Birds are taking away jobs

[mtmiller]

Miners protest CBM restrictions
By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press Writer

Federal efforts to protect wild birds from natural gas drilling in Wyoming's Powder River Basin ran into resistance Tuesday from industry workers, who claim drilling restrictions have contributed to thousands of layoffs in recent weeks.

More than 150 coalbed methane workers protested the restrictions outside the Bureau of Land Management field office in Buffalo, Wyo., for several hours Tuesday morning, agency officials and industry representatives said.

Coalbed methane is a type of natural gas pumped from coal seams.

"I love driving around and looking at the deer and antelope and other wildlife. That's part of what's cool about working in this state. But when do you put that above the people working?" asked Glen Wise, a working foreman for Dan Hart Patrol Services, an oil and gas services company out of Upton, Wyo. State labor and employment officials could not immediately provide recent unemployment data for the industry.

In the past decade, almost 24,000 coalbed methane wells were drilled in the Powder River Basin, the nation's fastest-growing coalbed methane field.

The BLM imposes seasonal shutdowns on drilling in areas where endangered sage grouse, eagles and other birds are nesting or breeding. For sage grouse, for example, drilling is barred within two miles of breeding areas from March 1 to June 15.

The restrictions have been in place for more than two decades, said Paul Beels, BLM associate field manager. But as the coalbed methane industry continues to expand in the Powder River area of northeastern Wyoming - pushing west into areas with more grouse - drilling closures are becoming more common.

"We've got a lot of birds out there tucked down under sage that could be run over by equipment," he said. "The development is moving into areas that have a higher concentration of birds."

The effect of the seasonal shutdowns has been exacerbated by severe weather and weak prices for Powder River natural gas, said Don Likwartz, supervisor of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. He said "thousands" have lost their jobs due to recent layoffs, but could not provide a more precise figure.

"This will have a big impact in Wyoming, because as an industry this is one of the highest paying in the state," Likwartz said, adding that coalbed methane wages average $50,000 or more a year.

 

[Nemont]

I wonder if the CBM workers understand what would happen if the Sage Grouse were to be declared an endangered species?

Bird rules send some drillers home
By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER
Star-Tribune energy reporter Friday, March 02, 2007



GILLETTE -- Several drilling rigs stacked up this week, and coal-bed methane workers were sent home, causing some hard feelings.

"We were drilling like crazy there for a while, and I couldn't get a day off. Now I can't work," said Kevin Skaggs, who came to Wyoming from Michigan a year ago to work in the coal-bed methane fields.

Additional stipulations to protect raptors and sage grouse reactivated in February and March, bungling drilling operations on some federal lease areas in the Powder River Basin, particularly around the Iberlin ranch, according to those in the industry.

Skaggs, who delivers water to drilling locations, said he was headed to a drilling location on Monday when he was told to turn around and head back to town.
"I'm making pretty good money. Now they're saying I could be off 'til June," Skaggs said. "I like what I do. There's good money out here, and I like it. But I didn't come to Gillette for the scenery."

Skaggs and others affected by stipulations restricting surface activities said they simply want to know what the timing schedules are so they know when they might work again.

Paul Beels, associate field manager at the Bureau of Land Management's Buffalo Field Office, said the seasonal timing stipulations haven't changed. However, the existing stipulations are having a greater impact on coal-bed methane activities.

"It's nothing new, but it may be affecting more operations," Beels said on Thursday. "Frankly, in the last year we have moved into areas where there are more populations of raptors and sage grouse."

Since the onset of commercial production of coal-bed methane in the late 1990s, drilling rigs have moved from east to west, chasing the coal deeper and deeper as it dips toward the Big Horn Mountains. Drilling is most active in the "county-line" area along the Powder River between Gillette and Buffalo.

Beels said the drilling is simply moving into areas where biologists have located more breeding grounds for sage grouse, and more nesting sites for raptors.

"There are provisions for exceptions, and we get a lot of requests," Beels said. "We grant a number of those requests, and we also deny some of them."

If a company had expected to be granted an exception in a particular area but was denied, that could lead to some confusion. But Beels insists that the seasonal restrictions haven't been modified for some time.

Depending on where a driller might find himself in Wyoming, he might be dealing with a different timing restriction for elk, bald eagles, roosting sites, nests, sage grouse breeding grounds and other considerations.

"Depending on where you're at, you can really have a short drilling window," said Don Likwartz, supervisor of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Likwartz said those wildlife restrictions will only become more of an impediment to oil and gas operations in Wyoming because the industry first concentrates on state and private minerals where there are not as many restrictions. Now, more and more of the development comes under federal restrictions.

T.J. Worden, who said his job in the coal-bed methane fields saved his life, said he feels like his livelihood is at the whim of bureaucracy and politics. Worden runs a "clean-out" rig, and said differing logistics of each well don't always jibe with a timing restriction that only allows surface occupancy from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We're working right now, air-developing the hole," Worden told the Star-Tribune at about 1 p.m. on Thursday. "I'm trying to be out of here by 3 o'clock. Thank God my boss found us another hole to go to outside of the stip (stipulation area)."

 

[wyomuley]

I got to work (lawenforcement) the Protest on Tuesday and I feel for the workers, however this has not just started this year and they knew well in advance that this was going to happen. In my eyes the wildlife has a top priority and hope it stays that way. I know one business in town laid off 180 employees alone probably half of thier force adn they are sending alot of thier equipment and trucks backwhich makes me wonder what will happen longterm with the company.

 

[BigHornRam]

This part may have something to do with the lay offs.....supply has caught up to and passed demand, at least for the time being.

"The effect of the seasonal shutdowns has been exacerbated by severe weather and weak prices for Powder River natural gas"

 

[Oak]

"I love driving around and looking at the deer and antelope and other wildlife. That's part of what's cool about working in this state. But when do you put that above the people working?" asked Glen Wise, a working foreman for Dan Hart Patrol Services, an oil and gas services company out of Upton, Wyo.

I'd be curious to hear HT folks answer this question.

The BLM imposes seasonal shutdowns on drilling in areas where endangered sage grouse, eagles and other birds are nesting or breeding. For sage grouse, for example, drilling is barred within two miles of breeding areas from March 1 to June 15.

The restrictions have been in place for more than two decades, said Paul Beels, BLM associate field manager. But as the coalbed methane industry continues to expand in the Powder River area of northeastern Wyoming - pushing west into areas with more grouse - drilling closures are becoming more common.

I'd say they are lucky that it's only a 2 mile restriction. Telemetry studies in NW Colorado by Tony Apa have shown that you have to apply a 4 mile radius around a lek to account for 80% of nests associated with that lek.

 

[mtmiller]

I'd say they are lucky that it's only a 2 mile restriction. Telemetry studies in NW Colorado by Tony Apa have shown that you have to apply a 4 mile radius around a lek to account for 80% of nests associated with that lek.

Similar data is coming out of MT. Some groups have recommended NSO for 2-mile buffers around leks. Yeh, see that one flying.

 

[Oak]

Similar data is coming out of MT. Some groups have recommended NSO for 2-mile buffers around leks. Yeh, see that one flying.

Cripes, they bitch about 1/4-mile NSO's around here.

 

[schmalts]

at first i though this topic was about Mexican Migrant birds

 

[Erik in AK]

Oak, Miller

Question: Lek is a term I've never heard before. I assume from the context it is the noun for breeding ground/nesting area. Is it Sage Grouse specific or does it apply to other types of ground nesters and/or communal breeders?

Thanks

 

[Oak]

A lek is the strutting or "dancing" ground where the grouse congregate in the spring for mating. The males strut their stuff for the females. Males organize in a hierarchal pattern on the lek, with the dominant males closer to the center. It is generally an open area surrounded by more densely growing sagebrush. Individuals have high site fidelity to these areas. When the Blue Mesa dam was completed in CO and the reservoir began to fill, grouse gathered in the spring on the ice 50 feet above leks that had been flooded. Other grouse, such as sharptails and prairie chickens also gather on leks, and I know that birds on other continents that I'm not familiar with do as well.

Miller might be able to describe this better.

 

[Erik in AK]

Thanks for the explanation

 

[Bambistew]

One of the biggest Leks I've seen was the green on hole #7 at Bell Nob in Gillette WY.

I dont' even want to drive through the PRB and see what it has become... I was there when they first started drilling it in 99. I'll bet its a friggn waste land out there now.

 

[1_pointer]

I found our recently that dilling can occur in areas with NSO, given certain stipulations. Kinda scary.

Question about disturbance near leks; what if they move? I helped monitor a lek 2 years ago that had moved over 1/2 mile from the previous year.

PS- Just go the UTMs to the leks I'll be checking out this year. See, not all range cons are horrible for wildlife...

 

[Oak]

From one of the local BLM RMP's:

Sage Grouse Leks.
This area encompasses sage grouse leks. Surface Occupancy is not allowed within l/4 mile of identified lek sites.

EXCEPTION: An exception may be granted by the Area Manager if an environmental analysis determines that the action, as proposed or conditioned, would not impair the function or utility of the site for current or subsequent reproductive display, including daytime loafing/staging activities.

MODIFICATION: The NSO area may be modified in extent, or substituted with a timing limitation, by the Area Manager if an environmental analysis finds that a portion of the NSO area is nonessential to site utility or function, or that the proposed action could be conditioned so as not to impair the function or utility of the site for current or subsequent reproductive display, including daytime loafing/staging activities. The stipulation may also be modified if the proponent, BLM, CDOW, and where necessary, other affected interests, negotiate compensation that satisfactorily offsets anticipated impacts to sage grouse breeding activities and/or habitats.

WAIVER: This stipulation may be waived if, in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, it is determined that the site has been permanently abandoned or unoccupied for a minimum of 5 years; site conditions
have changed such that there is no reasonable likelihood of site occupation for a subsequent minimum period of 10 years.

 

[1_pointer]

An exception may be granted by the Area Manager if an environmental analysis determines that the action,

I guess one hopes they have an Area Manager that knows something! When was that RMP written? Seems newish? We are working with RMPs from the early 1980's and the language is much less clear on things like NSO. In fact, we've had to put it into the MFP admendment that we are working on.

 

[Oak]

When was that RMP written? Seems newish?

It was written in 1997.

 

[1_pointer]

That beats our 1982 RMP that we are currently working under. Funny how very little was mentioned in that plan on OHV management, yet we are now becoming inundated with it in some areas. Guess having 87% of the state population within your field office boundary can complicate things.

As part of a Settlement Agreement with WWP our office will have to do a new RMP...as funding and Congress allow. Our office has been under a planning moratorium for over a decade due to a bill passed by Congress.

 

[Oak]

Twenty five years is ridiculous. You guys should be forced by someone to write a new one. It should only take about 10 years to finish, then you can start writing the next new one. Job security.....

 

[1_pointer]

Probably the main reason for the moratorium is protection of some of the fly-over status for Hill Air Force Base. Probably the biggest employer in the state, but it's name shows up on the chopping block for base closures now and again. Right now there are two RMPs being redone in the state. I think we'll probably get in on the next round. Hopefully by then I'll be able to move to an office that has just completed their process. I'm not terribly fond of planning....