The Oil and Gas Story
It is a beautiful day at Padre Island National
Seashore. The sun is shining. A light breeze is blowing gently
across the dunes. The dump trucks, back loaders, and water trucks are
driving busily down the beach toward Yarborough Pass. Wait a moment--why
all the heavy equipment in a national park? What is happening here?
The answer to that question involves a story of controversy and compromise
within the National Seashore. The issue dates back to the 1920's when
people first began to dream of creating a protected wilderness beach for public
use.
Since protection was first proposed for this
beautiful beach, it was obvious to everyone involved that the privately owned
mineral rights were too expensive to purchase. The 1935 release of "Our
Vanishing Shoreline" helped revitalize the idea of protecting one of our
nation's last expanses of wild coastline. As the idea slowly matured, a
National Park Service commission, including Regional Director Hugh Miller, was
assembled in 1957 to survey the suitability of the area for national seashore
designation. Director Miller came to the conclusion that if the mineral
rights could not be purchased, there should be no park.
Other
groups involved in the studies felt differently. The Board of Trustees of
the National Parks Association adopted a resolution finding Padre Island to be
nationally significant and suitable for inclusion in the National Park System.
They noted the detractive aspects of drilling for minerals but felt these
activities could be limited and controlled by agreement. Which choice
would you have made if you were on the committee to decide? Would you have
sided with Mr. Miller and given up on the national seashore idea, if it included
drilling, or would you have chosen to compromise and work to minimize the
effects of mineral exploration?
Most viewers today feel congress made the right
choice by choosing the challenge of compromise. Concluding that the
mineral rights were unaffordable, congress wrote the enabling legislation
to guarantee owner access to the minerals.
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"Sec. 4.(a) When acquiring land, waters, or
interests therein, the Secretary shall permit a reservation by the grantor of
all or any part of the oil and gas minerals in such land or waters and of other
minerals therein which can be removed by similar means, with the right of
occupation and use of so much of the surface of the land or waters as may be
required for all purposes reasonably incident to the mining or removal of such
from beneath the surface of these lands and water and the lands and waters
adjacent thereto, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary
with respect to such mining or removal." (See 16 U.S.C.
§459d-3(a).)
Then, as now, the goal of acquiring the mineral
rights has always been a legitimate idea. Ultimately though,
acquisition of those rights is again up to congress. It is not an issue
the National Park Service alone can decide. Today we continue to strive
for balance and compromise at Padre Island National Seashore. Our primary
mission is to preserve and protect America's special places. As evidence
of that commitment the park recently produced the Oil and Gas Management Plan to
better address the challenges posed by mineral extraction. The plan
strengthened and improved specific rules and regulations that energy companies
must follow to minimize impact on the delicate ecosystem.
As
is true of many public land issues, there is no perfect
solution that works for everyone. Constructive public input representing
many viewpoints will ultimately help produce and effective
management plan for the National Seashore. It will produce the compromise
congress sought between preserving the surface from development while allowing
for the extraction of private and state owned mineral resources.
To learn about the the process companies have to
follow in order to obtain a permit to drill on the National Seashore and how
damage to the environment is mitigated (i.e. minimized), follow these two links:
Padre
Island National Seashore