Hilliard state Rep. Crystal Lett is one of 15 statehouse candidates endorsed by Save Ohio Parks, the grassroots nonprofit fighting to stop oil and gas drilling on Ohio's public lands.

The endorsement, announced Aug. 19, also backs Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton and running mate David Pepper. The group's board president, Cathy Cowan Becker, lives in Hilliard.

"Ohioans did not ask for drilling rigs in their state parks. They are getting them anyway," Cowan Becker said in the announcement. "Dr. Amy Acton listens. She understands that our parks belong to all of us, not to out-of-state frackers."

Lett, a Democrat representing House District 11 covering Hilliard and Dublin, was among the candidates Save Ohio Parks said expressed support for protecting clean air, fresh water and public lands during the group's candidate interview process. Lett's office did not respond to a request for comment on the endorsement.

The endorsement draws a sharp line in the governor's race. Acton has vowed to ban fracking under state-owned land if elected, according to cleveland.com, which described Republican Vivek Ramaswamy as a vocal proponent of the practice. Save Ohio Parks said Ramaswamy has celebrated fracking on public lands and plans to expand it. Outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine has endorsed Ramaswamy.

Ohio became the only state to frack its own state parks when DeWine signed House Bill 507 in 2023. Since then, the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission has approved drilling on parts of Salt Fork State Park and six wildlife areas. Almost 24,000 acres of parks and wildlife land have been approved or nominated for fracking.

On June 29, the commission approved fracking 15,000 more acres at Egypt Valley and Jockey Hollow wildlife areas and 513 additional acres at Salt Fork.

The issue hits close to home. Cowan Becker testified before the Ohio Select Committee on Data Centers on June 1 that the largest fracked-gas fuel cell in North America was approved to power the Amazon data center on Scioto-Darby Creek Road with no public notice, no public hearing and no consultation with local officials. The facility will emit an estimated 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide per day next to hundreds of homes, an elementary school and a park.

In 2025, a coalition of 30 Ohio environmental organizations and nearly 1,500 residents signed a letter asking DeWine to declare a moratorium on fracking state parks. He did not act on the request.

The general election is Nov. 3. Early voting begins Oct. 6.