Full Breakdown
Lease Sale Opens 2,800 Acres of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest to Oil and Gas
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Federal Lease Auction in Wayne National Forest
On September 15, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offered 2,777 acres of Wayne National Forest for oil and gas leasing. The auction comprised 40 parcels in Monroe and Washington counties, with bids ranging from about $250 to roughly $10,000 per acre and generating more than $11 million in revenue. All leases were awarded at the reduced federal royalty rate of 12.5 %.
Background & Context
This is Ohio’s first federal oil-and-gas lease sale since 2019 and the largest since 2010. The area hosts federally endangered species, including the Indiana bat, which limits certain land-clearing actions. A 2020 district-court injunction halted earlier drilling plans; the Ohio Environmental Council and other plaintiffs are now seeking to enforce that injunction pending a more thorough environmental review.
Data & Statistics
- Acres leased: 2,777 (? 2,800)
- Parcels: 40
- Average bid: $3,948 per acre; high-bid parcel: nearly $10,000 per acre in Monroe County
- Estimated royalty loss: $7.9 million over the life of the leases (Taxpayer analysis)
- Water use per well: 19–27 million gallons (BLM “Finding of No Significant Impact” report)
- Vehicle trips per well pad (three wells): average 6,414 trips (BLM estimate)
Official Statements & Responses
The BLM’s “Finding of No Significant Impact” concluded that opening roughly 40,000 acres of the forest to potential development would not cause a significant environmental impact, noting that only a portion of that land is likely to be leased. A BLM spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
Mike Chadsey, director of external affairs for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said most well-pad locations will be on private property and that the agency is “aware of” truck traffic and pipeline concerns, but he does not view them as a negative impact to the forest.
Criticism & Opposition
Nathan Johnson, senior attorney with the Ohio Environmental Council, argues that the BLM’s impact assessment is insufficient, citing limited analysis of air-pollution estimates and a failure to evaluate effects on endangered bats and freshwater mussels.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are talking about pipelines. We are talking well pads,” — Nathan Johnson, environmental council attorney
- “We have to be mindful of truck traffic, we have to be mindful of pipelines. So here's all the things that are involved. We are aware of them. We don't think that's a negative impact to the forest,” — Mike Chadsey, Ohio Oil and Gas Association
- “The conclusion that there would be no significant impacts just does not match the report,” — Nathan Johnson, environmental council attorney
What’s Next
The plaintiffs have asked a federal judge to enforce the 2020 injunction, with a ruling possible later this year. The BLM’s lease sale leaves open the possibility of additional parcels—up to 40,000 acres—being offered for future development, pending further agency decisions.
