Ohio’s new business of leasing about 22,000 acres of its publicly owned lands to the oil and gas industry has grown into a $314 million gusher.
The bulk of that money comes from one-time signing bonuses for mineral rights to natural gas trapped beneath 6,200 acres of Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County ($62 million) and 14,800 acres of land at Jockey Hollow and Egypt Valley wildlife areas ($238 million), which butt up against one another in Harrison County, according to an analysis from Signal Statewide.
And the first royalty checks have begun to arrive. Salt Fork State Park became Ohio’s first major leasing deal in early 2024, with an agreement spanning 5,700 acres of one of the largest parks in the state’s fleet. It’s now among the first to start producing.
After the signing bonus, West Virginia-based Infinity Natural Resources has paid $11.3 million from 20% of royalties on gross production between the first payments in October 2025 and the most recent data from May 2026, according to new data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. That’s about $1.4 million per month.
In general terms, about one-third of all the lease money stays with the park that hosts the development, with the rest freeing up budget space for any number of legislative priorities.
Most project sites have produced nothing so far, including Leesville, Zepernick and Keen wildlife areas, according to ODNR spokesperson Andy Chow. A 302-acre lease at Valley Run Wildlife Area, in Carroll County, has made Ohio about $86,000 to date.
Infinity last month won a bid for another 513 underground acres at Salt Fork State Park, which could also add to the royalty checks down the line.
The leases rely on fracking, an oil and gas extraction process technically known as hydraulic fracturing, where operators drill thousands of feet downward from just outside the park before turning 90 degrees and reaching laterally beneath them. From the bore, they spray a mixture of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to free natural gas from shale, and pump it back up to the surface level to process and sell.
A handful of out-of-state companies – Gulfport Appalachia, Ascent Resources and Grenadier Energy – will split the acreage of Egypt Valley and Jockey Hollow, per bids selected by state officials last month. It remains to be seen if the larger land mass equates to bigger royalty checks for the state.
‘It’s really not about the money’
Mike Chadsey, a spokesman for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said the lease bonus payments and long-term royalty deals provide a “meaningful” source of state funds that don’t come from taxpayers’ pockets.
“It’s a great example of how responsible energy development can deliver lasting economic benefits while helping preserve and improve the places Ohio families will enjoy for generations to come,” he said.
“Through responsible state lands development and Ohio’s strong regulatory oversight, our industry continues to create jobs, generate public revenue, and provide the reliable energy that powers our economy and enhances the quality of life for all Ohioans.”
The state Oil and Gas Land Management Commission for more than two years now has steadily gone about its review and, in almost all cases, acceptance of applications for mineral rights leases under Ohio’s state parks, wildlife areas, roadways, and even a state prison.
Its members have faced regular opposition from environmentalists associated with Save Ohio Parks, a grassroots organization formed by longtime climate advocates from Southeast Ohio. That has included public comments, media campaigns, stuffed public meetings, and occasional heckling during OGLMC’s meetings.
The total dollar number hasn’t swayed Melinda Zemper, a steering committee member.
“Whether it’s $200 million or $300 million, the fact is, when you have water depleted from our freshwater resources and converted into radioactive waste brine that has the potential to contaminate our aquifers and groundwater, that’s not a good tradeoff,” she said in an interview, referring to industrial waste that stems from the fracking process.
“It’s really not about the money for Save Ohio Parks, it’s about preserving our natural lands for future generations and ensuring we have a livable planet.”
Where does fracking money go?
Generally speaking, some of the money stays with the park that hosted the drilling. The rest goes to the state.
By law, at least 30% of the money must go toward capital improvements at the park – things like campsites, lodges and bathrooms.
At Salt Fork, the state’s largest state park and oldest fracking lease site, a state board in 2024 approved $20 million in construction to renovate its lodge, beach house, splash pad and roadways, before increases worth another $3 million were approved this year.
However, state lawmakers have paired the cash infusion from the leases with roughly dollar-for-dollar general revenue fund cuts. This essentially gives architects of Ohio’s $96 billion budget some new cash to spend on any given legislative priority or tax cut.
The current leasing process was effectively created by 2023 legislation passed by statehouse Republicans and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine.