Wyoming Ranchers Want Tighter Negotiation Rules With Natural Gas Companies

EDIT

"Such voluntary agreements between landowners and natural gas developers are common in Wyoming. But now, some landowners, conservationists, and others are pushing the state Legislature to make such negotiations mandatory. They say such a law is needed to give landowners more bargaining power in dealings with developers. ''They have you over a barrel," said Jill Morrison, an organizer with the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a conservation group. ''You're not negotiating on a level playing field."

Montana already has a similar law on the books, but some are hoping to strengthen property owners' rights by requiring the two sides to try to reach agreement on such things as road placement and efforts to minimize dust and other disturbances. These recent efforts have been spurred in large part by the rapid pace of coal-bed methane development in the Powder River Basin of northern Wyoming and southeastern Montana. Coal-bed methane is natural gas trapped in underground coal seams.

Across the West, owning the land does not always mean owning what is beneath it. The rights to minerals, oil, or gas often are held by someone else, including the federal government, a situation commonly referred to as a ''split estate." Industry leaders say the requirements being proposed in Wyoming and Montana are unnecessary. They contend that energy developers commonly reach amicable agreements with landowners and that prescribing terms may just slow development.

EDIT

Among the landowners who would welcome such a law is Steve Adami, who said he felt at a disadvantage when a company came to his ranch near Buffalo in 2003 with an agreement he contends was presented as ''nonnegotiable." Drilling has started, and Adami said his ranch now reminds him of an industrial park. ''We made financial sacrifices to own the land because we wanted the lifestyle, the privacy, and the seclusion you get with land ownership," Adami said. ''Now all that's been taken from us."

EDIT

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/12/25/ranchers_seek_to_make_negotiations_on_energy_mandatory/

How strange! The rugged individual ranchers of Sportsmen For Bush country now want increased government regulation! I wonder why . . .

they got him. maybe the next time they`ll think...nah,that won`t happen

However, they still voted for bush. suckers