Ohio PIRG: Stop Drilling in Ohio's Parks and Forests

Take action by   Friday, March 17, 2006

This week, lobbyists for the oil, gas and logging companies will be pushing a proposal at the statehouse in Columbus that opens up our precious state parks, forests and even Lake Erie to oil and gas drilling.

Ohio PIRG needs your help now to stop this bill before it even has a chance of passing.

Tell your Representative that these special places should be protected for Ohioans, not exploited for industry profit.

Legislation will be introduced this week so it's crucial that they hear from you today. Please take a minute to tell your Representative to oppose any legislation that would open up our public lands to oil and gas drilling and logging. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.

To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=160&id4=OHPARKS.

Background

Millions of Ohioans visit our state parks http://www.ohiodnr.com/parks/parks/, state forests http://www.ohiodnr.com/forestry/forests/map.htm, and Lake Erie's beaches every year. These special places provide recreation for families, hikers, bikers, and fishers. They also provide revenue that significantly benefits our state economy. Ohio's state parks have an economic impact of $1.1 billion statewide and provide over 7,500 jobs. Lake Erie tourism is a $7 billion business for our state, and provides over a quarter-millions jobs.

Less than 3% of Ohio's land is publicly-owned, yet oil and gas special interests are trying to convince our legislators to open these special places for their own profit. Industry representatives want the authority to lease places like the Shawnee State Forest, Mohican State Park, and Hocking Hills State Park. Whichever state park, forest, of nature preserve you and your family enjoy would be threatened with oil and gas drilling. Lake Erie, arguably our state's most important resource, would also be open for drilling.

Legislation that would let industry exploit our public lands and Lake Erie will be introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives in the next week or two. Not only is it dangerous for our environment in the short term; the legislation also represents an energy policy that will move our state backward, increasing oil and gas drilling when we should be focusing on renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power. Our public lands and Lake Erie should be preserved and protected for use by Ohio's families, not ruined for drilling logging profit.

Please contact your Representative and urge them to protect our public lands and our Great Lake by opposing any legislation that would open these areas to oil and gas drilling. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.

To take action, click on this link and paste it into your web browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=160&id4=OHPARKS.

Ohio PIRG is a non-profit public interest advocacy organization that works to protect the environment, consumers and our democracy.

Sincerely,
Erin Bowser
Director, Ohio PIRG
36 W. Gay Street, Suite 315
Columbus, OH 43215
www.ohiopirg.org
info@pirg.org
614-460-8732