For Immediate Release
March 11, 2003

A broad coalition of western ranchers, hunters, anglers, conservationists, water users and renewable energy advocates released its agenda for energy development in the American West today, calling on Congress to protect private property rights, conserve and protect scarce drinking and irrigation water resources, and preserve sensitive public lands when it considers national energy legislation later this spring.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson lent his voice to the coalition's efforts and asked federal agencies to "require environmentally compatible energy practices" in New Mexico.

In a historic move, the coalition's private property advocates are teaming up with conservation groups to make the protection of private property rights one of its top priorities. The energy industry is lobbying Congress to weaken protections on 58 million acres of private property in the West that sit on top of federally-owned mineral and gas reserves.

"Ranchers have no way to protect their property from the impacts of irresponsible energy development," says Nancy Sorenson, a Wyoming rancher activist with the Powder River Basin Resource Council. "We need strong laws that protect our property rights and our way of making a living." Sorenson says the groups are asking Congress to require surface owner consent and surface use agreements before allowing energy development on their land.

Sorenson says ranchers also oppose industry-proposed changes that would exempt coal bed methane gas development from the Clean Water Act. "We're in the middle of a horrible drought -- we can't afford to pollute or waste a single drop," she says.

The coalition calls on Congress to regulate the gas industry practice of injecting toxic chemicals like benzene, MTBE and toluene into the ground to produce natural gas. Known as "hydraulic fracturing," the practice threatens to contaminate underground drinking water supplies. "Hydraulic fracturing can contaminate our aquifers, which provide tens of thousands of western residents with their primary source of drinking water," says Gwen Lachelt, Director of the Oil and Gas Accountability Project in Durango, Colorado. The energy industry is asking Congress to exempt hydraulic fracturing from the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Hunters, anglers and conservationists hope the proposed legislation maintains existing safeguards for critical wildlife habitat and pristine public lands. "Hunting, fishing and recreation are the cornerstone of the West's economy," says Tory Taylor, a nationally-acclaimed wildlife guide based in Dubois, Wyoming. "If Congress removes wildlife protections to drill for gas, I could be out of a job."

Wildlife recreation and outdoor activities contribute hundreds of thousands of jobs to the West's economy, and generate over $20 billion a year in economic activity.

In addition, the coalition asks Congress to:

• Preserve citizen-proposed wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers
• Make industry clean up industrial wastes left on private and public lands
• End massive subsidies for coal bed methane gas development

A copy of the Western Energy Agenda is available at the Powder River Basin Resource Council website.