The criteria and procedures used by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for rights-of-way on State Forest and State Park lands were developed in cooperation with agency partners and stakeholders.
Stakeholder groups involved included:
- DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council (CNRAC)
- DCNR Ecosystem Management Advisory Committee (EMAC)
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – Office of Energy Projects
- Independent Oil & Gas Association of PA (IOGA of PA)
- Marcellus Shale Committee
- National Park Service
- PA Game Commission
- PA Oil & Gas Association (POGAM)
- PA Public Utility Commission (PUC)
- PA State Association of Township Supervisors
Comments and questions from the public were also accepted through direct submissions to the Department. Summaries of the types of comments received are posted on the Bureau of Forestry website for public review.
Summary of Comments that the DCNR received in response to changes proposed to the agency’s review and administration of right-of-way proposals across State Forest and State Park lands.
Information about various aspects of rights-of-way development are provided in the following documents:
Application & Review Process (639 Kb)
ROW Rates (852 Kb)
Siting Guidelines (5.1 Mb)
Invasive Plants (425 Kb)
Field Operations (23 Kb)
ROW Revegetation Plan (1.2 Mb)
DCNR has developed a process to administer ROW requests based upon a set of guidelines and criteria. The following documents provide detailed information on the process.
Guidelines for ROW Development - Adobe PDF (77 Kb) - Please read this document first to best understand the authority under which DCNR administers ROW requests.
Siting Criteria - Adobe PDF (40 Kb)
The Bureau of Forestry has developed a proactive process to evaluate and administer right-of-way requests. All applicants must familiarize themselves with the documentation on this web site before proceeding to contact the Bureau regarding application.
Illustration of Application Process - Adobe PDF (13 Kb)
How to apply for ROW on State Forest Land - Adobe PDF (59 Kb) - This document describes the project thresholds and procedures that will be used to evaluate requests for ROW.
Request to Evaluate for Potential ROW Location - Adobe PDF (23 Kb) - This form shall be submitted by a ROW applicant requesting permission to conduct project reconnaissance on State Forest Lands prior to submitting a formal request.
Application for ROW - Adobe PDF (21 Kb) - This form shall be submitted to the Department as part of a formal application for ROW.
The Bureau of Forestry currently recognizes two types of Right-of-Way agreements.
- License for Mainline Transmission Pipeline or large Right-of-Way for State Forest Lands
- License for Marketing and/or Gathering Pipeline or small Right-of-Way for State Forest Lands
The agreements are under review and the draft form is planned to be posted on this website in the future. Agreements that are negotiated between the DCNR and a ROW applicant would be expected to be project specific; any one individual agreement would be modified as necessary on a case by case basis to meet the specific needs of a particular project.
Index of Contents for Mainline Pipeline ROW Agreement for SFL - Adobe PDF (36 Kb) - Generally this agreement would be applicable primarily to those ROW and pipeline projects which fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Index of Contents for Marketing and/or Gathering Pipeline ROW Agreement for SFL - Adobe PDF (36 Kb) - This agreement would be applicable to smaller ROW and pipeline projects which do NOT fall under the jurisdiction of the FERC.
Invasive Plants and Revegetation Guidelines - Adobe PDF (82 Kb)
DCNR ROW Fees- Adobe PDF (29 Kb)
