PITTSBURGH -- As a natural gas drilling boom sweeps Pennsylvania and other states, conservation groups are debating whether it makes sense to work with the industry to minimize impacts to the environment -- and whether to accept industry donations.

The big question is "how to deal with this overwhelming impact," said Phil Wallis, executive director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Audubon Society, adding that the industry "in general, is interested in resolving these issues."


Over the past five years thousands of new wells have been drilled across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, and hundreds of miles of pipeline have been laid to transport the gas to market. And that's just a snapshot of a similar boom in Texas, Colorado and other states.


In August, Audubon partnered with the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry group, and the Ruffed Grouse Society to hold a series of gatherings for birdwatchers, anglers, hunters and hikers to ask questions about drilling. The meetings didn't attract much notice until it emerged that some had discussed whether the industry might donate $30 million to set up an endowment to fund research on drilling impacts.


The idea of donations "came up several times," said Don Williams, a Harleysville, Pa. resident.

"It caught me completely off guard. I see that as somehow basically latching on and riding the coattails of the industry," Williams said. "The message itself bothered me."




"The sportsmen and conservation communities are an important part of Pennsylvania's heritage and key partners in responsible shale gas development," Forde wrote in an email. But he added that the coalition hasn't discussed donations with any of the outdoor groups that helped set up the sessions.




"If environmental groups who are both passionate and knowledgeable fail to engage the natural gas industry, who will?" Brownstein asked. "If we simply sit and protest, we're missing an opportunity" to create stronger regulations.

Some conservation groups are finding that they can't avoid the industry.


Bonner said the chapter decided that current regulations aren't strong enough to meet their standards for environmental protection, so they haven't signed any gas leases. But they're not rejecting the idea.

"We kind of put up the mirror, and said, we are consumers of gas," and that it would be hypocritical to not try to understand all the pros and cons around drilling, and Audubon's place in the debate.

"If a company came to us and said we've developed a process that does not use any chemicals, we would probably almost feel obliged to consider that, if only to help demonstrate a best practice could be developed," Bonner said. "We all agree that energy is needed. I'd love to think that we can extract it better here than somewhere else around the world."
