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Transparency mapping project to benefit rural landowners

Rural landowners will see more transparency possible benefits with mapping project organized by FAO.
oilfield, pump jack, power station, oil patch, land use,
The Farmers’ Advocate Office is creating a mapping project allowing rural landowners to get an idea of lease agreements when negotiating with industry. Farmers are asked to provide agreements information to the office. Names will not be used in the mapping.

Rural landowners will see more transparency and possibly more benefits as a result of a new mapping project organized by the Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO).

The FAO is in the process of collecting surface lease, transmission line, seismic and pipeline right of way agreements from landowners to assist them when negotiating pricing for land use by industry, explained Jeana Les, research and communications specialist for FAO.

Called the Surface Rights, Land and Energy: Pricing Transparency Mapping Project, this is a new initiative that will bring more detailed and interactive maps, she said. The FAO originally created a database of maps and details from 2007 to 2009, but the maps had more generalized information.

Maps will not have landowner names in the details but will show information down to the nearest section of land (640 acres, more or less).

“There is currently no central repository where this type of information is compiled and accessible to landowners,” said Les in a press release.

These pricing transparency maps will provide a starting point for landowners when they negotiate prices for use of their property for resource .

Les explained that the FAO is accepting seismic and pipeline right of way agreements no older that 2011 and surface lease and transmission agreements no older than 2010.

Some guidelines when submitting information to the FAO are as follows:

• Submitted original copies of agreements will not be returned;

• Agreements with a privacy clause will not be accepted;

• Participants will be required to sign a release in accordance with Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but names and contact information will not be released through the maps.

The maps are expected to be launched in the fall and will depict project details and compensation values paid to land owners.