Oil, Natural-Gas Drilling Proposed for Park Land
by Spencer Hunt
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The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
State parks would be open for oil and natural-gas drilling, and funding for two agencies involved in environmental protection would be cut by a total of $73.2 million in the next fiscal year, according to budget documents and officials.
The proposal to open some of the 200,000 acres in state parks to drilling was not named in the budget documents, but Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials forwarded a section of Gov. John Kasich's proposed budget bill that would give the agency the authority to lease state park land for oil and gas exploration.
It's unclear how much money would be raised by the proposal for the administration. Money from oil and gas leases and royalties would be used to reduce a $500 million-plus backlog of overdue maintenance and repairs at state parks, said Laura Jones, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman.
Environmental groups are lining up to oppose the proposal.
"It's impossible to preserve and drill your state parks at the same time," said Jack Shaner, lobbyist for the Ohio Environmental Council.
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http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=105177
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