Mealey's (June 18, 2015, 3:43 PM EDT) -- ROANOKE, Va. — The U.S. Forestry Service (USFS) on Nov. 18, 2014, announced its revised plan for management of the 1.1 million-acre George Washington National Forest that will allow oil and gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing on a total of 177,200 acres.

(Revised plan available. Document #94-141209-006X.)

Leasing

The plan limits availability for new oil and gas leasing, while establishing a potential development on about 10,000 acres where there are existing valid leases, as well as on 167,200 acres with existing private mineral rights, the USFS...