Drilling appeals imminent

[Hamilton Reef]

Drilling appeals imminent
Sierra Club cites contradictory information

http://www.record-eagle.com/2005/mar/02mason.htm

GRAYLING - Officials with the Mackinac Chapter of the Sierra Club and Anglers of the AuSable next week plan to file separate appeals to a U.S. Forest Service decision to allow natural gas drilling near the Mason Tract along the AuSable River.
The federal government owns the rights to subsurface minerals there, which were leased to Savoy Exploration of Traverse City. The company plans to slant drill beneath the Mason Tract from a nearby location on federal land and install a pipeline and production facility if gas is found.
Savoy could request permits to drill as many as three more wells.
The Mason Tract is a 5,300-acre stretch of forest land near Grayling named for auto executive George Mason, who donated the original 1,200 acres to the state upon his death in 1954 and asked that it be maintained as wilderness. Many residents fear the clear-cutting of trees to reach the well site, as well as the nuisance of noise and foul odors in the ecologically pristine area.
Marvin Roberson, forest policy specialist with the Sierra Club, said the U.S. Forest Service made unsubstantiated claims about the impact of the proposed well in its report and provided contradictory information. He said their appeal would be filed Monday.
Rusty Gates, president of Anglers of the AuSable, a nonprofit advocacy group to preserve the AuSable watershed, said their appeal would be filed no later than March 10.
Scott Lowe, a real estate broker and appraiser from Traverse City, filed an appeal to the decision last month.

[WILDCATWICK]

What a B.S.. Old George has got to be tuning over in his grave. I'm not happy on bit about this. Nor am I happy with what is going to happen on the Yellow Dog.

I understand that we need to drill in order to drive or in order to have other materialistic things. But darn it can't they drill in other places. I don't even mind them drilling on certain rivers but those two?? State gets a beuatiful gift and the state know what was expected of them. I know this is a federal issue but it still stinks!!

Then with the Yellow Dog you have one of the hardest rivers to access, one of the most pristine rivers in the state. You have a group of citizens who have secured the Pinnicle falls in order to protect it from private development (which I donate money to annually) and they are going to drill any way.
They are looking into drilling for nickle & copper. Anyone that doesn't think this will effect the rivers or the environment has not spent anytime in the Houghton/Hancock area. The rivers that could be effected by this decision are: the Dead River starts there, the Huron River starts there, the Yellow Dog, the Salmon Trout, the Mulligan.
Hopefully some of the extream wealthy people of the Huron Mountain Club start throwing their money around.

:( :( :(

[foxangler]

all i know is when you mine for nickle, sulfuric acid is a by-product...i.e. if it gets into the rivers or water table, then its game over for the Yellow Dog, Mulligan, and so on. I have wheeled my jeep in the whole area around the yellow dog plains, and it is beautiful. Why can't we leave that area alone. The UP has already seen its fair share of Mining over the years. But also knowing that Nickle is a rare element and very costly, i guess its the same old story, the almighty dollar wins again. :(

[Ole Spike]

We are lucky to have a place like the Mason Tract - why can't the state gov't. hold up their end of the deal with George Mason? Surely they have enough influence and the resources to fight this.

[WILDCATWICK]

We are lucky to have a place like the Mason Tract - why can't the state gov't. hold up their end of the deal with George Mason? Surely they have enough influence and the resources to fight this.


Well the federal governement is the one that makes the decision. And it seems like it already has. The appeal is just a process. Nothing will happen.

What I would have like to seen is the state work with this company to not drill there. Have discussions with the company. Maybe open up another area that may be of interest. Maybe a tax break. I don't know but it seems that when it comes to the environment everyone takes things way to lightly.

[Hamilton Reef]

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rusty Gates: 989-348-8462
Marvin Roberson: 734-662-8011

March 7, 2005

Anglers of the Au Sable and Sierra Club Challenge Forest Service Drilling Approval

Conservation Organizations Join Forces to Protect the South Branch of the Au Sable River

The Anglers of the Au Sable and the Sierra Club today filed simultaneous administrative appeals to overturn a Forest Service decision approving a natural gas well site adjacent to the Mason Tract and within earshot of South Branch of the Au Sable River. The two conservation organizations each filed an appeal challenging the decision on the USA South Branch 1-8 Exploratory Gas Well Project, which would allow Savoy Energy to drill gas wells at the site within 6/10th of a mile of one of the most revered fly fishing rivers in North America.

The appeals cite major violations of the laws and regulations governing the Forest Service land management practices. The alliance between the Anglers and the Sierra Club calls on their respective strengths: extraordinary on-the-ground knowledge of the river and surrounding lands of the seven hundred members of the Anglers of the Au Sable; and a decade and one half of experience monitoring Forest Service management and regulations of the Michigan Sierra Club. (A summary of key points in the appeals of the decision of Huron-Manistee National Forest Supervisor Leanne Marten is attached.)

Rusty Gates, President of the Anglers of the Au Sable, said the Forest Service ignored overwhelming public opposition to the plan to allow drilling near the site where the fly fishers kicked off efforts to protect and restore the nation’s trout fishing heritage. The agency received hundreds of comments from across the United States asking them to deny the surface occupancy permit requested by Savoy because it would permanently harm the unique experiences along the river.

“The Forest Service’s badly flawed decision would harm the South Branch of the Au Sable, a recreational jewel known to generations of fly fishers as ‘their river’," according to Gates. “The agency failed to follow their own regulations and laws, approving drilling for a gas well that even they say would be as loud as a rock concert to those who came to this place for peace and solitude found nowhere else. The Anglers of the Au Sable have long supported management efforts by the Forest Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the agency restore habitat along the river, so we were stunned to see a decision so at odds with the law and public concern for this unique place.”

“A year and a half ago the Forest Service was forced to pull back its original proposed decision on a drilling site in this area because it was so blatantly illegal,” said Sierra Club’s Forest Policy Specialist Marvin Roberson. “This decision by the Forest Service is again badly flawed. The agency cited both unjustified claims and outright false assertions in reaching their decision. In addition, the Forest Service failed to consider alternative sites, as mandated by law, even though the public offered up excellent alternative sites starting more than a decade ago. In fact, this decision may be the worst Forest Service decision we have ever seen.” Roberson credited the extraordinary knowledge of the Anglers of the Au Sable with making this appeal one of the strongest he has seen. The Sierra Club Mackinac Chapter has never lost an appeal of a Forest Service decision in Michigan.

The Anglers of the Au Sable appeal and the Sierra Club appeal were submitted to the Forest Service Eastern Regional Forester Randy Moore, who is expected to issue a decision in the next few months.

ATTACHMENT:

Reasons for Anglers of the Au Sable and Sierra Club Appeal of 1-8 South Branch Drilling Project

• The Forest Service Failed to Examine Reasonable Alternatives, as Required By Law

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to examine and analyze all “reasonable and prudent” alternatives to the proposal. The Forest Service analyzed ONLY those wellhead locations which were proposed by Savoy Energy, the applicant for the permit. The Forest Service failed to examine alternative locations which would have allowed for access to the minerals from a location which would not have disturbed users of the Mason Tract.

• The Forest Service Failed to Respond to Substantive Public Comments

NEPA also requires that federal agencies respond to all “substantive public comments”.

There were many comments to the agency regarding location of wellhead, noise, public nuisance, etc, which were simply not addressed.

• The Forest Service Failed to Substantiate Their Decision

NEPA requires federal agencies to disclose the basis for their decision, in order that the public may see, understand, and potentially disagree with, the rationale for a given decision. In this case, the Forest Service relied on numerous unsupported claims, which made it impossible for the public to determine the accuracy of those claims.

• The Forest Service Relied on Many False Statements

In the Decision Notice, Finding of No Significant Impact, and Environmental Assessment, the Forest Service simply relied on false claims, including the distance the proposed wellhead will be from the Au Sable, the distance another wellhead (cited as an example of a successful project) is from the river, the effects of oil & gas drilling on property values, and others.
__________________________________________________ _____________

The Anglers of the Au Sable were founded in 1987 “to preserve, protect and enhance the Au Sable River System for future generations of fly fishers.” The website for the six hundred member organization is found at www.ausableanglers.org .

The Sierra Club’s purposes, in part, are to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth, and to enlist humanity in this cause. The Mackinac Chapter, the state-wide Sierra Club Chapter in Michigan, has approximately 20,000 members. More information is available at www.michigan.sierraclub.org .

Complete copies of the appeals submitted by the Anglers of the Au Sable and the Sierra Club are available by contacting anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org .

[Ole Spike]

Sounds like a pretty convincing appeal to me. Thanks to Rusty and Marvin for their dedication and hard work.

[swampbuck]

I read about the drilling being approved in our local paper(roscommon herald) a couple weeks ago. I dont recall the exact details but from what I read the site is not in the mason tract,and will not be seen, heard or smelled from the river.I believe it said its 3 miles from the river. and it stated that there are wells operating closer to the river now than were the new site is located. I just dont see the big deal that the environmentalist are trying to make out of it.

I have spent considerable time in that area. and the biggest noise/ pollution problem I have seen is the hundreds of canoers that parade through there every day.

as far as wells, they are all over this county. and in the spot that I trout fish I can hear and quite often smell wells and it is far better fishing that that stretch of the ausable any day of the week. and its a national natural land markwith what must be over 100 wells.

It seems to me to be more of a tree hugger issue and I hope that sportsmen will look at the facts. and go out there and see it for themselves before making a decision on what to believe.

several years ago we had the same issues here regarding forest dunes, permits were issued. It was built and no harm was done. and now it is producing revenue for one of the most economically depressed countys in the state.

[WILDCATWICK]

The big deal is where do you draw the line? Do you approve of a sulfide mine located on the Yellowdog river?

Nest thing you know they are saying they want to build a miniture chemical valley on the Manisttee. Your O.K. with that? Talk to the people in the Gladstone/Escanaba area and ask how they like a paper plant on their beautiful river. I live in Pt. Huron and I'll tell you I don't like the plants on the river. The companies continuously lie about what they are doing and how it's polluting. Why would Sulfide companies and oil companies be any different. It already sounds like the oil company had falsified info in regourds to the distance of the river in the past so there is great concern that they may be lying now.

There is nothing wrong with hugging trees they give us air we breath. They filter the smoke from the pumps that draw up the oil. I think that members of Anglers of The Au Sable are sports people who are working hard to try and draw a line. Why can't these compnaies seek out viable alternative locations? They are suppose to.

I like you, but completly opposite direction, can not understand why sportsman take these things so lightly. Everytime one of these goes up it distrubs the natural land with new roads, logging, noise and air pollution.

If you want to hunt and fish around oil wells so be it. I prefer to hunt and fish around clean water, clean air, & trees. All I want to hear around me is nature. Not trucks on the road &, not oil pumps pumping.

Makes me think of the an old Indian saying...." we are not owners of the land and water, we are just borrowing it from our grandchildern".

[swampbuck]

It would be great if we could do away with all the wells and factorys unfortunately we are a consumer driven country.Does your car run on air and water? How do you heat your house? do you use paper?

the fact is we need to find a balance between environment and industry, unless we want to make our country even more dependant on imports.

In the case that I was reffering to, It has been studied to death by the dnr and the feds and they have approved it. have you ever tried to get a permit from the dnr to do something near water or wetlands? I have and it is damn near impossible.If they approved it then its good enough for me.

as far as the mason tract goes, I can appreciate that George Mason donated it to us and that it is to be preserved. and the proper agencys are seeing that it is. but it is not a particularly special peice of land and there are many more peices that are far superior that have done just fine with resource development such as the pigeon river area.

our taxes are paying these people to manage our resources. and I think that they are doing a fine job.

[WILDCATWICK]

It would be great if we could do away with all the wells and factorys unfortunately we are a consumer driven country.Does your car run on air and water? How do you heat your house? do you use paper?

Never did I say I wanted to do away with these things. What I did say is these companies need to follow the rules. They need to seek out alternative sites. They did not!
And I am not fine with that!


the fact is we need to find a balance between environment and industry, unless we want to make our country even more dependant on imports.
This is what I'm for as well. Bottom line is you and others can't convince me that there are not other spots in Michigan that will work for this company. If this is the last spot then we are in serious trouble aren't we. If there are other spots that are further away from Rustic nature areas that get a fair amount of foot traffic then they should use those spots first.

our taxes are paying these people to manage our resources. and I think that they are doing a fine job.
Because it is our money that is ultimatly managing the resources we should be making sure these people we employed are doing the right things. Rusty Gates and others thru efforts have shown that they have not been doing things correctly up to this point. Why should we beleive that they will all of sudden start doing things by the book?

As I said "we do not own this land, it's being borrowed from our grandchildern"
With that thought in mind we have to find the balnace your talking about. The gas companies don't usually don't subscribe to the above saying. Why doesn't the gas company try to find balance? They haven't even made the effort on finding alternative sites & that's not the job of the DNR or anyone else for that matter. Last thing I want my tax money going for is so an oil compnay can find sites!

We as sportsman should be stewards of our waterways and hunting areas. If not us who will? Any threat to these areas should be taken seriously. Alternative sources should be seeked out. If these places are the last spot for drilling then we are in serious trouble. So I assume they are not.

Here is one question to the people that think that there is no issue with these wells. What happens to the wells when they are done? They are left there to rot. Real nice landscape? I don't think so.

[7MM Magnum]

Once you give them the "Rights" to mine there they will "ALWAYS" hold rights to that property to do what they wish !

We have an oil company drilling properties all around us and that is just what they did to these people!!

They came out to have them sign an "Ammendment to the Radification" explaining to them that all it was saying was they were including their properties with another group. But in fact it was ALSO saying that it extended the original contract to a never ending date giving them the rights to the properties FOREVER!! :rant: :rant: :rant:

VERY SHADY :evilsmile PEOPLE !!!!!

[SafetyMan]

Drilling 7 or 8 THOUSAND feet deep will not affect the river.

Period.

There are THOUSANDS of natural gas and oil wells in the State of Michigan as we speak. Most people only know of the ones near 75 around Bay City.

[WILDCATWICK]

Drilling 7 or 8 THOUSAND feet deep will not affect the river.

Period.

There are THOUSANDS of natural gas and oil wells in the State of Michigan as we speak. Most people only know of the ones near 75 around Bay City.


The roads that will need to be put in placed, the additional traffic, and the logging will have an effect on the area.

As I said why don't they save tis area for awhile longer and seek out alternative sources like they are suppose to do.

[Hamilton Reef]

Mason relative protests drilling
Forest Service recently found the document

GRAYLING - Add Tim Mason's name to a list of those protesting a plan to allow natural gas drilling near the wilderness reserve donated to the state by his grandfather.

But Mason's comments almost went unheard.

Mason, of Chicago, waited until the deadline in March to appeal the U.S. Forest Service's decision to allow drilling near the Mason Tract, named for George Mason, an automotive executive and legendary local outdoorsman.

http://www.record-eagle.com/2005/apr/15mason.htm

[Hamilton Reef]

Opponents of gas drilling say they'll sue to stop Savoy Energy

http://www.freep.com/news/mich/drilling10e_20050510.htm

May 10, 2005, BY HUGH McDIARMID JR., FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Opponents of an exploratory gas well in the Au Sable River valley said Monday they would sue after federal regulators denied their last-ditch appeals.

"You can expect us in the next 14 days to seek an injunction" in federal court to stop the Savoy Energy Co. drilling, Rusty Gates, president of the Anglers of the Au Sable, said Monday. "There aren't four people in Michigan who want this well, and the ones who do are investors in Savoy Energy."

The U.S. Forest Service on Friday dismissed appeals filed by several groups seeking to stop the drilling, which would take place in the midst of some of the Lower Peninsula's last true wilderness. That decision upheld the conclusions of officials of Michigan's Huron-Manistee National Forest, who OK'd the project earlier this year.

"They found that our assessment and decision was based on the best science and the applicable laws and regulations," said Ken Arbogast, Huron-Manistee spokesman.

Savoy Chief Executive Officer Tom Pangborn did not return phone calls Monday, and officials of the company have not responded to written requests for interviews from the Free Press.

Appeals filed by groups including the Anglers of the Au Sable and the Sierra Club sought to reverse the decision, which they say will result in disruptive road widening, noise and possibly pollution from the exploratory well.

The appeals generally contended that the Forest Service failed to consider less-disruptive methods of extracting gas from underneath the land -- consideration that the agency is required by law to explore before reaching a decision.

Anne Woiwode, director of the Sierra Club in Michigan, said the club may decide this week whether to join in a lawsuit.

"Frankly, we're mystified at the denial," she said. "The Forest Service has acted illegally in granting this permit. We will be discussing our options with attorneys within a couple days."

If the initial well is successful, Traverse City-based Savoy might ask for more permits to drill in the region, state officials have predicted.

The state owns the 5,300-acre Mason Tract, an unspoiled forest revered by fly fishermen and seekers of serenity.

The wellhead would be on federal forest land adjacent to the tract, and the drilling would extract gas from underneath the state land.

The project was opposed by Democratic U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, who wrote letters earlier this year asking the Forest Service to deny a permit.

Contact HUGH McDIARMID JR. at 248-351-3295 or mcdiarmid@freepress.com

[beer and nuts]

The State gov't coudl care less about whether or not it preserves lands. Just look around the Mason Tract, they have sold out to timber companies and have wiped out thousands of acres in Crawford/Roscommon/Oscoda Counties with little re-planting or controlled burning(only way to replenish Jackpine stands). All for the Kirkland Warblers--ya blah blah blah. A whole bunch of BS going on up here on YOUR statelands and the well drilling really is just a portion of it

I do not mind the clearcutting of jackpine forests but when there is not re-generation plans(planting or burning), just give a couple years all that stuff north of Chase bridge will look the same except for sparse scrub oaks and a few jackpines and alot of wasted land. And if you do not believe, I can show you hundreds and hundreds of non-replenished land just like it.

[WILDCATWICK]

Agreed Beer & Nuts. I thought a nuke went off up there. It's absurd. They need to replant right when they take out the timber. It looks awful & is not good for the habitat and environment. Of course many of the contracts for the timber were about ready to expire so last year was pretty bad with the cutting of timber.

I saw the petition that was floating around in regards to this but as a non-resident of Crawford county I was not allowed to sign it. I hope they get something done with that land.

[Hamilton Reef]

News Release
For Immediate Release

Contact:
Marvin Roberson (517) 484-2372
Rusty Gates: (989) 348-8462

Anglers, Sierra Club Join Forces to Protect the Au Sable River

Unusual Alliance Files Lawsuit to Block Drilling, Protect Michigan’s Heritage

An alliance of anglers, environmentalists and the descendants of a visionary conservationist have teamed up to stop the desecration of one of the nation’s most important conservation gems, the Mason Tract on the South Branch of the Au Sable River in Michigan—the site on which Trout Unlimited was founded. The Anglers of the Au Sable, the Sierra Club and the family of George Mason today filed a lawsuit in US District Court Eastern District of Michigan seeking to overturn a Forest Service decision allowing oil and gas drilling adjacent to the 5,300 acre Mason Tract.

“We don’t fish in their oil wells, and they shouldn’t drill in our rivers,” said Rusty Gates, President of the Anglers of the Au Sable and former Angler of the Year in Fly, Rod and Reel Magazine. “I’ve been fishing on this river for 40 years. The Au Sable is one of the most special places we have in Michigan, and we want to be able to take our kids and our grandchildren here.”

The Forest Service has rejected alternate sites, including one that already has oil and gas production facilities, and is adjacent to a public road. Instead, the Forest Service is allowing Savoy Energy Company to push forward with their drilling plans in Huron Manistee National Forest, endangering the river that launched Trout Unlimited. The Forest Service has ignored thousands of comments from people all over the country calling for the protection of this pristine waterway, where thousands of Michiganders go fly-fishing each year.

The Mason Tract was deeded to the State of Michigan in the 1950’s by George Mason, a prominent industrialist whose gift came with the requirement that “no part shall ever be sold”.

“The Mason Family has joined this fight because the Forest Service proposal goes against everything my grandfather sought to do by giving the Mason Tract to the people of Michigan,” said Tim Mason. “We have been absolutely opposed to drilling for oil and gas in this area from the start, and will continue this fight until George Mason’s vision and legacy is secure.”

Sierra Club’s Marvin Roberson called the Forest Service decision irresponsible, noting that, “We are joining with the angling community to show that everyone has a right to explore, enjoy and protect the planet. Michiganders should be able to enjoy fishing on this river fifty years from now, a hundred years from now—it’s part of the Michigan way of life.”

########################

[WILDCATWICK]

I love to see those alternative sites that the Forest Service denied. Last I heard Savoy did not give the Forrest Service any alternatice sites. :16suspect

Talked to Rusty and he said it looks as if it will go in front of the judge next week. It's going to be a very costly endeavor as it is quite apparent that neither Savoy or the Forrest Service is going to back down. If anyone is interested in helping out you can make a donation to Rusty or join Anglers of the AuSable. Funds will be applied toward attorney fees if you ear mark it.


May we win this one. Merritt energy had just shown us that there are leaks when it comes to these rigs. :sad: