NELSONVILLE — Wayne National Forest Supervisor Anne Carey recently signed a Finding for the Supplemental Information Report that concludes that at this time, there is no need to correct or amend the 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) in order to address the surface impacts of horizontal drilling for oil or natural gas development on the forest, nor is there a need to supplement the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was prepared for the Forest Plan.

“I have reviewed the new information contained in the Supplemental Information Report, and determined that further environmental analysis is not needed,” said Carey. “I believe that the existing Forest Plan direction is adequate to address the surface effects anticipated from the potential development of horizontal wells as projected by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).”

The BLM has found that it is now economically feasible for deep well horizontal drilling using high volume hydraulic fracturing, a change from the previous projection, which said it wasn’t economically feasible.

The report also explains that through 2016 that there is the potential for 13 high volume horizontal drilling well sites to be developed on the Wayne National Forest.

Oil and natural gas development is an important component of the nation’s energy portfolio, and has the potential to advance our nation’s energy security, improve air quality, and create jobs.

The responsibility of the U.S. Forest Service is to safely and responsibly develop these resources in a way that ensures the well-being of surrounding communities and protects our landscapes and watersheds.

The Supplemental Information Report is available on the Forest web site at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wayne/landmanagement/planning?cid=stelprdb5387922