Number: 2003-06
WHEREAS, the extraction of methane gas by coal bed methane (CBM) development potentially poses great risk to ground and surface water, soil, air and fish and wildlife habitat due to its unprecedented density, scope, and associated impacts including widespread habitat fragmentation via roads, power lines and pipelines; continuous disturbance or displacement of wildlife during all phases of development and production; massive de-watering of aquifers and surface discharge of poor quality water; and the spread of noxious weeds; and
WHEREAS, the energy industry, state and local governments and the current Administration have expressed support for CBM development throughout the Intermountain West; and
WHEREAS, the current Administration has issued an Executive Order to accelerate the review of energy related projects and has ordered all Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials to prepare a “Statement of Adverse Energy Impact” whenever their decisions or actions, such as wildlife habitat conservation, might directly or indirectly adversely impact on energy development; and
WHEREAS, timing and controlled-surface-use (CSU) stipulations designed to protect wildlife resources are applied by federal land managers only to the development phase of CBM activity, and very little is known about how CBM development will impact a large number of biological values throughout the decades-long production phase; and
WHEREAS, nationwide, an unprecedented and growing coalition of interests including hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, surface land owners including ranchers and farmers, counties and municipalities and concerned individuals have met and discussed the potential impacts of CBM development on natural and social resources,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled March 27-29, 2003, in Washington, D.C., recognizes the value of CBM resources to our country, yet urges that no CBM development be permitted to proceed, including leasing, until Resource Management Plans have been properly amended or revised in accordance with the land use planning principles enunciated in Federal Lands Planning Management Act, including whether this development in some or all places is an appropriate use of federal natural resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no CBM development should be allowed to proceed until there has been an appropriate and intensive environmental analysis, fully disclosed to the public, by federal lands managers and the responsible permitting state agencies. The analyses should study, understand and mitigate the short and long term impacts of all phases of CBM development on fish and wildlife habitat and agricultural resources; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that timing and CSU stipulations must be applied throughout the production phase and that intensive monitoring, enforcement, and adaptive management actions should continue throughout the life of the field; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all water discharged in CBM development activities be subject to the permitting process required by other sub surface (ground water) users; and an analysis of each well must be conducted due to variations in water quality and volume, soil types, habitat types, stream channel gradient and destination of overland flows, as well as numerous other conditions unique to individual sites; and that all water discharged in CBM development should be subject to re-injection in appropriate aquifers unless strict numerical water quality standards are applied to protect surface users and fish and wildlife habitat; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when and where development does occur there be bonding requirements on lease permits sufficient to fully cover all potential impacts of individual wells, groups of wells and all associated facilities, and these bonds extending through land use planning, leasing, project approval and APD approval, and reclamation phases of development.