Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Cheswick, is pictured during a recent visit to a black bear den with Pennsylvania Game Commission bear biologists to learn about their work in managing our black bear population.

The Warren County School District is on the record opposing state legislation that would make it easier for the state Game Commission to purchase land.

Gary L. Weber, district superintendent, said during a recent school board meeting strong opposition to a legislative proposal by Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Cheswick, to lift a $400 per-acre cap on the price the Pennsylvania Game Commission can offer when purchasing land. Weber said the Pennsylvania Game Commission already owns over 109,000 acres in Warren County, accounting for 17% of the county’s total land area. When combined with the 135,000 acres of Allegheny National Forest, more than 38% of the county’s land is under government ownership, limiting opportunities for private development and reducing local revenue generation.​

“Natural resource development on these publicly held lands, whether through timbering or the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals, has suffered dramatically due to shifting public policy and land management decisions for decades,” Weber said.

He emphasized that increased government land ownership adversely affects the local economy by diminishing property tax revenue, transfer taxes, and school taxes — funds essential for sustaining municipal services and educational programs in Warren County.

Weber urged state legislators to reconsider policies that facilitate further land acquisitions by the PGC to protect local economic interests and maintain a sustainable tax base for public education and community services.​

“The expansion of government-owned land in our county has significantly constrained our economic growth,” Weber said. “Public policies and land management decisions over the past decades have led to a marked decline in natural resource development on these lands, particularly in timbering and the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals. This downturn has stifled critical economic drivers that once propelled our region’s prosperity.”​

Weber highlighted the adverse effects of increased government land ownership on the local economy, emphasizing the loss of property tax revenue, transfer taxes, and school taxes. These funds are vital for maintaining municipal services and supporting educational programs within the county.​

“Allowing the Game Commission to acquire more privately held land poses a direct threat to the economic vitality of our community,” Weber said. “With a substantial portion of our county already under non-tax-paying government ownership, further expansion would exacerbate our financial challenges. Warren County cannot afford to lose additional land that contributes to our tax base and supports essential public services.”​

The Warren County School District is urging state legislators to reconsider policies that facilitate further land acquisitions by the Game Commission. The district underscores the necessity of protecting local economic interests and preserving a sustainable tax base to ensure the continued provision of quality education and community services.​

“It’s imperative that we balance conservation efforts with the economic needs of our communities,” Weber concluded.”We must work collaboratively to develop strategies that support both environmental stewardship and economic development, ensuring a prosperous future for Warren County.”​

Warren City Council members tabled approval of a letter opposing Steele’s bill. Councilman Maurice Cashman raised issues with Steele’s $400-per-acre cap, saying no agency would be able to purchase land if that was the limit. He said most land purchases are much more expensive. He also questioned the letter’s math concerning how much land is actually owned by the Allegheny National Forest and Pennsylvania Game Commission in Warren County, saying he couldn’t find a reliable accounting of the national and state agencies’ land ownership.

Cashman said he wouldn’t sign the letter in its current form, a sentiment echoed by Councilwoman Wendy McCain. Cashman also proposed changing the letter to ask for PILOT payments to local governments, the Warren County School District and Warren County as a whole from the Game Commission for land it purchases.