Last week, the Senate Finance Committee rolled out a new version of the state budget bill that cuts income taxes for people making over $100,000 a year.

The result is an overall budget shortfall of over $1 billion. For the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, that means its Parks and Watercraft budget will be cut in half.

How is ODNR expected to make up the difference? With royalties from oil and gas companies that frack our state parks.

“It’s moving the royalties generated from fracking on public lands, which are, by the way, public lands,” Finance Chair Jerry Cirino said. “They don’t belong to ODNR. They belong to the people of the state of Ohio.”

Fill out the form to the upper right to tell Jerry Cirino: Don’t frack my state parks to fund tax cuts for the rich

As one of the co-founders of Save Ohio Parks, I can tell you that yes, public lands belong to the people of Ohio – and no, the people of Ohio do NOT want to see them fracked. Comments on proposals to frack our state parks and wildlife areas regularly run 98% opposed.

Send a letter now telling your Ohio state senator you do not want the state to fund tax cuts for the rich by fracking our public lands that are supposed to be protected.

Let them know what our state parks mean to you. Do you have any special memories of visiting a state park? Do you hold family reunions at a park? Have a cabin near a park? Go birdwatching or hunting in a wildlife area?

Ohio is a highly urban and industrialized state. Our state parks and wildlife areas are some of the only natural spaces left. They should not be ruined by industrial fracking that produces toxic, radioactive waste – just so rich people can get even richer.

Fill our the form to the upper right to tell Jerry Cirino: Don’t frack my state parks to fund tax cuts for the rich

Thank you for once again speaking up for Ohio’s public lands.

Photo: Hosak's Cave at Salt Fork State Park, which is already being surrounded with frack pads.