The natural gas industry sharply criticized Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision Thursday to reinstate a moratorium on future drilling in state parks and forests, which includes cases where private landowners own the mineral rights beneath parks. Mr. Wolf, a Democrat who took office two weeks ago, signed an executive order barring new leases for oil and gas development on those public lands. Unlike with state forests, Pennsylvania doesn’t own the mineral rights for the vast majority of land beneath state parks. At a public signing, Mr. Wolf noted that the parks in the state are visited by 38 million people annually, support more than 13,000 jobs and bring in $1.2 billion to the state’s economy. “Natural gas development is vital to Pennsylvania’s economy, but so is the economic and environmental viability of our parks and forests,” Mr. Wolf said. Dave Spigelmyer, head of the Marcellus Shale […]