Wheatland Surface Rights Action Group "WSRAG"

"CBM - A Landowners Perspective"

Information Session - June 8, 2005(C-MAG)

• The group is over 3 years old and funded entirely by landowners
• Membership is now over 120 families and covers approximately 217,000 acres of land
• Our focus is on education and communication
• Worked closely with the Energy Utilities Board as a single stakeholder Synergy Group

• Three prime motivators - compensation concerns, lack of respect from industry and a lack of knowledge about our rights
• United front - we wanted to share information on both compensation and conditions
• Education - we wanted to find unbiased resources regarding landowner rights and CBM
• Support - to reduce frustration with our own lack of knowledge and work together.

• To educate landowners on how to protect themselves, their land, their health and the environment they live in
• To research and share information regarding financial compensation, rights and responsibilities and resources
• To support decision-making by providing timely informationon relevant issues
• To support members and work together as a group in support of values and concerns which relate to all surfaces developments
• To work towards long-term protection of our environment and improvement of our quality of life

• Survived three years and gained the respect of the EUB and some industry members as well as created a lot more awareness of landowner rights
• Hosted regular information/educational meetings with respected speakers
• Successfully completed a 9 month Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) with Husky Energy and met all of our original objectives
• Currently working in another ADR on downspacing and conditions of development for CBM with Encana, we remain optimistic
• Worked jointly with EUB and industry to establish Synergy Alberta www.synergyalberta.ca
• Active participants on the CBM working groups for Surface Air, Water and Tenure Committees, with the EUB and industry

• Our initial reaction was the EUB was in the pockets of industry. Our opinion has changed
• Good people, but not enough people, trying to do a good job within the parameters of the mandate they are required to work with
• The conclusion: The parameters of their mandate must change, and by working as a group, you can influence change easier
• If you want to work with the EUB - you must learn how the EUB operates and work WITH the system. Being part of a group makes this easier.