This spring The Tarrance Group conducted a nationwide survey of 1,000 likely voters on behalf of Western Energy Alliance to measure views on the oil and natural gas industry. The results show strong support for development across the country.

Each year we conduct a survey to track trends and shifts in views related to our industry. This year’s survey shows voters continue to view favorably how oil and natural gas is produced and they strongly support increasing domestic development, including on federal lands. Key figures include:

• 52%, a clear majority, have a favorable impression of how oil and natural gas is produced in the U.S.
• 75%, fully three out of four, favor increasing development of oil and natural gas in the U.S.
• 65% support increasing oil and natural gas production on non-park, non-wilderness federal lands
• 38% prefer natural gas as their primary energy source, which is more than solar (27%) and wind (10%), combined.
  
  

While fracking has received intense attention from environmental activists across the country, our survey shows that when people understand what industry is doing to protect their safety and the environment, support for fracking increases to 63%. Only 14% are completely opposed.




A summary of findings and full results are available online.

Property Rights in the Thompson Divide

Earlier this month, several hundred working Americans on Colorado’s West Slope turned out in De Beque at a public meeting to let BLM know that oil and natural gas leases in the White River National Forest are important to their livelihoods. While you may not be directly impacted by these leases, the potential actions by BLM as it retroactively reconsiders property rights conferred over ten years ago affect any productive user of public lands. Revisiting environmental analysis completed years prior raises questions about the willingness of the federal government to honor its contracts, whether oil and natural gas leases, grazing allotments, mining claims, or other commitments.

After reporting on the meeting itself, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel editorial board opposed overturning any leases, stating that “…there are plenty of examples of gas development co-existing with other land uses, even in resort areas. And it seems unfair that oil and gas companies went through the proper steps to acquire leases, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them on a technicality. The time to oppose the leases was in the early 1990s. Not now.” For more information, see Western Energy Alliance’s scoping comments.

Washington D.C. Call-Up

Each spring, Western Energy Alliance gathers members and allies from across the West to ascend on Capitol Hill to talk oil and natural gas and its importance to western communities.



This year, a diverse group of 65 people representing companies, local communities and stakeholders spent two days meeting directly with Members of Congress and their staffs in nearly 300 meetings. We discussed in particular the Greater Sage-Grouse, and how a potential Endangered Species Act listing would have serious economic and job loss consequences across multiple industries in eleven western states. We hope you’ll consider joining us next year to educate Washington on how responsible public land use strengthens local communities across the West.

The staff of Western Energy Alliance and I are always available to answer any questions about western oil and natural gas development. We’re available at (303) 623-0987 or via email - Ursula Rick, Regulatory Affairs Manager; Brian Meinhart, Policy Analyst; and Aaron Johnson, Communications Analyst.

Sincerely,


Kathleen M. Sgamma
VP, Government & Public Affairs
Western Energy Alliance
1775 Sherman St., Suite 2700
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 623-0987
(303) 893-0709 fax
ksgamma@westernenergyalliance.org
www.westernenergyalliance.org