Date: 08/31/2006
Final
Division of Wildlife Property Transaction Proposal
COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
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09:31 AM -- Division of Wildlife Property Transaction Proposal
Mr. Grady McNeill, Action Resources Support Section Leader, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (DOW), Ms. Pam Wagner, Legislative Liaison, DOW, and Mr. Keith Etzel, Staff Land Representative, Shell Frontier Oil & Gas, Inc. (Shell), presented a proposal to exchange land and water rights between the DOW and Shell. Committee members received a written description of the proposal, prepared by Legislative Council Staff (Attachment D). Senator Bacon explained that a senator had reservations regarding the land exchange, and that the committee would not vote on the project at the present meeting. Ms. Wagner discussed the objections to the exchange and the timeline for moving forward with the project. Discussion ensued regarding the potential for the committee to vote on the project at some point before the December 15th committee meeting. The committee contemplated meeting after the general election and discussed the possibility of voting by phone. In response to committee questions, Ms. Jennifer Moe, Legislative Council Staff, explained the statutory requirements for designating a committee chair and vice-chair in an election year, and the impact of these requirements on future meeting dates. Discussion followed regarding the potential endorsement of the project by the legislators whose districts contain the property to be exchanged.
09:41 AM
Mr. McNeill provided details of the property transaction and the financial consideration involved. Discussion ensued regarding the project's timeline. Mr. McNeill explained the configuration of the properties to be exchanged, as depicted in the maps contained in Attachment D, and discussed the benefit to the state to be realized by the exchange.
09:50 AM
Mr. Etzel explained the genesis of the property transaction, and the benefit to be realized by Shell from the transaction. Mr. Etzel then explained the ownership status of the mineral rights for the property to be transferred to the DOW. Mr. Etzel and Mr. McNeill responded to questions regarding the water rights to be exchanged under the proposal. Discussion followed regarding the ownership of the property surrounding the properties to be exchanged and the process of extracting oil from shale, which Shell plans to test on the property it acquires in the exchange.
09:58 AM
Mr. McNeill and Ms. Wagner responded to questions regarding the sale of habitat stamps, and the projects currently funded by the sale of the stamps. Discussion ensued regarding the requirements for entering state wildlife areas.