Anniston Star Editorial ; 4/21/2012
Excerpt:   ” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that on June 14 it plans to sell natural gas and oil leases in 43,000 acres of Alabama national forests — land that is so close to us that you could call it our backyard.

The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents regional environmental groups, immediately issued a formal protest, claiming the drilling operations that might follow, including the controversial process known as “fracking,” could “significantly fragment wildlife habitat … and contribute to the industrialization of nearby rural land.”    …..”
Read entire editorial at http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/18309973/article-Explanation-needed–Why-are-we-selling-oil-and-gas-leases-in-Talladega-National-Forest-?instance=home_opinion