This is it!

Ohio’s Oil and Gas Land Management Commission will hold its final meeting of the year on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, to decision whether to approve or deny industry applications to frack several Ohio state parks and wildlife areas. By state law, the commission must make a decision at this meeting.

Volunteers with Save Ohio Parks will hold a press conference just north of the ODNR complex at 9:30 a.m. We will then depart at 10 a.m. to be at the commission meeting starting at 10:30 a.m.

Anyone who pays taxes to support Ohio state parks and wildlife areas is encouraged to register for both the press conference and commission meeting by signing up in the box to the upper right of this page. Registering will ensure that you receive event updates and any last minute changes of plan.

Event details

The commission meeting will take place at:

Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Assembly Center
2045 Morse Road – Building E1
Columbus, Ohio 43229

Any member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting in person must enter the through the Morse Road Gatehouse and register as a visitor with security. A driver’s license or valid form of identification is required to access ODNR campus.

Volunteers with Save Ohio Parks will gather for a press conference starting at 9:30 a.m., to take place in the grassy area just north of the ODNR security gatehouse (see map).

Per ODNR policy, parking for the press conference will be at the Dollar General store parking lot next door. The press conference will go until 10 a.m., at which time attendees can get into their cars and drive through the security gate to get to parking for the commission meeting, which will take place in Building E (see map) starting at 10:30 a.m.

We encourage as many people as possible to attend this meeting in person, to let their voices be heard by the commission. You are welcome to make a sign or signs, and Save Ohio Parks will also bring signs.

You can find a carpool board for this event at https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/vpgfy9.

Please give yourself extra time to arrive, as many map and GPS functions cannot find the access road into the ODNR complex, and you may find yourself on a side street and need to try again.

Commission must decide fate of our parks and wildlife areas at this meeting

At their last meeting on September 18, the commissioners approved four oil and gas industry applications, called “lease nominations,” to frack land managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation. However, they delayed a decision on fracking two state parks and two wildlife areas.

By law, the commission can no longer delay a decision on fracking Salt Fork State Park, Wolf Run State Park, Valley Run Wildlife Area, and Zepernick Wildlife Area. These areas were nominated for fracking at the end of May. Ohio statute gives the commission six months to decide, and that time is up now.

Contrary to the statements from more than one commissioner, they do have the authority to either approve or deny fracking in our state parks and wildlife areas. We need to be there in large numbers to tell the commissioners to DENY these lease nominations to frack our public lands.

Thousands of comments opposed fracking on public lands

Save Ohio Parks, an all volunteer group of Ohio citizens concerned about fracking in or near our state parks, wildlife areas, and other public lands, has been sending action alerts to its very engaged mailing list, asking people to send letters to the commission opposing fracking.

Our members and supporters submitted 2071 letters opposing fracking in Salt Fork State Park, 682 letters opposing fracking in Wolf Run State Park, 537 letters opposing fracking in Valley Run and Zepernick Wildlife Areas, and over 400 general comments opposing all fracking on public lands.

Save Ohio Parks urges the members of the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission to exercise their power to deny fracking in our most treasured state parks and public lands. The vast majority of comments submitted to the commission oppose fracking on public land.