CONECUH COUNTY, Ala.—The Yellow River and Pond Creek meet in Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest, home to a serene spot known as Blue Spring. This small, cool freshwater spring, surrounded by reforested pines, is a popular retreat. However, its tranquility faces a new threat: oil and gas development.
As the Biden administration concluded earlier this month, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) began “scoping” for potential new oil and gas leases in Conecuh National Forest.
On Jan. 6, USFS announced an upcoming 30-day public comment period on the proposal. This proposal includes making tens of thousands of federal land acres available for leasing, with nearly 3,000 acres having federal mineral rights but no surface rights.
Conecuh National Forest spans over 85,000 acres along the Alabama-Florida border. Past leasing efforts, such as a planned 2012 auction, faced public opposition due to environmental concerns.
While federal leases in Alabama are not uncommon, they rarely yield commercial success. Nonetheless, experts warn that any development poses environmental risks like pollution, contradicting the preservation of America’s natural heritage.
A 2004 environmental impact assessment by the Forest Service highlighted these risks but aimed to expand energy production, labeling some environmental impacts as minimal.
In 2012, when lease interest renewed, officials cited the 2004 assessment. Environmentalists criticized this reliance on outdated analysis, arguing it was inadequate and legally questionable.
Tracy Davids of Wild South opposed the 2012 proposal, emphasizing the cultural and recreational importance of these lands. He stated that drilling would destroy them, calling it an attack on Southern heritage.
This month’s announcement indicates a potential update to the environmental assessment, fortifying legal positions against litigation over new leases.
The USFS aims to assess “how changed conditions” might necessitate updates to leasing decisions. Notably, previous assessments excluded climate change impacts, a factor environmentalists insist must be considered.
“This is a global biodiversity hotspot that’s being potentially targeted for oil and gas drilling.”
— Will Harlan, Center for Biological Diversity
Much of the proposed lease area surrounds key recreational sites, including Blue Lake and Open Pond. Will Harlan of the Center for Biological Diversity expressed concern, highlighting Alabama’s national forests as biodiversity hotspots.
Harlan stressed the need to protect these lands, stating that oil and gas drilling poses unnecessary risks to such diverse environments.
The USFS’s informal 30-day comment period ends on Feb. 12. Public feedback can be submitted here or mailed to Garner Westbrook, USDA Forest Service, 2946 Chestnut St., Montgomery, Alabama, 36107.
An open house will occur on Jan. 28 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the USDA Andalusia Service Center, 23952 Highway 55, Andalusia, Alabama.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org