Dear West Virginia Land Owner:

Did you know that West Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of active oil and gas wells in the country? Did you know that new drilling permits have more than tripled in the past several years? Did you know that surface owners have very few rights unless they also own the minerals? If you live in one of the state’s 51 oil and gas counties you’ve probably seen or heard of the polluted streams, needless destruction of timber, lost home sites, mindless road building and ruined pastures caused by drillers.

Last month Governor Manchin tried to push through a bill that would have bailed out a large gas company that had been found guilty of defrauding thousands of West Virginians. That same bill would also have cut taxes for drillers and made it legal to drill even more wells on a piece of property. In the old days that bill would have passed into law and the surface owner would have been the loser –AGAIN!

Fortunately, a new group of landowners’ rights advocates was there to shine light on the Governor’s plan and help kill the bill. Now for the first time in memory, YOU, the West Virginia Surface Owner, has a watchdog group at the Capitol. Encouraged and empowered by this year’s legislative success on reining in the oil and gas industry on State Forest Lands, plus the fact that we’re receiving calls from irate landowners complaining about drilling abuses from all over, we’ve launched WV-SORO – West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization.

Attorney David McMahon (author of the WV Surface Owners’ Guide to Oil & Gas), Gary Zuckett of West Virginia Citizen Action, and John and Sally Snyder (really irate Roane County land owners recently victimized by drillers) are looking for like-minded people to become Founding Members of WV-SORO.

In the beginning SORO will focus on Oil and Gas issues and possible legislative remedies.  With your input and support we want to pass a new “Surface Owners’ Bill of Rights” to level the playing field with the big Oil &Gas companies. We have a combined 60 years experience lobbying at the State Capitol and know that at the Legislature, mineral owners and companies owning large tracts of surface land have a united, well- funded and powerful lobby. Until now you, on the other hand, didn’t.

You can help us level that playing field by joining WV-SORO!

We are serious about WV- SORO and are applying for organizing grants and talking to potential major donors. Our goal is that by the time the legislature meets in January to have a staff of 2-3 people and 500 members devoted to protecting and enhancing surface owners’ rights. Your charter membership will provide us with the seed money to elevate our common issues in the press and take them to the legislature. WV-SORO will also put some backbone into the state Division of Oil and Gas when they realize that surface owners are united in defense of their land.

Consider this perfect storm: huge increases in drilling, mounting outrage over the abusive treatment of surface owners and McMahon’s excellent land owners’ manual combine to create a rare opportunity to effect some real changes in surface owners’ law and improved enforcement. Not since the early 1980’s when the initial Surface Owners’ Rights bill was passed has the time been so ripe for positive change. Creating the political capital to make drillers be more responsible and environmentally compliant will help us achieve that goal.  Obviously, we are very excited about the WV-SORO project. Your support will go a long way to build and expand WV-SORO. Thanks in advance for your support.

Dave McMahon, Gary Zuckett, and John & Sally Snyder