December 10, 2008

ACTION ALERT!

ATTENTION SWEETWATER COUNTY RESIDENTS AND ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO PROTECT ADOBE TOWN
A Resolution to help protect Adobe Town from new oil and gas drilling

On Tuesday, December 16th, 2008, the Sweetwater County Commissioners will be holding a public hearing and voting on a very important Resolution which will be critical in protecting Adobe Town from oil and gas development.

We need your help to ensure that the County Commission gets the support they need to protect Adobe Town!

Recognizing the unique scenic, wildlife, archaeological, paleontological, historical, and cultural values of Adobe Town, the State of Wyoming has designated Adobe Town as 'Very Rare and Uncommon' under the Environmental Quality Act. However, this designation only protects Adobe Town from surface mining, not oil and gas development.

Adobe Town has been targeted for drilling by the oil and gas industry. Samson Resources has proposed to drill 4 new wells and create a drilling unit smack-dab in the middle of Adobe Town. By creating a drilling unit, Samson would be able to prevent the expiration of oil and gas leases if any one well in the unit were to be producing because the entire unit, not just the lease that had the well, could be "held by production" indefinitely. Other companies are pursuing drilling plans in the eastern part of Adobe Town as well.

We need to make sure that oil and gas leases are not renewed when they expire, so we can have the greatest chance of maintaining the wild character of this area, and that if drilling occurs on existing leases, the most advanced technology is used to minimize impact on the land.

In 2006, the County Commissioners passed a Resolution which protected all of Adobe Town's 180,000 acres from oil and gas development. However, the BLM cozied up to the oil and gas industry and put pressure on the County Commissioners to amend the Resolution to only protect less than half of Adobe Town that is already protected by federal law as a Wilderness Study Area -- the rest of Adobe Town was excluded from protection! The Haystacks, Powder Rim and the pristine landscapes below Skull Creek Rim deserve protection from oil and gas development as well.

Now there is a new County Commission that has the opportunity to recommend protections for the entire area!

SPEAK OUT AT THE PUBLIC MEETING AND LET THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT YOU WANT ADOBE TOWN PROTECED!

When: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Courthouse Chamber, 80 West Flaming Gorge Way, Green River, WY

If you can not attend the meeting, please write a letter of support for the amended Resolution to Commissioners Wally Johnson, Deb Dellai-Boese, and Randy Walker and send to the County Commissioners at the Courthouse, 80 West Flaming Gorge Way Green River, Wyoming 82935.

Thank you for your help in protecting one of Wyoming's special places!