Enough is enough: Salt Fork up for fracking after last year’s blast

After a massive explosion about five miles away from Salt Fork State Park last year, an unknown oil and gas company has nominated 513 acres of pristine park land for fracking. This nomination sits in front of the Ohio and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC).  

Tell the commission that there will no more drilling on public land.

First responders to the well pad explosion stated they saw “100-foot flames” leap into the air. There was an areawide evacuation, forcing families to leave their homes.

Now a company wants to come in and put the area at further risk by proposing fracking seven parcels totaling 513 acres of land throughout the park.

Salt Fork hosts campers, birders, fishers, hunters as well as host of other outdoor recreational activities. It is the home of the beautiful Salt Fork Lake, the historic Kennedy Stone House, as well as an overnight lodge and over 50 cabins.

This is just some of what makes Salt Fork great and why we’re calling on you to tell the commission not to allow drilling there.

Go to the OGLMC nomination comment form, and choose Nomination 26-DNR-0003. Fill out the form and put your comment in the comment box.

You are welcome to use our sample comment below, but please personalize it to make your comment your own. Explain what Ohio’s state parks and public lands mean to you. Tell a story about visiting Salt Fork or another park. Explain why you do not want to see our state parks fracked.

To the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission:

I am writing to strongly oppose Nomination 26-DNR-0003, which would allow oil and gas leasing and fracking on 513 acres of Salt Fork State Park.

Salt Fork is Ohio’s largest state park, encompassing nearly 18,000 acres of forest, trails, shoreline, and wildlife habitat surrounding Salt Fork Lake. Families from across Ohio and beyond come here to camp, hike, boat, fish, hunt, ride horses, and experience one of the few remaining large, intact public landscapes in our state.

Fracking harms our lands in ways that can take generations to restore. The risk posed to our wildlife, water, and air quality has been exposed throughout many of adverse incidents in recent memory.

Just look at the well pad explosion 5 miles from Salt Fork in January 2025. First responders witnessed “100-foot high” flames when they arrived on scene. There was an areawide evacuation while the fire burned itself out over hours.

Fracking land in Salt Fork State Park would certainly put Ohioans at risk.

Ohio’s state parks were established for conservation and public recreation. Not industrial extraction. Leasing Salt Fork for fracking undermines decades of public investment and stewardship of one of Ohio’s most important outdoor destinations.

I urge you to deny Nomination 26-DNR-0003.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you for speaking out for protecting Salt Fork State Park, and all of Ohio’s public lands.