Potter County Today
Potter County is resurrecting the award-winning Natural Gas Resource Center
(NGRC). It will be jointly administered by the county’s Planning and Community
Development departments and supported by the Potter County Board of
Commissioners. An advisory committee comprised of environmental, educational,
energy industry and government representatives has been reassembled. Members are
Will Hunt, Potter County Planning Director; Jason Childs, manager of the Potter
County Conservation District and chairman of the Potter County Water Quality
Work Group; Kim Rees, executive director of the Potter County Education Council;
Bryan Phelps, police/emergency services; Commissioners Susan Kefover, Doug
Morley and Paul Heimel; Jennifer Rossman, Potter County Community Development
Director; Terry Cole, Pennsylvania CareerLink; Curt Weinhold, Potter County
Planning Commission; and industry representatives Scott Blauvelt from JKLM
Energy and Al Haney from Gas Field Specialists Inc. A seat on the committee is
also being held open for the new water resources educator to be hired soon by
Penn State Extension.
The NGRC leadership will confer with the Pa. Dept. of Environmental
Protection, the Triple Divide Watershed Coalition, Penn State University
Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research, and other resources. A new website,
recently launched at naturalgasresourcecenter.com, is
being built incrementally.
Potter County Education Council oversaw the NGRC for several years. It was
recognized as a model by the County Commissioners Assn. of Pa. and the National
Assn. of Counties. The center is designed as a one-stop shop for all kinds of
information about the region’s gas industry. At its peak, NGRC had about 560
businesses and agencies signed on to be listed on the center’s website. Public
education, as well as development of business liaisons, will remain high
priorities. The advisory committee will be reviewing possible topics to be
covered when NGRC resumes its public meetings about gas drilling issues,
opportunities and concerns later this year.
