of mail that some have been receiving. According to the Potter County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), criminals posing as U.S. Census officials have been sending out bogus emails to internet users in an effort to fraudulently obtain personal financial information.
More and more travelers are using the internet to plan their trips. Area businesses hoping to make the most of tourism can learn how to create an effective website during a free workshop on Wednesday, March 10, at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The presentation will begin at 5 pm in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The workshop is sponsored by the Pitt-Bradford Business Resource Center.
Almost $670,553 is being made available to volunteer fire companies in Pennsylvania this year to better prepare them for fighting wildfires. More information on the grant program is available from the Pa. Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources website at 
A committee is being formed to serve as a liaison with the consulting firm that is developing a master site plan for expansion and improvements at the Austin Dam Memorial Park. Austin Borough, in cooperation with Austin Dam Memorial Association, has hired Pashek & Associates to create the plan. After the committee is formed and initial meetings are held, two public sessions will be scheduled to solicit public input and suggestions. First committee meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, at 6:30 pm. Anyone seeking additional information should contact David Brooks at 814-558-0605.
More than a dozen area maple syrup producers are opening their doors to the public over the March 27-28 weekend for the sixth annual “Maple Weekend.” Six of the operations are in Potter County. Goal is to promote the potential of maple syruping in the region and increase public awareness of the industry.