The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the budget proposed by Governor Rendell includes not only a wellhead tax anticipated to generate $160 million next year, but also a proposal to increase the leasing of state forest lands, anticipated to raise $180 million. Not everyone is happy, though. "Some Democratic lawmakers are decrying the governor's effort to cash in on the Marcellus land rush as an affront to efforts by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to sustainably manage 2.1 million acres of state forests."
