The U.S. Forest Service plan, to make most of the George Washington National Forest unavailable for fracking, also spares the portions of the national forest that are in Amherst and Nelson counties. The Forest Service received 53,000 comments on the forest plan many requesting consideration of certain control measures that aim to protect natural resources. The long-term forest plan, announced on Nov. 17 would protect most of the 1.1 million-acre forest. According to the finalized plan, the only areas of the forest that may be drilled are the 10,000 acres of the national forest that are currently under gas leases, located in Highland County.
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