Richmond, Virginia

THE US Forest Service has backed off a proposal to ban fracking in the George Washington National Forest - a move likely to upset conservationists who oppose the controversial drilling practice.

Under a final plan that was set for release on Tuesday, the Forest Service will allow drilling on some land. That's an about- face from a preliminary proposal released three years ago that would have prohibited fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, for oil and natural gas inside the popular national forest, which contains 1.1 million acres (445,000 hectares) in Virginia and West Virginia.