Thursday, December 14, 2pm-4pm, Wayne National Forest Headquarters, 13700 U.S. 33, Nelsonville, OH 45764

Grassroots environmental organizations have come together to organize a rally urging the U.S. Forest Service to protect the Wayne National Forest from invasive and unnecessary gas development on the day of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM)’s fourth auction of Wayne National Forest parcels to gas and oil companies.

This month marks one year since the BLM began auctioning off parcels of Wayne National Forest in southeast Ohio for unconventional fracking, the gas from which is planned to flow through the Energy Transfer Partners’ Rover Pipeline, which has already been cited for numerous violations during its construction and is now being sued by the state of Ohio for its refusal to pay fines.

The U.S. Forest Service, whose motto is “caring for the land and serving people,” can withhold its consent for these parcels to be leased. The rally will take place at the Wayne National Forest Headquarters.

A Climate Legacy Time Capsule will be on site and attendees are encouraged to bring an object representing what they fear losing to climate change or a letter to future generations. Forest Supervisor Tony Scardina will be invited to submit a letter about how he will protect the forest. If he chooses not to, organizers will write a letter for him.

“In the year since Federal agencies began auctioning off the Wayne for fracking, we have seen an increase in climate disasters, both globally and on this continent. We have seen gas and oil-related accidents threaten the health and safety of communities, natural resources, and wildlife across the planet. Surely, if decision-makers were unsure a year ago, they can see now that this is not in the public interest,” says Becca Pollard, co-founder of Keep Wayne Wild.

Sponsored by Athens County Fracking Action Network, Columbus Community Bill of Rights, Keep Wayne Wild, and Ohio River Citizens Alliance.

Contact: Becca Pollard, Co-Founder, Keep Wayne Wild. 503-756-2598 or keepwaynewild@gmail.com