The amendment recommends a policy of “no net loss” of private property when public land acquisitions are considered.

Warren County Planning Director Michael Lyon said that the county was approached by residents who were “upset over a huge land transfer.”

The Times Observer reported in October that the transfer was part of a 2,195 acre land-for-oil deal between the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania General Energy.

Terms of the transfer saw the Spring Creek Tract, referred to as the “Glen Dorn Property” by a PGC Facebook post, transferred to the PGC along with 943 acres in Cambria County in exchange for PGE’s ability to extract oil and gas from beneath a state game land in Lycoming County.

Photo from an Allegheny National Forest map This map shows the reach of the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County. In total, just over one-fourth of the county’s total acreage is part of the ANF.

“A lot of folks were unhappy about that,” Lyon said, calling it “particularly disturbing” that the original owner kept the mineral rights.

“In a way it wasn’t a transfer,” he said. “They kept a lot.”

Lyon said the county was approached about an amendment to the comprehensive plan to “protect erosion of the tax base.”

The draft amendment aims to “protect the tax base of the county.”

“Approximately 32 percent of Warren County’s total acreage is currently owned by the Allegheny National Forest, PA Game Commission and PA State Forest,” the document states. “While there are many benefits that come from the preservation of this land, these are all tax exempt entities and therefore are not contributing financially to the county.”

“The US government has enacted several pieces of legislation to address the impact of tax exempt land on local municipalities and counties,” per the document. “Unfortunately funds obtained from these sources has been inadequate to address the loss of tax revenue from the conversion of private property to public lands.”

Commission member Andy Brooks noted that the provision included in the comprehensive plan “can’t stop” any such sales or transfers while Commission Jeff Zariczny noted it would be an issue that needs to be addressed at the state level.

The plan draft advises the county to implement the “no net loss” policy to “maintain a reasonable balance of public and private land within the county and to ensure adequate tax revenue….

“This will help address the threat of the conversion of more private land and the loss of additional tax revenue. Adding any additional tax exempt properties to the County will only continue to erode the tax base.”

Lyon told the planning commission that other countries have said that such a “no net loss” policy has resulted in public entities refraining from buying more property.

“(We) can’t stop them from doing it,” he added, but called the proposal a recommendation.

The commission on Tuesday recommended to the commissioners that the amendment be adopted.

“This is adding to the erosion of the tax base,” Commission chair Paul Pascuzzi said.