Ohio Opens Nearly 15,000 More Public Acres to Oil and Gas Drilling

Ohio just opened another big chunk of public ground to oil and gas development, and anyone who cares about wildlife areas and state parks ought to be paying attention.

The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission approved bids tied to nearly 15,000 acres, including acreage under Egypt Valley Wildlife Area, Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area, and Salt Fork State Park. The decisions expand Ohio’s still-new practice of leasing public lands for fracking and put more wildlife ground into the energy-development debate.

The approved bids include 8,236 acres of Egypt Valley for Grenadier Energy, 4,360 acres of Egypt Valley and 383 acres of Jockey Hollow for Gulfport Energy, about 1,461 acres of Jockey Hollow for Ascent Resources, and another 513 acres at Salt Fork State Park for Infinity Natural Resources. The reported upfront lease money totals about $242 million before royalty payments of roughly 18 to 19 percent of production.

There is no honest way to talk about this without admitting the tradeoff. Energy has to come from somewhere, and lease money can be real money. But wildlife areas and state parks are not just blank spots on a map with minerals underneath. They are public places where people hunt, fish, hike, scout, and expect habitat to be treated as more than collateral damage.

Sportsmen do not have to be anti-energy to demand accountability. If public land is going to be leased, the public deserves clear rules, tight oversight, honest reclamation, water protection, access protection, and no backroom attitude from the people making the decisions. Once industrial activity gets a foothold on wildlife ground, hunters and anglers are the ones who live with the long-term consequences.