OXFORD – Members of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York plan to rally on Capitol West Park in Albany next Wednesday in support of natural gas development in the state.

The rally, called “Save Our State” or “S.O.S.,” is intended to impact upon the state’s legislature before the summer recess about the potential to improve the state’s economy with clean energy and revenues from natural gas development.

According to Oxford Land Group President Bryant LaTourette, landowners have been dismayed to see how legislators are focusing more on how natural gas drilling might harm the environment, instead of how it might uplift the state’s overly stressed economy.

“We couldn’t agree more!” he said, emphasizing the group’s pro-environment stance as well. “That’s why we originally grouped together, circled the wagons by the thousands and built leases that took environmental concerns to the next level. We sent letters to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, flew to Texas, contacted chambers of commerce in shale gas areas, and assembled teams of folks to research hydraulic fracturing. The fact is, we found not one case of polluted drinking water can be linked or attributed to hydrofracturing.”