In 2003, Gov. Ed Rendell spearheaded the Pennsylvania Wilds Initiative, which identified 6.5 million acres in Pennsylvania's northern tier for improved recreation and tourism. The goal was "to enhance the visitor experiences in this region, while protecting and conserving these treasured natural resources."

Ryan Talbott is forest watch coordinator for the Allegheny Defense Project (rtalbott@alleghenydefense.org).

It seems, however, that Gov. Rendell's goal of protecting and conserving these treasured natural resources is being compromised by the actions of his own administrative agencies, leaving visitors to question what exactly is meant by Pennsylvania Wilds.

Just two of the problems with the governor's initiative are the extent of oil and gas drilling being permitted in the Allegheny National Forest and a draft proposal for an 800-mile ATV loop trail through private, state and federal lands. Gov. Rendell must change course on these issues if the goals of the Pennsylvania Wilds Initiative are to be realized.

First, the current prodigious rate of drilling in the Allegheny National Forest is damaging sensitive watersheds and other forest uses. More than 9,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the Allegheny, more than all other national forests combined, and the rate of drilling has exploded over the last several years. More than 1,000 wells were drilled in 2006 alone, a fivefold increase from just four years ago.

New roads are being built through the forest every day to service oil and gas wells. The Forest Service predicts that by 2020, there may be 12,000 more wells drilled, contributing to a decline of habitat for dozens of species.

Gov. Rendell's Department of Environmental Protection authorizes the drilling. Unfortunately, the DEP is nothing but a rubber stamp for the oil companies and allows drilling to commence at record levels regardless of the impact on wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities.

If Gov. Rendell wants to encourage recreation in this region by dubbing it wild, he needs to direct the DEP to provide better oversight and to insure that oil and gas drilling is not destroying its wildness. As U.S. Rep. John E. Peterson, R-Venango, recently stated, "We have a gem here in the Allegheny National Forest."

Second, Gov. Rendell's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has authorized funding for a study to construct an 800-mile ATV trail throughout much of the Pennsylvania Wilds region. The plan includes using township roads and constructing trails on private lands, state game lands, state forest lands and even state park lands, largely starting with trails that have been carved out through illegal riding. This proposed trail also would connect to the Allegheny National Forest.

Is this the "enhancement" visitors are supposed to experience when they visit the Pennsylvania Wilds -- thousands of oil and gas wells and thousands of ATVs zooming through the woods?

Erecting signs along Interstate 80 informing travelers they have entered the Pennsylvania Wilds region will not hide what visitors experience on the ground. Gov. Rendell's Pennsylvania Wilds Initiative will be meaningless if the land is not protected and conserved as his slogan suggests.