(Posted 5/23/08)
CENTRAL NEW YORK LANDOWNERS COALITION
Bulletin No. 1
Welcome to the Central New York Landowners Coalition. Our mission
statement is education, negotiation and conservation. Our goal is to
help people in the coalition not to make a mistake by signing dangerous
and misleading leases.
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING FOR ANY REASON WITH THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES.
A general meeting will be held within the next couple of weeks. We will
inform you about the time and the place. Please look out for the notice.
I am happy to announce with this bulletin that we are more then 15000
acres strong and still growing.
For those who have signed a lease already or know someone who has
signed a lease and feels that they have been mislead, here is some
information that you may use:
The Farm Bureau's Gas Lease Complaint Form at:
http://www.ccfbny.org/issues/oil_lease/Gas%20complaint%20form08.pdf
Anyone who knows of problems with land men and their tactics and/or for
those individuals who feel they were coerced into signing a lease may
file a complaint with the Farm Bureau using this form. All complaints
are given to the Attorney General's Office (Andrew Cuomo). In speaking
with Deputy Attorney General Dennis McCabe yesterday, it was strongly
advised that landowners need to file these forms to initiate a review
process of the gas company practices. It is conceivable that leases
done with misrepresentation at the table might actually be overturned.
Pass this info around to anyone you know who has been taken in any way
or is approached by landsmen who use deceptive tactics in their
presentations.
For those who do not have email, a copy of this form is included in our
mailing.
FACT: Chenango County is sitting on a veritable wealth of natural gas.
The recent flurry of activity associated with this industry, including
the press coverage about the potential economic boom along with the
attempts by the gas companies to capture the hearts of landowners and,
in my opinion, coerce landowners to sign gas and oil leases compels me
to write this letter and give one layman’s views and opinions about
this phenomenon and speak about possible tricks and tactics you might
fall victim to.
Our first word and most important advice is, once again: DO NOT SIGN
ANY LEASE at this time for any reason.
One of the first things we may suggest that any landowner need do when
considering whether they might want to lease their land or not is to
seek information and join our group of landowners whose main mission
involves (1) EDUCATION for its members about all aspects of the natural
gas industry for this area, (2) NEGOTIATION…Using the power of the
group, placing leases written by the group out to the 60 – 70 gas
companies who might wish to compete in a sealed bid process for these
leases and thus arrive at a higher price offered to lease your land,
and finally (3) CONSERVATION…Ensuring that our region is
protected…including keeping our water clean and safe, protecting
landowner’s rights for access and well sightings, financial bonding
assurances for every aspect of our valuable infrastructure and
hopefully limiting damage to our beautiful countryside.
Geologists’ reports speak of the shale beds that lie beneath us. The
layer of black shale that lies about a mile below Chenango County that
is creating interest here from the gas companies is called Marcellus
Shale. All the indicators point to the fact that natural gas in large
quantities lies beneath our county. We find it interesting to read the
NYS Geologist reports (Richard Nyahay) and the reports by the
University of Pennsylvania Geologist Terry Engelder who speak about the
vast reserves of natural gas that lie beneath us. Their reports are
validated when one looks at the Investor Information pages the gas
companies place on their web sites and give to their potential
investors and to their stockholders.
Remember this…in a one-on-one situation, the gas company landmen
(persons hired by the gas company to convince you to sign a lease with
them and at a LOW price) will make it sound like there is only a slight
chance that there will ever be a huge find of gas here but they will be
real nice and give you a (tempting) fistful of cash as an incentive for
you to sign. It is the “salesman woe is me” model. Do not be tempted by
the carrot they dangle in front of you.
Recently an oil and gas lease was signed at a record price per acre in
the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Landowners in five separate but
unified subdivisions of the city received signing bonuses equivalent to
$25,000 per acre and cost free royalties of 26.5%. Compare that to some
of the leases signed in Chenango County over the past few months. Some
of our local landowners were victims (in my opinion) to the landsmen’s
pitch and signed for single digit per acre bonuses ($5 per acre).
However, the tide is turning. About a week ago, landowners in the
Deposit area signed for $2411 per acre and 15% royalties. Lindsay
Wickham with the New York State Farm Bureau recently said to us,
“Landowners need to remain a bit more patient and do their homework…and
that 5-figure per acre bonuses ($10,000 per acre or more) and royalties
at or above 18% are just around the corner for this area.”
Every one of us should be upset at the offers and the way that the oil
companies are cheating us.…VERY VERY UPSET. W recently looked at the
Stockholder Report given on April 8, 2008 in Oslo, Norway by the CEO of
Norse Energy, Parent Corporation of Nornew, where they stated that the
potential for the gas “play” in Chenango and Madison Counties is far
greater than the income potential for the already proven Barnett Shale
deposits in Texas. Norse Energy targets Chenango County…IMAGINE THAT!!!
And yet they tell the landowners that probably there is no gas here
anyway. That, in our opinion, is FRAUD and represents totally deceptive
practices.
Good luck to all. We stand in the doorway of the greatest economic boom
this region has ever seen and may ever see again. Let’s work together
and do the right thing
Many people on our list of members have been put on this list by
friends and family. In order to insure that the list is complete and
that you want to continue with our coalition, please fill out the form
attached and return it to:
RICHARD LASKY
936 County Route 34
Norwich, New York 13815
This form is important…If we do not receive one from you filled out, we
will assume that you no longer want to be part of this coalition and
your name will be dropped from the list.
Should you know of anyone who wants to join, any of the following
contacts can be used:
Richard Jorgensen,DDS : Richard Lasky (334-2051), John Haltner
(859-2292), Pastor Brian Conover (334-8747) and Charles Rowe
(334-4761). The email address for the coalition is:
chenangogas@gmail.com.
REMEMBER, A COALITION IS A GROUP THAT STICKS TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE
GOOD OF ALL THE MEMBERS. WE CAN AND WILL GET THE FARE SHARE OF WHAT IS
TRULY OURS - OUR LAND, OUR ECONOMY, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR FUTURE!
We stand in the doorway of the greatest economic boom this region has
ever seen and may ever see again.
(Print)
CENTRAL NEW YORK LANDOWNERS COALITION
MAIL FORM TO:
Richard Lasky
936 County Route 34
Norwich, New York 13815
Member Name______________________________________ Tel:
_________________________
Mailing Address of Member: ADDRESS _____________________________________
TOWN_________________, STATE_____________
E-mail Address: ___________________________ Fax No:
______________________
Tax Map Number: _________________________ Acreage: _____
Town of Parcel : ______________ County: ________________ State: ____
Tax Map Number: _________________________ Acreage: _____
Town of Parcel : ______________ County: ________________ State: ____
Tax Map Number: _________________________ Acreage: _____
Town of Parcel : ______________ County: ________________ State: ____
Tax Map Number: _________________________ Acreage: _____
Town of Parcel : ______________ County: ________________ State: ____
At the time of Bidding you will need to submit your Social Security
Number: ______________
For what purpose do you own the land?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What uses do you currently make of the land?
_______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
(Some common uses are: Residence, Quarrying, Farming, Forestry,
Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Hiking, Skiing, Firewood, Snowmobiling,
Motorcycling, 4-wheeling, Monastery or Retreat, Nature Preserve,
Industrial, subdivision for housing, list any other not listed, etc.)
What future uses of your land would you like to preserve? :
____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Please list what special concerns you have about your land? see sample
concerns below:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Some Common Concerns to consider among others are as follows: Drinking
Water (flow rate, purity), Septic System and leach field, Wildlife
Protection, Herbicide and Pesticide Use, Organic Farming Issues,
Subsidence, Support, Pollution, Access, Intensity of the Use, Soil
Hydrology, Soil Fertility, Land Contour, Runoff and Drainage,
Footprints for Well Site, Footprints for gas pipelines, Footprints for
access roads, Footprints for other facilities if any, Time of Year
restrictions on use, if any, Other wells, gravel pits, Quarries, Timber
issues, tree farm issues, etc.
Mail to:
Richard Lasky
936 County Route 34
Norwich, New York 13815