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RICHMOND — The federal government will allow a controversial form of gas drilling called fracking in the George Washington National Forest, but it will sharply cut the amount of land on which fracking could occur.

The much-anticipated decision represents in effect a compromise between people who feared fracking would harm the 1.1 million acre forest and industry representatives who said the drilling can be done safely.

“This is a decision about where it’s appropriate to do oil and gas,” said Robert Bonnie, under secretary for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “It’s not a decision about how you do it.”

The USDA includes the National Forest Service, which runs the George Washington in west-central Virginia. About 10 percent of the forest lies in West Virginia. It’s a place where people hike, hunt, watch birds and loggers cut trees, among other uses.

Streams in the forest lead to rivers that supply drinking water for more more than 4 million people, including residents in the Richmond and Washington regions.

The decision to allow fracking lies within a new management plan that will guide activities in the forest for the next 10 to 15 years. The plan is being released today.