A workshop for landowners and interested persons in areas of coal-bed methane (CBM)
development is Friday, March 28, in Rawlins.
Organized by the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES), the
workshop is 1-5 p.m. in the Carbon Building.
Topics include the Land and Water Inventory Guide for Landowners in
Areas of Coal Bed Methane Development (LWIG), an explanation of Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permitting, a Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) perspective on CBM development in the area, and a panel
discussion session to help answer any questions, including legal
aspects.
The 77-page LWIG provides guidelines for understanding and monitoring
soil and water issues of concern in areas of CBM development. The LWIG
will be provided to those attending. The manual is also available for
free download at www.region8water.org. Click on the Coal Bed Methane Manual link.
Ginger Paige, UW CES water resources specialist and assistant professor
in the UW College of Agriculture's Department of Renewable Resources,
and Jeff Soltis, a graduate student in the department, organized the
workshop and will also present topics.
A similar workshop in Sheridan March 7 drew 48 landowners and industry and gas representatives.
Panelists include Jennifer Zygmunt, CBM permit writer, watershed-based
permitting with DEQ, and Laura Gianakos, supervisor of natural resource
specialists with the BLM Rawlins Field Office. Zygmunt and Gianakos will
also be involved in the topic presentations.
For more information, contact Paige at (307) 766-2200 or gpaige@uwyo.edu.
