BLM Finds “No Significant Impact” in Wayne National Forest from Oil & Gas Leasing
Tuesday May 3, 2016
Over the last several months, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been deliberating whether to offer 40,000 acres of minerals located in Monroe, Noble, and Washington Counties in Ohio for competitive lease sale for oil and natural gas development under the surface of the Wayne National Forest (WNF). Last week the agency released its long-awaited Environmental Assessment (EA) announcing that it found “no significant impact” that would result from a decision to move forward with these lease sales. An Athens News headline put it well explaining, “Leasing to drillers won’t hurt national forest.” Specifically, District Manager Dean Gettinger of the BLM said,
“Based upon a review of the EA and supporting documents, I have determined that the Proposed Action is not a major Federal action, and will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment, individually or cumulatively, with other actions in the general area.”
While the final EA will not be issued until public comment has been accepted for the draft, this is welcome news.
BLM is mandated by federal law to develop our nation’s minerals, under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Federal Land and Management Act of 1976, the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987and the Energy Policy Act of 2005. According to the WNF document, the BLM clearly states that,
“The leasing of federal mineral is vital to the United States as it seeks to maintain adequate domestic production of this strategic resource. The oil and gas leasing program managed by the BLM encour...