Angelo LeitnerWise
apl002@marietta.edu
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held a meeting on Nov. 17 to discuss the possibility of leasing approximately 31,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest to the oil and gas industry for hydraulic fracturing. Police prepared for protestors to demonstrate, blocking off Butler Street in anticipation, while concerned residents of Marietta and the surrounding area poured into the Great Room of Andrews Hall. Polarized between those who were outraged by the idea and those who welcomed the leasing; people wanted answers and their opinions heard. The meeting was the first of two others to be held in the surrounding area, all promising to be equally controversial. The meeting was a forum for the BLM to answer questions and explain the process of leasing federal land.
Covering about a quarter million acres in the Appalachian foothills of Southeast Ohio, The Wayne National forest, or simply “The Wayne,” is a small haven for recreational activities such as camping, hiking, hunting and fishing. The BLM is the federal agency that is responsible for overseeing the public lands in the United States, included in this responsibility is the management of underground mineral rights. Oil and Gas companies have officially requested to lease land in The Wayne and the BLM is now exploring who owns the mineral rights of the land as well as considering environmental risks of drilling in the area.
However, before the BLM can move forward with the proposal, they must first gain consent from the United States Forest Service.
Tony Scardina, Forest Supervisor of the Forest Service addressed the crowd saying “No decisions have been made…this is the beginning of the process…we want to hear from all of you.”
Many locals are apprehensive of the idea of hydraulic fracturing in The Wayne. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks in order to release natural gas. Concerns regarding killing wildlife and vegetation, depleting local groundwater, pollution, habitat destruction and climate change are what is causing strong disinclination for various people. Although the expected protesters did not show up, there is strong opposition to the proposal. In fact, in 2011, a similar proposal was introduced, and the outrage from the environmentally community was so great that the proposal was shut down completely.
Also in attendance were those in favor of leasing The Wayne. Supporters of hydraulic fracturing point to evidence suggesting that the method of oil and gas extraction does little immediate environmental harm when executed correctly.
The next step of the process has to do with the Forest Service and the BLM evaluating the environmental implications of drilling in The Wayne to decide whether or not they should move forward with the proposal.
According to Scardina, the mission of the Forest Service is to “manage, use, and protect the forest in a sustainable way.”
Whether that means fracking in The Wayne or not has yet to be determined.
