The Allegheny National Forest is considered multiple use land. That means the oil, gas, and logging industries share space with hikers, campers, and hunters. But the non-profit Allegheny Defense Project has been working for years to limit the industrial use of the land. In November, the Department of Environmental Protection granted several permits to Pennsylvania General Energy Corp. (PGE), to extend their oil drilling operations on forestland.

The Allegheny Defense Project filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board to prevent PGE from drilling up to 75 new oil wells in the Salmon Creek Watershed area. The Allegheny Defense Project says the initial applications hadn't included enough information about the location of the wells, or the plans for dealing with the erosion and sedimentation associated with their construction. The complaint also alleges there was little opportunity for public comment on the plan.

The full trial to determine the legitimacy of PGE's permits will not come for some months. Judge Bernard Labuskes's ruling this week allows the company to continue drilling - at least until a full trial can be held in a few months time. PGE already operates 600 wells in the forest, producing 850 barrels of oil a day.