[Green] Take action, please.

Tue Apr 2 13:26:26 CDT 2024

Dear GSC folks,

Thanks,
Ginnie McNeil

[image: Egypt Valley Wildlife Area / Photo by Cathy Becker]

Yet another one of Ohio's beautiful parks and wildlife areas is being
targeted for fracking. Egypt Valley Wildlife Area contains over 18,000
acres of rolling hills, ponds, forests, streams, and walking paths set
aside for the preservation of land, water, and wildlife.

For 70 years, the land that makes up Egypt Valley Wildlife Area in Belmont
and Guernsey counties was subjected to surface mining. In 1995, the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources bought 14,300 acres from The Conservation
Fund to create a wildlife area.

Over the next several years, ODNR worked with Ducks Unlimited, National
Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society and other groups to expand
Egypt Valley to over 18,000 acres. Today all of the forests consist of
second and third growth timber.

*Now Egypt Valley is targeted yet again for oil and gas extraction from
fracking.*

[image: Act Now button by vecteezy]
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.yjJN_MEbNx94PLaWzZ6hW6JgAJk_08EN-WMV08xnfAu3ghxOssIVyOwf0fWr1cQp2Zrukn4DSBuJmc55Og6Plhwgd2jf0A87uJScfpyBzJI_iajZ3h7uu_tTx1TzzH2X7TRu0gMPXK2WV_LtcpGC2Cvx-1mCEcJZvBx-f5P8bhRk_a7QTvL0IwwwGT79LbC0z4RjjWncPj_51LKAt02T_kmznqDTpwBIa4f32GUjcwtSZE5zDy4wgO0SZMKRdDZ3K48ZDSJBzXqGceqCtj08Kkh9bG3iIeHM_oI_XcijFfikGExKIs5BsR5DhQ0PM8r_QnzS34O6g5k2j8L8WjukOtifArTNNQAFZMmaJXsN6Oq6QWJgOKy3K8EGTpSXG3uUk8Nmmja1FXtJy0VFUH52Gw/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h0/h001.rb6bncH7M06naYAuTOPAr3kpPk2wopDNw7Yzq4haeiA>

Please tell the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission you do not support
fracking of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. Visit the *Nomination Comment Form
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.yjJN_MEbNx94PLaWzZ6hW6JgAJk_08EN-WMV08xnfAu3ghxOssIVyOwf0fWr1cQp2Zrukn4DSBuJmc55Og6Plhwgd2jf0A87uJScfpyBzJKWdmIXQyIR67W2IEw1CpLOvfPkwgfTMwws8Md9EwdiD26h86twHjOx3unQntKbX0_UhkAv7WSOmsXxYzf9jKjz4Zqk7mtY_H9b5Z0iNa2QemXbqEWD0wMihLYj8mzBGOBn4jlHnjz2YSReep242UYZqlgJr8wrBAdaxrv3w-utAu8dre58GkzQmf2ok3WiMUEWrVSRtZB85TnW4VLq2Ap2G_c9Y_Q9eertmbQTRzc0ZK3zsMEZjZe92vpZZx9egC6BMfpBbhPuu7E3Fl7HV-VLDs0xRLfjM93YtIxjamHLcA/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h1/h001.tfDIiwP0oL18a3AK0dztvrwUzSEkblsROJNFJXjiaLk>*,
choose *Nomination #24-DNR-0001*, and submit your comment before *April 25,
2024*.

Egypt Valley Wildlife Area is popular for hunting, fishing, and other forms
of wildlife recreation. Deer, turkey, waterfowl, squirrel, grouse, rabbit,
and dove are the most sought after species for hunting. Many of the small
ponds have been stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegills by the division
and offer good fishing opportunities. Hiking, bird watching, photography,
and sightseeing are also popular on the wildlife area. Boating is allowed
on nearby Piedmont Lake.

Species not traditionally found in eastern Ohio such as the short-eared
owl, Northern harrier, Henslow’s sparrow, and bobolink can be found on the
large expanses of grassland. Bald eagles and ospreys occasionally stop on
the wildlife area on their annual migration. River otters were reintroduced
to this area in 1993 and now a thriving population can be found there.

None of this is compatible with fracking. *Please tell the Oil and Gas Land
Management Commission that you don’t support fracking of Egypt Valley
Wildlife Area. *

[image: Act Now button by vecteezy]
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.yjJN_MEbNx94PLaWzZ6hW6JgAJk_08EN-WMV08xnfAu3ghxOssIVyOwf0fWr1cQp2Zrukn4DSBuJmc55Og6Plhwgd2jf0A87uJScfpyBzJKoF1TnRqt8iATHCgt3PsqX4n8wjNt-aoApbl2yGOU0eJR_oqI87mUh8d4lAuCAYu7t6eDX5kSO-zOl3XCFGcuujAe6ReNkM0_ENNf2s4mwVk0rhKwdXBLD9V1UgTxxnk7-WilCW3CnN_8LWWYv_ieHTvAwiE8CpBSQTUo0hOhTzNZ3QMuXcsnY_WfGeKXvvyVWPW5rBJglbN49HFlf3DCTEiNHCvI-8KX0MH65nQXEPX5qORBqqENxDJpiGUgFVMhauc5cAO1pifWjV_ntyQLrKx9SqrSnOgKhj7JQRKkAIA/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h2/h001.DL3S0826ctGudG0mRiT5IdjNgNDGrmgYNTFhgVQgjq0>

Visit the *Nomination Comment Form
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.yjJN_MEbNx94PLaWzZ6hW6JgAJk_08EN-WMV08xnfAu3ghxOssIVyOwf0fWr1cQp2Zrukn4DSBuJmc55Og6Plhwgd2jf0A87uJScfpyBzJJMWiFhx_xx_hXWP5QwsyaAJkKoEfNnFrq9rfVdp4pi_Tdd6iOwmps5CzHQR2VIpN3P9a_RfKbY85fFtIXOUNic6qw8xIX12eSdgApvNyoygYP2ppAGWsy4qJy7sVvdMQ7LLTuSZhmxWq4klXra4WL4JtutDdslqZv7vGKekWw6UrsnxT-h7Ad5rJa47SFu9vABE27LwUtAT2jwD3Rn3Yta4V-SRg0Uin2tOmAapTTJORD40-Vba-VdR79xmxcoXAT26P97ndJ3kEuincy6sa1bUk5BZM0h5QjQF0aqn1BdNQ/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h3/h001.pZebHeWajKNL1OruTv_xNCUNkIcObam4TPxm4_qPD4A>,*choose
Nomination *#24-DNR-0001*, and submit your comment before *April 25, 2024*.

You can draw from our sample letter below — but *please personalize to
explain why preserving our wildlife areas is important to you*:

------------------------------

To the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission:

I am writing to strongly oppose fracking of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area.
This beautiful wildlife area is widely used for hunting, fishing, hiking,
bird watching, photography, and site-seeing. None of this is compatible
with the noise, toxic air pollution, methane leaks, lights, and numerous
truck trips entailed in any fracking operation.

ODNR acquired the land that makes up Egypt Valley from The Conservation
Fund, and it was meant to be protected. Numerous species call Egypt Valley
home, including common species like deer, turkey, squirrel, grouse, rabbit,
and dove, and rare species like the short-eared owl, Northern harrier,
Henslow’s sparrow, and bobolink. Bald eagles and osprey often stop there.
River otters were reintroduced to this area in 1993 and now have a thriving
population.

At the center of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area is Piedmont Lake, managed by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and extremely popular with boaters and
swimmers. Fracking uses tens of millions of gallons of fresh water for each
frack — taking that much water from Piedmont Lake or the surrounding ponds
and streams will degrade the habitat for fish and other aquatic species
throughout the wildlife area.

The people of Ohio pay for and use our public lands, including Egypt Valley
Wildlife Area. We do not want to see any more oil and gas extraction from
this land. Enough is enough. Please DENY nomination 24-DNR-0001, and
preserve Egypt Valley as it was meant to be.

Thank you.
------------------------------

Thank you for taking action to protect our Ohio state parks, wildlife
areas, and public lands.

Sincerely,

Save Ohio Parks Steering Committee
[image: Action Network]
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0JmZttSlm39gViGhSwPwlyTU4BguEc_S/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h4/h001.NMLk4B7tFNebTKxS-jFQLNvRGMX63EPWTsdEshfBQx0>
Sent via Action Network, a free online toolset anyone can use to
organize. Click
here to sign up
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0JmZttSlm3-CJ8jOr1VQFu-nWq5wLUQD/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h5/h001.cQdsr4_CZ8UydHT7WkKN0k8DP5Xoe2xyojEEjCJAzOA>and
get started building an email list and creating online actions today.
Action Network is an open platform that empowers individuals and groups to
organize for progressive causes. We encourage responsible activism, and do
not support using the platform to take unlawful or other improper action.
We do not control or endorse the conduct of users and make no
representations of any kind about them.
You can unsubscribe or update your email address or change your name and
address by changing your subscription preferences here
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0JmZttSlm3-gP0Xd1LL-Lub7Gk22PHy9QbEfuUQdLrUqYDcocCi6wJ9CEouqaPtwJm9Mhku-NTkqnFvdg0MBn1DZ6pzMqa2XiDgA0yWVNvgtHEL7ydDQmRh5whTQgBRrUnVxD9CJdjUtOSOizHG2R7ZDyX7Nr-JgCJ8CqGlCixmcA096bmP6Q1eklEA6xAQukfa8K0f-IDk/456/sCnQfJ6MTPWXrMec71MJIA/h6/h001.a7MLf_Wkb5StWQCmb9vlI5sG36rn7-ZV__Ok9J23rq0>
.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://fuusm.org/pipermail/green_fuusm.org/attachments/20240402/3cde3c7b/attachment.htm>