October 13, 1997

Contact: Chad Kister, OU Graduate Student: 614-594-7287

Citizens to demonstrate this morning to save some of Ohio's last virgin forest

 The Ohio University Campus Greens will hold a press
conference/demonstration at 10 a.m., Wednesday, at the Ohio Division of
Mines and Reclamation's headquarters in Columbus to protest of the passage
of Ohio Valley Coal Co.'s Permit #6 to mine within a mile and a half of
Dysart Woods, and demanding that permit #7 be denied.

 More than 50 citizens and students rallied Tuesday against the
proposed permit #7 and demanded that Ohio University continue its strong
stance of opposition to the permit.  Permit seven would undermine more
than a square mile of the watershed buffer zone that OU officials have
asked be declared off limits to mining.

 The ODMR's office is at 1855 Fountain Square Court, Building H-3.
It is just off Morse road past Northland shopping center (turn just before
tuxedo shop).  We have destroyed 99.996 percent of Ohio's original forest.
Dysart Woods contains trees 400 to 500 years old.  It is among the few
virgin forests left in Ohio.

 "More than 5,000 citizens have signed petitions and more than a
thousand citizens have written letters to the ODMR opposing permits #6 and
#7," said Environmental Activist Chad Kister.  "Nobody has written a
letter in favor of either permit, according to Bill Stirling of the ODMR.
It is time the citizens rise up and demand that democracy prevail."