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The Eastern Forest Gas Drilling Coalition was formed in 2011 to address Gas Drilling on Public Lands. Groups respresented as part of this coalition include the Buckeye Forest Council, Friends of Blackwater, WV Trout Unlimited Mountaineer Chapter, Virginia Forest Watch, Allegheny Defense Project, Southern Environmental Law Center, Heartwood, and Wild Virginia. Initial discussions focused on the growing impact of Marcellus Shale drilling on public lands and how to meet those challenges. Four National Forests - the Allegheny (PA), the Wayne (OH), the Monongahela (WV) and the George Washington (VA) were represented. All have large reserves of gas under the forest land, but most of the activity at this time is centered on the Allegheny. With 93% of the gas under the Allegheny privately owned, remedies to regulate drilling on this forest are limited and present a particular challenge.

The working group will create a "Citizen's Guide to Gas Drilling on National Forests" and will research strategies for responding to a wide range of threatened negative effects of gas drilling on these important public lands; and will recruit more organizations to take part in this working group.

Involved Groups

Friends of Blackwater

WV Trout Unlimited Mountaineer Chapter

Virginia Forest Watch, Allegheny Defense Project

Southern Environmental Law Center

Heartwood

Wild Virginia

Buckeye Forest Council

American Rivers

Recent Actions & News

1/16/12 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Corbett fires conservation official: Action could affect state's oversight of drilling in parks

12/13/11 - Comments on NiSource MultiSpecies Habitat Conservation Plan

10/17/11 - Support for prohibition on horizontal drilling on future federal oil and gas leases and request for further study of impacts of vertical drilling proposed in George Washington National Forest draft revised forest plan

10/7/11 - Protest of the Bureau of Land Management’s Notice of Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale Concerning Parcels in Perry, Gallia, and Athens Counties, Ohio

9/26/11 - 3rd Circuit approves Allegheny Forest drilling

Environmental Impacts of Marcellus Shale Drilling on Aquatic Resource - presentation by Frank Jernejcicm Fishery Biologist, WV DNR & Barry Pallay, Co-chair, PA/WV WSC

An Assessment of the Potential Impacts of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF) on Forest Resources- Tioga County New York by the Nature Conservancy

Other Links of Interest

www.skytruth.org - Sky Truth Drilling Alerts is a repository of natural gas and oil drilling publications from SkyTruth. This includes maps, images, graphics and other information related to the drilling industry.

Bureau for Land Management Eastern States Gas and Oil Drilling Information

EarthWorks - Gas Accountability Project

EarthWorks - Preserving Our Public Lands: A citizen's guide to understanding and participating in oil and gas decisions affecting our public lands (2002)

For information on past campaigns regarding gas leases on the Monongahela National Forest, please click here.