Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Legislation Shale Gas topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner Heiml says House Bill 2141 would have returned millions to Potter County from shale gas revenue
Summary
Commissioner Heiml told the board that House Bill 2141 would redirect a share of revenues from shale gas leasing on tax-exempt state forest land to local governments — he cited roughly $1 billion in state revenue since the shale boom and said $200 million would have gone to localities under the bill.
At the Potter County commissioners meeting, Commissioner Heiml used his report to urge support for House Bill 2141, saying the measure would change how revenue from shale gas leasing on tax-exempt state forest land is shared. Heiml said the Commonwealth has collected "approximately $1 billion of revenue" since the shale gas boom and that, had the bill been enacted, local governments would have received about $200 million, with counties including Potter among the largest beneficiaries.
Heiml framed the issue as local governments hosting state-owned leased lands without receiving proportional tax revenue. "If it is going to be harvested and we are hosting that land and not getting any tax revenue from it, we really are entitled to a portion of those hundreds of millions and now we could start talking about billions of dollars that are being taken out of here," Heiml said. He described the figures as "eye opening" and said only about 15% of state forest land is leased for oil and gas production, with another estimated 1.7 million acres potentially leasable though not all areas have recoverable resources.
The comments were delivered as a commissioner report; no county staff produced on-the-record corroborating data during the meeting and no formal board action on the bill was taken at this session. The claim that the state has derived about $1 billion and that $200 million would have flowed to local governments under the bill was stated by Heiml without referenced supporting documents in the meeting record. The board did not debate or vote on the matter during this session.
Heiml emphasized the local fiscal stakes and urged attention from residents and other officials. The meeting moved on after additional administrative announcements and scheduling details.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2026.
