Its hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since the conclusion of the public hearings held in conjunction with the ongoing approval and development of the SGEIS.  Landowners, and other stakeholders, came out in droves to voice their support for the proposed regulations and presented a strong message to DEC that the time to move forward is now as New Yorkers can no longer wait for the economic relief natural gas development will bring.  One voice and one message was heard from all pro-development attendees which countered the hysteric rants of anti-natural gas attendees who put forward a litany of unfounded concerns, many of which ran counter to what the regulations would require of producers in the Empire State.  It’s worth mentioning just one more time there will be no open pits in use in New York.

Of course, while its good to rejoice in this success, it’s equally important to ensure that those who weren’t able to attend submit written comments.  Make it your New Year’s resolution, just be sure to get it done before January 11, 2012. Comments can be submitted to DEC a number of ways, the easiest of which is through their website which can be found here.

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, and our team at Energy-In-Depth Northeast Marcellus Initiative, have many helpful tips for stakeholders who are interested in submitting comments but have not yet done so.  For more information on how to properly submit comments, or for other information surrounding the process, please don’t hesitate to contact any of our very capable Field Directors, myself or our campaign manager Tom Shepstone, who will be able to provide additional information.

While we know it may seem like quite a stretch to go once more into the breach, dear friends, it is of critical importance to do so.  Ensuring your voice is heard on this issue is the addition of another voice in support of natural gas development.  Make no mistake this effort is sorely needed.  All one needs to do is to look at this guest commentary in the Times Union to see the “fractivists” are working hard to ensure DEC and Governor Cuomo hear their false concerns.  Keep in mind this is only one small example in a much larger effort by our friends on the other side.

If you care about New York, its continued progress, and seeing much needed economic development brought to the Southern Tier after decades of neglect than its critical to submit your opinions to New York DEC.  Now is the time. This is the clarion call.  Ensure you stand up to be heard that its time to get it done.

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