the surface owner.
Removal of abandoned equipment and material
must be the responsibility of the utility or company of
ownership and must take place within 12 months from
the time of abandonment.
The landowner shall not be held liable for any
damages or pollution caused from this abandoned
equipment or material.
75. COAL BED METHANE
Coal bed methane is a gaseous fossil fuel, and
should be considered as such. Therefore, West Virginia
Farm Bureau believes it should not be construed as
part of the solid coal, but should be considered the
property of the owner of the oil and gas resources.
76. ENERGY
West Virginia Farm Bureau believes that national
interest is best served by a sound energy policy, which
encourages conservation and provides incentives for
production. Such incentives encourage individuals or
companies with nonproducing gas and oil wells to reenter production.
We recommend that, where feasible,
hydroelectric generators are installed at existing
dams and that the feasibility of hydro-generation be
considered at new impoundments.
West Virginia’s coal industry and the potential use
of hydroelectric generators on existing dams should be
given priority status in meeting production demands.
We recommend continued research and
development of coal, waste, ethanol, methanol, wind
power and other resources to provide environmentally
sound electric generation.
77. LAND USE PLANNING
West Virginia Farm Bureau believes that land use
decisions can best be made at the local level by private
landowners and farmers. We urge farmers to become
involved in the land use planning process at all levels
of our government to protect Agriculture. WVFB
believes land use planning must maintain the potential
for the land to produce food and fiber for future
generations and not infringe upon property rights.
WVFB supports agriculture representation on
land use planning and subsidiary committees to be
no less than 30% of the membership. Agriculture
representation must be by county resident agriculture
producers. Property owners should have the right
to appeal all decisions of the land use planning and
subsidiary committees. WVFB recommends that
all planning and zoning ordinances be voted on by
referendum during general elections.
78. FARMLAND PROTECTION
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports the
preservation of agricultural land for future generations’
production of food and fiber. WVFB favors changes
to the capital gains and income tax portions of the WV
Tax Code, which will enhance the donation of land.
WVFB believes counties should have the ability to
purchase perpetual easements or long-term leases of
the property’s development rights.
WVFB supports appropriate federal and state
legislative changes to the Farmland Protection
Program to allow a county option for timber harvesting
and the exploration of oil and gas on protected lands
as long as it requires a minimal footprint or maintains
the integrity of the land. WVFB supports the use of
tax revenue generated from businesses who profit
from the exploitation of land (development of utility
rights-of-way, gaming, hotel/ motel tax and natural
resource extraction) to purchase development rights as
perpetual easements or long-term leases.
79. CONTROL OF WILDLIFE AND
COMPENSATION FOR WILDLIFE DAMAGE
Damage by deer and other wildlife has become a
problem throughout our state and the over population
of deer is a serious highway safety hazard. Coyote,
mountain lion, bear, black-headed