County commissioners blast Air National Guard plans to lower jet training altitude

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Noting the county has been “fighting this for three years,” Clinton County Commissioner/Board Chairman Miles Kessinger has blasted the Maryland Air National Guard for its plans to lower the flying height for jets training over the county and elsewhere in northcentral Pennsylvania.

Fellow commissioners Jeff Snyder and Angela Harding joined the board chairman in their collective outspoken concern for particulars contained in a final draft environmental assessment produced by the Maryland Air National Guard. Their displeasure followed a lengthy presentation on the draft from county planner/engineer Steve Gibson.

Gibson said the draft report was received on March 29. It says the Guard plans to lower the altitude airspace for its jets from 1,000 to 100 feet. Gibson noted the county previously opposed the proposal as it would increase and lower jet flights over the Pennsylvania Wilds tourism area, which includes Clinton County among its member counties.

He did say the Guard made two concessions relative to flights over the county, proposing not to allow flights below 1,000 over the Kettle Creek and Hammersley Fork environmental areas; also the Leidy gas operations would remain a no-fly zone.

Gibson said the proposal will allow two-flights-a day for two hours a day for 170 days a year and the agency “would try to avoid” flights on Sundays. He said the proposal still calls for flights over the state’s elk rehabilitation area to the west of Clinton County and the Guard study said the flights would not affect hunting. He said the draft included 2,000 pages of opposition to the proposal.

The commissioners were adamant in their criticism of the draft environmental findings. Snyder said plan implementation would “change the lifestyle of Clinton County forever” and was an example of “government at its worst.” Harding talked of the negative impact of “future economic development primarily based on tourism.” Kessinger said report developers “have never been here….and to heck with you people.”

The Guard unit had posted notice of its final draft in March placing copies in libraries in Bradford, Coudersport, Emporium and Wellsboro. There had been no notice posted in Clinton County, according to information at Monday’s commissioners work session.