A new U.S. Forest Service plan could open nearly 500,000 acres of Texas national forest land, including the Angelina National Forest and Davy Crockett National Forest, to future oil and gas leasing in the East Texas 936 area. The plan updates a 1996 leasing analysis and sets the ground rules for where leases may occur and what operational restrictions will apply.
The plan covers roughly 490,000 eligible acres across the Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Sam Houston national forests, along with the Caddo and Lyndon B. Johnson national grasslands. In the Angelina National Forest, 14,200 acres are covered, with 4,500 acres closed to surface operations and 9,700 acres available under restrictions. The Davy Crockett National Forest includes 155,300 acres, 100 acres closed to leasing, 10,900 acres closed to surface operations, and 144,300 acres available under controlled-use requirements.
Forest Service supervisor Kimpton Cooper said the plan “lays out where leasing can happen and the ground rules to do it right,” with protections for water, wildlife, and communities. The agency estimates roughly 273 wells could be drilled through 2045, potentially disturbing up to 600 acres and using about 7.06 billion gallons of water over two decades. New wells must be at least 300 feet from homes, schools, nursing homes, and other sensitive locations.
The decision does not immediately approve any wells or drilling. Source: Lufkin Daily News.