GREENE – With a potential surge of natural gas drilling on the horizon, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will host a public forum to provide landowners and other interested parties information about state drilling laws and oversight, natural gas leasing and the possible impacts of exploration activities.

The meeting is slated for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17 at Greene High School, 40 South Canal St.

In recent years, there has been a boom in natural gas drilling by tapping into what’s known as the Marcellus Shale formation, especially in Pennsylvania. Because the formation generally runs northward into the Catskills foothills, the Southern Tier and Central New York, companies are now eyeing New York for similar operations, triggering a rise in leasing and a host of questions from residents.