ALTOONA, Pa. -- Natural gas drilling is becoming increasingly like a gold rush in the Alleghenies; everybody wants in. However, officials at Penn State's Cooperative Extension Office are urging people to get all the facts first.

In Blair County, some landowners have been offered $600 an acre for the natural gas rights to their land, while others have signed on for only $5 an acre. So the Cooperative Extension Office held a meeting Tuesday night so local people could make sure they're not getting ripped off.

Officials said some residents in Sinking Valley have been approached by companies who want to drill on their farms. Other residents said they've heard there's access to natural gas under nearby land, but they don't know about their own properties and it's something they're starting to think about.

The cooperative extension office brought in experts and lawyers to tell people what their lease should say, so they can protect themselves and their property. Officials said it is also important to be in the know about natural gas drilling because the more people know, the more bargaining they can do with companies to get the best bang for their buck.

Officials at the Cooperative Extension office are also warning municipalities that are leasing land to count on the money as a rainy day fund, not a regular stream of income, because they will get the most gas the first year.