State accepting comments on proposed oil and gas drilling at Columbiana County wildlife area
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The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is accepting public comments until Thursday, Feb. 27 on a proposed horizontal drilling project for oil and gas extraction beneath Zepernick Wildlife Area in Columbiana County.
The public comment period is required by the National Environmental Policy Act for wildlife areas acquired with federal funds.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife entered into a mineral rights lease with Encino Energy Partners following an Oil and Gas Land Management Commission meeting on Feb. 26, 2024. All drilling infrastructure will be located outside the wildlife area's boundaries.
A draft environmental assessment will be prepared to analyze the potential impacts of the project on noise, air, water quality, cultural and recreational resources, and other social, economic, and environmental factors.
Public comments can be submitted via email to Stacy.Xenakis@dnr.ohio.gov, by phone (614-265-6321), or mailed to the Division of Wildlife, attn: Stacy Xenakis, 2045 Morse Rd., Building G, Columbus, OH 43229.
The ODNR announced in November 2023 that the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission had approved opening the wildlife area and other state lands to gas and oil drilling, despite opposition from environmental groups.
Bidding for the leasing of mineral rights at Zepernick Wildlife Area began in January 2024. The property is a 512-acre wildlife area in West Township that provides hunting and fishing opportunities for the public.
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