NORWICH – The largest landowner coalition in New York State just got bigger.
The Central New York Land Coalition, which originated in Norwich and New Berlin, and the Oxford Land Group announced this morning that they would combine forces under the Central New York Land Coalition name. The two group’s membership represents 174,000 acres.
CNYLC was formed in 2008 to prepare landowners for natural gas development that was occurring in the area. It had already amassed acreage in Chenango, Otsego, Delaware and Madison counties, some of it overlapping the Oxford Land Group. With an additional 20,000 acres, the coalition will now represent more contiguous acres and, according to its leaders, a more powerful presence to negotiate land-owner friendly and profitable leases with the industry.
“Our true coalition strength is flexed through contiguous acres. More than just land to drill, the industry also needs right-of-way to get the gas out, which is why contiguous acres is what they are most interested in,” said CNYLC President Brian Conover.
Bryant LaTourette, who gathered with his neighbors to begin the Oxford Land Group two years ago as well, said the best option at this point in time is “to grow our strength and join forces with another like-minded coalition.”
“I am very confident of this strategic move for our coalition and believe that this is coming at just the right time to be a win-win for both groups,” he said.
The two leaders say they have been working out the details of combining forces for the past two months.
Conover credits his coalition’s recent e-mail, phone calling and fax bombardment to legislators in Albany for preventing two bills that were proposing moratoriums on hydraulic fracturing in the state’s natural gas laden shale formations. He said the group’s diligence, combined with the efforts of fellow New York coalitions made a huge difference. Both CNYLC and the Oxford Land Group are members of an even larger organization based in Broome County, called the New York Joint Landowners Group.
“We made a big different politically and it’s why this thing is stalled at this point in time,” he said. “That’s the optimism that we have right now going forward with this combined group. Right now the focus is to defeat the bills and create a climate for natural gas development to be encouraged in New York State,” he said.
Being on the same side of the table as the industry in the fight for landowner’s rights is not where the coalition began nor intends to end up. Conover said if the moratoriums can be stalled and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation completes its permitting regulations for drilling, then the two entities will be negotiating from opposite of the table.
“I look forward to the day when we can talk turkey with them,” he said.
“Our hopes to negotiate gas leases has been temporarily hindered by the work of the DEC and some political obstacles of New York State. I trust that both of these factors will be remedied soon,” LaTourette said.
The acreage would most likely be broken into six different regions led by members of the combined coalition’s steering committee. Conover will retain his position as president of the group.
“The Central New York Landowner’s Coalition has many landowners in our coalition range. In fact, many have joint membership with them as well as us,” said LaTourette.
The coalition will hold an informational and update meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 15 at the Oxford Middle School Auditorium, 12 Fort Hill Park, Oxford. Members will meet the steering committee as well as hear from attorney, Scott Kurkoski of Levene, Gouldin and Thompson. The meeting will also cover highlights of lease protections and the coalition’s strategy for advancing common goals.