Original research articleWhat do outdoor recreationists think of fracking? Politics, ideology, and perceptions of shale gas energy development in Pennsylvania State Forests
Introduction
Shale natural gas energy development (SGD) is the largest and most viable domestic energy sector in the United States [1]. Fueling this recent SGD boom is the combination of rising energy prices, large-scale capital investments, and cost-effective technological advances in unconventional hydraulic fracturing methods [2], [3], [4]. Unconventional hydraulic fracturing (commonly referred to as ‘fracking’) utilizes the high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals into a wellbore to create cracks and fissures in deep-rock formations where natural gas and oil can flow more freely to the surface for collection [5,6]. The combined technological and geopolitical advances in SGD have allowed the United States to become the world's largest producer of natural gas, with Texas and Pennsylvania leading domestic production [3,6,7]. Pennsylvania has largely led domestic SGD production, with more than 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas produced since 2005 [1]. A significant portion of this SGD production takes place ether within or adjacent to Pennsylvania State Forest lands [8,9].
This study examined State Forest recreationists’ support and opposition towards SGD on both public and private lands in Pennsylvania. Outdoor recreation is an increasingly critical component of the Pennsylvania economy, generating $29.1 billion in annual consumer spending, $1.9 billion in state and local tax revenue, and employing more than three times as many individuals in Pennsylvania as the SGD industry in 2017 [10,11]. Pennsylvania lawmakers, natural resource managers, and SGD industry representatives must recognize and embrace State Forest recreationists as important and legitimate stakeholders within the SGD process due to their potential first-hand interaction with this form of energy development in Pennsylvania and around the world. This study found low levels of support towards SGD on public lands and relatively neutral stances towards support for SGD on private lands in Pennsylvania. Moreover, study respondents perceived limited benefits and limited risks towards SGD on Pennsylvania State Forests. This study highlights the perceived influence of SGD and political ideology upon State Forest recreationists as well as the importance of assessing and communicating recreationists’ perceptions of SGD on public land private lands in the United States.
Section snippets
Shale natural gas energy development
The Marcellus Shale is one of the largest shale gas ‘plays’ in the world, spanning 34 million acres and containing approximately 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas [2,3]. The Marcellus Shale is a geological formation containing substantial natural gas deposits below sections of five Northeastern states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and New York [2]. Within the Marcellus Shale region, the rapid development and expansion of natural gas extraction is largely attributed to the
Study context – Pennsylvania State Forests
The state of Pennsylvania manages a substantial number of public lands and protected areas that provide abundant outdoor recreation opportunities and access. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-Bureau of Forestry (DCNR-BOF) manages a majority of these public-protected areas, presiding over 20 State Forest units encompassing approximately 2.2 million acres of forestland [8]. The Pennsylvania DCNR-BOF manages this forestland system under the guidance of the State
Results
All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 and AMOS version 24.0. To address research question R1, frequencies, valid percentages, and measure of central tendency were used. To address research question R2, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the relationship between benefits, risks, political ideology, and support for SGD on public and private lands. Finally, to address research question R3, analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Discussion
SGD has rapidly expanded in the United States for various technological, economic, and geopolitical reasons, with production expected to more than double by 2050 [7]. This study examined the influence of political ideology and perceptions of benefits and risks upon State Forest recreationists’ support and opposition towards SGD on public and private lands in Pennsylvania. The predominantly local, educated, experienced, and politically moderate sample in this study exhibited low levels of
Conclusion
The results of this study suggested relatively low support for SGD on Pennsylvania public lands among State Forest recreationists. However, when integrating political ideology, study results found that State Forest recreationists identifying themselves as conservative were significantly more likely than their moderate and liberal counterparts to support SGD on Pennsylvania public lands. Political ideology proved to be a robust variable in the study and surpassed perceived risk when predicting
Declaration of Competing Interest
None.
Acknowledgments
All study design, data collection, analyses, interpretation, and decisions to submit this article for publication were made by The University of New Hampshire Department of Recreation Management and Policy and The Pennsylvania State University Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management. Funding for this research was supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Grant no. 4400015622). The cooperation provided by the Pennsylvania Department of
References (69)
- et al.
Winds of Change: predicting water-based recreationists’ support and opposition for offshore wind energy development in the Great Lakes
J. Great Lakes Res.
(2019) - et al.
Does oil and gas development impact recreation visits to public lands? A cross-sectional analysis of overnight recreation site use at 27 national forests with oil and gas development
J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour.
(2018) - et al.
“Fracking” controversy and communication: using national survey data to understand public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing
Energy Policy
(2014) - et al.
How geographic distance and political ideology interact to influence public perception of unconventional oil/natural gas development
Energy Policy
(2016) - et al.
Social and political impacts of renewable energy: literature review
Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change
(2016) - et al.
Uncertain climate: an investigation into public scepticism about anthropogenic climate change
Glob. Environ. Change
(2011) - et al.
It’s political: how the salience of one’s political identity changes climate change beliefs and policy support
Glob. Environ. Change
(2014) - et al.
Attitudes toward hydraulic fracturing: the opposing forces of political conservatism and basic knowledge about fracking
Glob. Environ. Change
(2016) - et al.
Public opinion on energy development: the interplay of issue framing, top-of-mind associations, and political ideology
Energy Policy
(2015) - et al.
Cool dudes: the denial of climate change among conservative white males in the United States
Glob. Environ. Change
(2011)