Energy Development=Increased Poaching

[Nemont]

November 26, 2005


Game and Fish reports increase of poaching in the oil patch
Associated Press

GREEN RIVER - There appears to be a correlation between increased drilling activity in southwest Wyoming and poaching incidents over the past year, according to the state Game and Fish Department.

Last February, two men were convicted and another is being sought for poaching an antelope and a mule deer at a drilling rig near Baggs and then storing the meat in a freezer at the work site.

In another incident, a Colorado man who identified himself as an energy drill site worker was also investigated for poaching a four-point buck mule deer north of Baggs.

And a former rig worker who now lives in Canada told Game and Fish officials about killing one buck mule deer and a buck antelope last October and driving over and killing four sage grouse while working for a contract drilling operation at a coal-bed methane well southwest of Rock Springs.

The incidents occurred in a company truck, during work hours, on the way to the drilling rig site and in close proximity to well pads, the man told game wardens.

He said employees also used a backhoe to dig a hole to bury a whole fawn antelope carcass that was either shot or deliberately run down with a vehicle.

Wildlife and oil and gas industry officials said they hope the poaching cases are isolated incidents, but they also worry it may become a growing problem in southwest Wyoming's oil and gas fields.

With that in mind, Petroleum Association of Wyoming officials approached Game and Fish this week to schedule a meeting Tuesday to discuss ways to minimize poaching incidents at drilling sites, Game and Fish Wildlife Division Chief Jay Lawson said.

"I think where we're coming from is that we don't want this to become a real big problem, (precisely) because there is so much energy development going on and there are so many people out on these winter ranges in these remote areas where wildlife is," Lawson said.

"We don't necessarily think (poaching) has grown too big or out of proportion, but we don't want it to get there," he said.

Lawson said the agency believes the remedy is to work with oil and gas industry people in charge of drilling operations.

"The key to deterring a lot of this is to get with these folks in the industry (and) look at prohibitions against carrying firearms and taking dogs onto drilling pads and wells and bringing stuff like that onto these work sites ... so you don't even get into these situations in the first place," he said.

According to El Paso Corp. spokesman Donnie Trimble, company policy strictly prohibits firearms on any location by El Paso. He said in a statement that the policy applies to employees of all subcontractors associated with drilling operations.

Petroleum Association of Wyoming President Bruce Hinchey said most oil and gas workers are responsible and don't poach animals. He noted the most recent incidents mostly involved employees from out of state who were working for contractors in the fields.

"That's one of the reasons why we talked to the Game and Fish about this ... to see if they can put together some sort of seminar or something so that they can come in and talk (with workers) about stopping poaching, how to go about that and their `Stop Poaching' hotlines," Hinchey said.

 

[noharleyyet]

I suspect we've had that sort of activity here for decades Nemont. More headaches for the LEO's.

 

[BuzzH]

GW and his cronies in action...creating more problems and the need for even bigger government.

Conservatives???

Yeah, sure.

 

[noharleyyet]

That's rich Buzz.... you bashing big gov't.

 

[Ithaca 37]

All those new roads to the drilling site aren't going to help the situation, either. More roads= more poaching.