The PennEast Pipeline Company began eminent domain proceedings Tuesday by filing 44 lawsuits in federal court.

It comes one day after a deadline it gave landowners to accept its last offer for a property easement.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted PennEast a certificate of public convenience and necessity last month, allowing it to begin the process of seizing land for what is legally described as “the public good.”

Of Tuesday’s eminent domain filings, 11 of the properties were in Carbon County.

The tracts are located on Sei Pike Lane, East Stagecoach Road, Palm Circle Drive, Vista Court, Log Fence Road, Station Street, Beers Lane and Pohopoco Drive in Towamensing Township, and Route 534 in Kidder Township.

In Carbon County, PennEast is seeking 9.3 acres of permanent easements, which it would keep for the continual operation of its pipeline; and 15.12 acres of temporary easements, which it would use during construction.

“We prefer to work with landowners and eminent domain is only used as a last resort,” Penn­East spokeswoman Pat Kornick said during the FERC application process.

The approximately 120-mile pipeline route begins in the Marcellus Shale production area near Dallas, Pennsylvania, and connects with the existing underground Transcontinental Pipeline near Pennington, New Jersey. The route includes 24 municipalities in Pennsylvania and six in New Jersey.

In Carbon County, the pipeline is expected to pass through Kidder, Penn Forest, Towamensing and Lower Towamensing townships.

Save Carbon County, a local group of residents who oppose the pipeline, acknowledged the start of the eminent domain process in a post on its Facebook page Wednesday.

“They are asking for both access and possession in one hearing, pleading that the usual process of two hearings is too time consuming,” the post said. “This one hearing process is called “quick take.” Landowners who did not accede to the Feb. 5th deadline given by the company should begin to be served by the week of the 19th.”

PennEast has hit several recent roadblocks in New Jersey. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection sent the company a letter on Feb. 1 officially denying its freshwater wetlands permit and federal water quality certification application. The state has also rejected an offer by PennEast to purchase land needed for the pipeline.

Following FERC’s approval of PennEast’s certificate of public need, PennEast officials said construction of the pipeline would still be slated to begin this year with service beginning 2019.