Gas Leases

Our friends at the Northern Wayne Property Owners Alliance is once again kicking butt and taking names when it comes to putting the power over the gas leasing explosion in Pennsylvania squarely where it belongs, in the hands of land owners.

NWPOA has pooled together around 1,000 property owners with a total of 70,000 acres of land that could potentially be leased to form one of the largest collective bargaining groups I’ve ever seen. This pooling has given them the power to turn the table on the gas companies and let them compete against each other for the privilege to drill wells.

From the article:

They have organized into 3,000 acre neighborhoods, with an elected representative from each being a part of a steering committee.

As a by-product of the lease, there are informal discussions about stimulating sustainability, setting up local charities, and economic development of the community. These discussions are all in a preliminary stage, but it is reasonable to assume that a number of substantive community projects will evolve, according to the NWPOA.

Some critical features are: Evaluation and prequalification of companies based on their strength and track records; speedy payments to leaseholders; activities structured around the ‘best practices’ around the country – not local regulations; a carefully structured environmental exhibit; a carefully structured surface use and protection exhibit; individual landowner approval of important activities; and on-going NWPOA assistance to its members.

I once again have to state, what the NWPOA is doing here is phenomenal, kudos to them for all of their hard work in looking out for property owners and their community.

Northern Wayne Property Owners Alliance

Via [The Wayne Independent]