American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2015 - 127

ConventionSection: Illinois Oil & Gas Association
"We decided that the theater was just as
convenient as the ballroom we have used
in previous years, but it is much more
upscale and comfortable," he describes.
Richards says he hopes to have a representative from the governor's office
speak about the state's executive plan for
and expectations of the state's oil and
natural gas industry. "We really would
like Governor Rauner to be able to come,
but if nothing else, we are hoping he at
least will send a representative to express
his views," he comments.

IOGA has redesigned its website, and
attendees now can submit their meeting
registration forms online. Dicus remarks
that he expects registration numbers will
be even with or better than those of 2014.
"I want and anticipate a strong meeting," he says. "The Illinois Basin is very
close, and I think IOGA is the strongest
organization among the area's industry
associations. It always has done a remarkable job arranging meeting topics
and bringing in engaging and knowledgeable speakers. Our members and

friends around the basin tend to turn out
in good numbers and have a good meeting
experience.
"The price drop was unprecedentedly
fast and hit our members hard, but I still
anticipate a 1,000-plus attendance number," he comments. "There are companies
still interested in exploring and producing
in the Illinois Basin, despite all the regulatory frustrations. The operators in this
area are very active and hearty, and I
hope this association has absorbed those
qualities as well."
Ì

Industry Fights Long-Eared Bat Listing
WASHINGTON-Disease-not industry
activity-is the cause of declining northern
long-eared bat populations, insists the oil
and gas industry as well as some state
and regional wildlife groups.
The Independent Petroleum Association
of America and American Petroleum Institute submitted comments in December
to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, opposing
its proposal to list the bat as endangered.
USFWS reopened the comment period
on the listing late in 2014, and extended
its deadline for making a final decision
on whether to list the bat to April 2. The
first proposal for protecting the bat under
the Endangered Species Act, made on
Oct. 2, 2013, cited white-nose syndrome
as the greatest threat to the species. The
northern long-eared bat is found in 30
eastern and north-central states and all
Canadian provinces west to British Columbia.
White-nose syndrome has killed an
estimated 5.5 million cave-hibernating
bats across the United States and Canada,
the service says, with populations in some
northeastern caves declining by 99 percent
since the symptoms were first observed
in 2006.
IPAA and API urge USFWS to consider
new data and conclusions that have been
provided by the Midwest Association of
Fish & Wildlife Agencies and the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (NAFWA), in particular their finding
that the best scientific and commercial
data available do not support the proposed
endangered listing, as required by ESA.
The two wildlife associations also suggest the agency defer action until it has
gathered and considered information from
each state within the bat's range, and
also thoroughly examined conservation
measures enacted by those states to de-

termine what impacts they might have
on the bat's population.
"Regardless of the decision USFWS
may make with respect to the proposed
listing, any final rule that may incorporate
a decision to list the species should not
place restrictions on activities-such as
oil and gas operations-that neither have
a causal connection to white-nose syndrome nor otherwise adversely affect the
species at a population level," IPAA and
API assert.
Northeast Association Comments
The states represented by the NAFWA
have seen northern long-eared bat populations decline, and there is no doubt that
is because of the white-nose syndrome,

that association says in its December
comments to USFWS. However, it urges
USFWS not to consider listing the bat as
endangered.
The Northeast, which has experienced
the syndrome the longest, still is home to
significant summer and winter bat populations, NAFWA reports. While the numbers are lower across New York, there is
evidence that local extinction of the bat is
not imminent, it asserts. Both Pennsylvania
and West Virginia show evidence of population declines, but the northern longeared bat still is encountered across both
states, which leads the association to conclude that the species is not in danger.
SEE LISTING PAGE 140

FEBRUARY 2015 127

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American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2015

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