Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, has been in the news a great deal recently. The practice has been common in some western states for many years, but has become more widespread in eastern states only during the past decade. (see our Summer 2011 newsletter cover article for more)

The draft management plan for the George Washington National Forest, released in May 2011, prohibits horizontal drilling. If this ban stays in place, it will severely limit fracking possibilities in the national forest. This is a very positive step.

However, about 93% of the GWNF will be available for some form of conventional oil and gas leasing under the draft plan. Even conventional vertical wells normally employ fracking techniques, though not multiple fractures as is the case with horizontal wells.

There is much information available about fracking.  Below are some articles we hope you will find useful.

• ProPublica has published numerous articles about fracking in Pennsylvania and New York. Their series of articles on the topic can be found here.

• In April 2011 spill of fracking fluid in Pennsylvania is reported on by Huffington Post.

• A peer-reviewed study released in July 2011 documents the effects of the land application of fracking fluid in the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia, part of the Monongahela National Forest.  A summary of the study is found here.

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Closer to home:

• The Shenandoah Valley Network and Rockingham Community Alliance for Preservation closely monitor fracking issues and activities in the Shenandoah Valley area.

• The Roanoke Times published an editorial on 7/13/11 opposing horizontal fracking in the GWNF.

• The Charlottesville Daily Progress published a similar editorial on 2/10/11.

• A follow-up letter to the editor by Wild Virginia’s Conservation Director was published on 2/24/11.