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Spread any gas revenue around, lawmaker says Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Revenue from the sale of any natural gas under Arkansas Game and Fish Commission land should be available for other agencies and departments across state government, a state senator said Tuesday. "This is an unexpected windfall of money that should be available to other worthy state entities," said Sen. Steve Faris, D-Malvern, adding the commission already has a designated revenue source, a 1/8-cent sales conservation sales tax approved by voters in 1996. The senator's comments came a day after the commission approved a five-year, $29.5 million lease with Chesapeake Energy Corp. to lease mineral rights for more than 10,000 acres of state forest land in the Gulf Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Van Buren County and the Petit Jean River Wildlife Management Area in Yell County. Commissioners said Monday before approving the lease that any revenues, including a 20 percent royalty on gas extracted, will be set aside for improvement and wildlife protection projects, though specifics were not disclosed. Faris, who during the 2007 legislative session unsuccessfully pushed a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required fees, monies or funds related to oil, gas or other minerals in and under lands owned by the Game and Fish Commission be considered general revenue, said Tuesday he plans to file similar legislation during the 2009 session. If that legislation fails, he said he might try taking another shot at changing the state constitution. "I'm not anti-Game and Fish but I am pro-government agencies," Faris said. "This is an issue of fairness and sharing. When we get a revenue windfall like this we should be able to share it with other agencies that otherwise might have to look to the Legislature to raise taxes." Gov. Mike Beebe said Tuesday he agreed with Faris, and likes that the commission has already said it plans to funnel some of the gas revenue to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission. The governor said he would continue to work with the commission to make sure similar agreements are reached with other state agencies. "I think the Game and Fish Commission is very sensitive to the fact that their resources don't really belong to them but belong to all the people of Arkansas," Beebe said, adding that he expected the commission to work with his office and the Legislature. Loren Hitchcock, deputy director of the commission, said Tuesday he looks forward to meeting with Faris over the next few months and discussing the senator's ideas. "We clearly don't want to go into the session diabolically opposed to the senator's wishes and the governor's wishes, for that matter," Hitchcock said. |
