The impacts of shale natural gas energy development on outdoor recreation: A statewide assessment of pennsylvanians

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Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined the impacts of shale natural gas energy development (SGD) related activities upon outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania. Much of the ongoing and proposed SGD infrastructure in Pennsylvania is located either within or adjacent to public lands, waters, and protected areas, raising concerns about the potential environmental and social impacts upon recreation stakeholders. The extensive body of SGD research within the United States has suggested there are numerous positive and negative impacts upon the general public. Yet, the impact of SGD upon outdoor recreation users remains unclear. While SGD impacts are becoming progressively evident to both recreationists and natural resource managers, few studies have sought to specifically assess the extent to which SGD alters outdoor recreation behaviors, experiences, and activities. This statewide survey of Pennsylvanians (n = 2240) found that 23.4% of respondents had encountered SGD related activities while participating in outdoor recreation. Study findings also noted that 13.8% of respondents had changed their outdoor recreation behaviors or experiences as a result of encountering SGD related activities. Moreover, a sub-sample, representing 12.3% of respondents, identified specific SGD related impacts (e.g., aesthetic, environmental, infrastructure) upon their outdoor recreation behaviors, experience, and activities which sometimes resulted in substitution behaviors and/or a lack of perceived ‘fit’ between the energy development and the landscape and environment. From a policy and management standpoint, study findings highlight the specific and nuanced impacts of SGD upon certain sub-populations of outdoor recreationists as well as the importance of assessing and communicating recreation experience and use impacts to all recreationists when planning, developing, and managing SGD and related decisions in the United States.

Management Implications

This study found that only a small population of Pennsylvania outdoor recreationists were impacted by SGD related activities. In the regions of Pennsylvania where SGD was most prominent (e.g., North Central and Southwest), outdoor recreation impacts were considerably higher. Moreover, a sub-sample of respondents found that SGD impacted their outdoor recreation behaviors, their in situ recreation experiences, and/or the environmental setting and landscape in which they recreated. Study findings suggest a two-tiered communication approach, accounting for perceptions of both behavioral and/or landscape environmental quality impacts, may be the most comprehensive strategy for addressing and communicating the impacts of SGD upon outdoor recreationists.

Introduction

As the demand for energy production in the United States continues to increase, shale natural gas energy development (SGD) remains one of the most viable and abundant domestic options (Loomis & Haefele, 2017). In recent years, SGD has taken the United States by storm due largely to its economic feasibility and vast energy potential. Specifically, the Northeast region of the United States has seen the most dramatic increase in SGD, with the region expanding from a few negligible wells a decade ago, to one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world today (U.S. EIA, 2018). The Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania has largely driven this development with more than 10,000 wells drilled in Pennsylvania between 2005 and 2017, producing more than 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (Exec, 2015). The influence of the Marcellus Shale and the levels of development in Pennsylvania are expected to steadily increase. Over the next 30 years, SGD is projected to more than double in production, with the majority of growth coming from the Northeast region of the United States (U.S. EIA, 2018).

Researchers, natural resource managers, and the general public have noted the effects of SGD upon local communities and landscapes. Studies have broadly found that individuals affected by SGD often reveal a host of negative social, environmental, and infrastructure impacts (Brasier et al., 2011; Lorig, 2016; Jacquet & Stedman, 2013a; Schafft & Biddle, 2015; Thomas et al., 2017; Weigle, 2010). Research has also shown the positive impacts of SGD which largely revolve around notions of economic prosperity and energy independence (Brasier et al., 2011; Kinnaman, 2011; Rahm, Fields, & Farmer, 2015; Thomas et al., 2017; Willits, Brasier, Ooms, Tracewski, & Stedman, 2008). While the majority of SGD research has broadly focused on environmental, economic, and social impacts, attention has also turned towards perceptions of SGD risks, benefits, and impacts across specific populations (Clough & Bell, 2016; Evensen, 2015).

SGD currently takes place on both public and private lands within the United States. Much of the current and proposed SGD infrastructure operates either within or adjacent to public lands, waters, and protected areas, raising concerns about the potential impacts upon outdoor recreation stakeholders. The literature has suggested that outdoor recreation may be impacted by SGD, but to date, no studies have specifically assessed this phenomenon amongst a statewide population sample. This study found that nearly one-quarter (23.4%) of Pennsylvania residents had encountered SGD related activities while participating in outdoor recreation and that 13.8% of residents had changed their outdoor recreation behaviors and experiences as a result of encountering SGD in Pennsylvania. Moreover, a sub-sample of study respondents qualitatively identified SGD related impacts upon their outdoor recreation behaviors, experience, and activities which often resulted in substitution behaviors and/or a lack of perceived ‘fit’ between the energy development and the landscape and environment. This study highlights the specific and nuanced impacts of SGD upon outdoor recreationists as well as the importance of assessing and communicating recreation experience and use impacts when planning, developing, and managing SGD and related decisions in the United States.

Section snippets

Shale natural gas energy development

SGD is the largest energy sector in the United States, representing 31% of overall domestic energy production in 2017 (U.S. EIA, 2017b). Conventional shallow-well natural gas energy development has produced slow and consistent natural gas in the United States for over a century. However, recent technological advances have allowed for the efficient and cost effective extraction of shale natural gas reserves via unconventional hydraulic fracturing (Considine, Considine, & Watson, 2016; U.S. EIA,

Research questions

  • R1

    To what extent have outdoor recreationists encountered SGD while recreating in Pennsylvania, and how does this vary across regions within the state?

  • R2

    To what extent have outdoor recreationists altered their outdoor recreation behaviors and experiences as a result of encountering SGD while recreating in Pennsylvania, and how does this vary across regions within the state?

  • R3

    How have outdoor recreationists been impacted by SGD while recreating in Pennsylvania?

Study context – Pennsylvania and the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan

The state of Pennsylvania is home to a

Theory

This study sought to add to the growing body of SGD research by specifically considering recreationists' perceptions' of impact. Several studies have advanced theory that many of the perceived negative impacts of SGD often stem from a lack of ‘fit’ between the energy development and the values that people assign to both the community and the landscape (Jacquet & Stedman, 2013b; Stedman, 2002; 2003). ‘Fit’ refers to how an energy development project is interpreted within the symbolic meaning of

Results

All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. To address research question R1, frequencies, valid percentages, and cross-tabulation procedures in conjunction with Pearson's Chi-Square analysis was used. To address research question R2, frequencies, valid percentages, and cross-tabulation procedures in combination with Pearson's Chi-Square analysis was again applied. Finally, to address research question R3, constant comparative methods,

Discussion

SGD has expanded rapidly in the United States for various technological, economic, and geopolitical reasons, with production expected to more than double by 2050 (U.S. Exec, 2015). A majority of the SGD infrastructure in Pennsylvania is either within or adjacent to public lands, waters, and protected areas, raising concerns about the impact on outdoor recreation stakeholders. The literature has suggested that outdoor recreation may be impacted by SGD, but to date, no studies have specifically

Conclusion

The results of this study found that only a sub-sample of Pennsylvania outdoor recreationists encountered and were indeed impacted by SGD; particularly in the regions where SGD was more widespread. Certain recreationists within this impacted sub-sample were able to identify not only the behavioral impacts of SGD upon their recreation experiences and activities, but also the landscape environmental quality or ‘fit’ impacts of SGD upon their communities and regions. These findings suggested that

Acknowledgements

All study design, data collection, analyses, interpretation, and decisions to submit this article for publication were made by The Pennsylvania State University Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management and The University of New Hampshire Department of Recreation Management and Policy. Funding for this research was supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The cooperation provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural

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