Anti-fracking activists fighting to protect Ohio’s Wayne National Forest as oil and gas industry targets reserves in untouched wilderness

‘The Wayne National Forest (WNF) is located in the hills of southeastern Ohio. It is home to many unique and endangered species including bobcats, Indiana bats, timber rattlesnakes and cerulean warblers. It features over 300 miles of stunning trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Soon, all this splendor may come to an end. Millions of animals could lose their homes, as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its district manager, Dean Gettinger, are about to lease 18,000 acres of the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest for oil and gas development via horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
“It’s unconscionable that we could ever permit drilling in Ohio’s only national forest,” said Jen Miller, Director of Sierra Club Ohio. “This forest is owned by the people for their enjoyment—not for the oil and gas industry to destroy. Permitting fracking will disrupt wildlife, threaten clean water resources, and reduce recreation and tourism. It should and must be preserved for this generation and those to come.”‘
Read more: Anti-fracking activists fighting to protect Ohio’s Wayne National Forest as oil and gas industry targets reserves in untouched wilderness