Dear Mr. Schwartz:

I'm writing to urge you to protect the Los Padres National Forest from the impacts of fracking and oil drilling. The Forest Service should prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement, and no fracking should be approved, period. We know enough about the potential environmental and public health impacts of this extremely dangerous practice to ban it, but corporate control of government keeps it afloat.

Fracking has come under increasing scrutiny from scientists, regulators, and the public due to concerns with groundwater contamination, surface water pollution, water consumption, and public health. It is not acceptable to approve any more fracking in such an environmentally sensitive area.

I also urge you to take all measures to protect endangered California condors and steelhead from the impacts of oil development. Please ensure that spills of oil and other hazardous chemicals do not enter Sespe Creek or its tributaries. The best way to do that is simply not allow it on our public lands.

Again, I urge the Forest Service to prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement before approving any fracking operations in Los Padres National Forest. Thank you for your efforts to protect our forest and surrounding communities.


Brien Brennan

Red Bluff, CA 96080