Meeting Educational Needs on
“Hot” Issues:
OSU’s Shale Education Program
Extension Risk Management Education National Conference 2013
Peggy Kirk Hall
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
The “Hot” Issue:
Shale Development Comes to Ohio
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Shale Development Comes to Ohio
• Began to see a few media reports about shale
development moving westward from Pennsylvania.
• OSU Extension approached by Chesapeake Energy,
who wanted to work with us on educating citizens
about “the impending boom.”
• Extension Educators in eastern counties began to
receive phone calls and requests for assistance from
landowners receiving leasing offers.
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
What Would You (Your Program) Do?
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Shale Development Activity in Ohio
• As of 3/23/13:
• 601 drilling permits issued
• 291 wells drilled
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Two Key Characteristics of our “Hot” Issue
• Urgency
• Leasing and beyond
• Controversy
• Opposition to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal
drilling
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 1: Educate ourselves on shale development
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In-service workshops
Penn State collaboration
Tour of shale development sites
Meeting with Pennsylvania local leaders
Formation of OSU Shale Gas Work Group
• Monthly meetings with OSU units, agencies, Farm
Bureau
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 2: Prepare for conflict
• “Working with the Media and Citizens” Training
• OSU Comm Tech
• In-Service and sessions for impacted communities
• “Dealing with Meeting Disruptions” Training
• OSU Comm Tech and Strategic Issues
Management
• Training video
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 3 (or was it step 1 or 2?): Deliver
programming
• Immediate and intense meeting “pressure”
• Shale development and leasing were first concerns
• Additional topics and issues added frequently
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 4: Develop resources
• Assess available resources
• Fill gaps with additional resources
• Identify willing authors with expertise
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 5: Identify sources of assistance
• Grants
• NCR Risk Management Education Grant
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
OSU Extension’s Reaction
• Step 6: Prioritize issues and needs
• Programs
• Written and web-based resources
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Our Response
In Hindsight (Perfect World)
• Educate ourselves
• Educate ourselves continuously
• Prepare for conflict
• Prepare for conflict
• Deliver programming
• Prioritize issues and needs
• Develop resources
• Identify sources of assistance
• Identify sources of assistance
• Develop resources
• Prioritize issues and needs
• Deliver programming
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
“The Oil and Gas Boom in Ohio: Creating New Risk
Management Issues for Farmers”
• Goal:
• Help farm landowners address new risks posed by
shale gas development
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• Grant strategy
• Use interdisciplinary team of Extension Educators
and stakeholders
• Identify risk areas
• Create resources
• Including interactive risk assessment
• Hold “one-stop” conference
• Disseminate resources beyond conference
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• Interdisciplinary team
• Extension Educators from ANR, CD, FCS
• Stakeholders: law firm, communities, legislature, Farm
Bureau
• Identified risk areas
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Financial management
Leasing
Water
Pipelines
Community impacts
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• Grant outputs
• Shale Education Program website
• http://shalegas.osu.edu
• Shale Oil and Gas Fact Sheet Series
• “Shale and You: A Workshop for Landowners”
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• “Shale and You” Workshop
• Two workshop locations
• Design
• Presentations throughout the day
• Booth display area for each program topic
• Additional educational materials
• Individual interaction with speakers
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
“Shale and You” Workshop Topics
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Update on Ohio Shale Development Activity
Leasing Issues
Taxation Management of Oil and Gas Income
What To Do When “Sudden Wealth Happens”
Your Private Water Source: When and Why to Test
Pipeline Easements and Construction
What if Problems Arise?
Community and Strategic Planning
One Family’s Experience with Shale Development
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
“Shale and You” Workshop
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
One Family’s Experience
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Results from Program Evaluations
Overall Response Average (scale of 1-5)
Strongly Disagree <---------------------------------------------------->Strongly Agree
1
2
3
4
5
4.7
4.6
4.5
4.4
I found this workshop to be a valuable This workshop offered information The workshop presenters were very
Considering the content, access to
educational experience.
that will help me. make decisions or knowledgeable in their subject matter. resources, and cost of the workshop, I
plans
found the workshop to be an excellent
value.
Program Evaluation
• “What is your biggest concern about shale gas development?”
• That it won’t be maximized
• Need for a supportive legislative/judicial environment to protect
land, water, and landowners
• Regulations limiting/holding back potential development
• Loss of natural resources, wildlife, scenery, and silence
• Will the EPA and Feds allow it to continue?
• Avoiding boom-bust harm to families, farms, and communities
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Program Evaluation
• “What other resources can OSU Extension provide
that would be helpful to you?”
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How to find a good attorney with oil and gas experience.
How to remove old leases from the 1960s and older
Continuation of website.
I don’t even know what to ask next…
Updated price info on leases and signing bonuses for drilling and
pipelines.
Keep having educational communications.
Keep us updated on changes taking place.
Help with networking among/between landowners. Looking into
the future so I can be prepared for future developments.
Can wealth be reinvested in other energy sources to offset some tax
burden?
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• Additional steps
• Final program evaluation not yet complete
• Follow up with landowners to identify impacts
• Some resources still under development
• Fact Sheets
• Web podcasts
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
NCR Risk Management Education Grant
• Grant strengths
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Funding for an employee
Focus on website development
Forced written outputs
“Shale and You” Workshop
• Multiple topics
• Combination of presentations and one-on-one interaction
• Topic selection
• Landowners’ presentation
• Grant weaknesses
• Interactive risk assessment tools for landowners
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
What About Urgency?
• Did we respond quickly enough?
• Performing this grant a year earlier would have had
more impact
• A “hot issue response model” would have been helpful
• More personnel would have been helpful
• Dedicated only to this issue
• Look to revenues from resources provided?
• Shale development has created many millionaire
landowners…
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
What About Controversy?
• OSU Extension has been fortunate
• Do those who benefit see less controversy?
• Controversy appears directed largely at government
• No funds accepted from industry—does that matter?
• A few meeting interruptions and demonstrations
• Training was helpful
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Educating on a “Hot” Issue: Lessons Learned
• Organizational model: how to respond to a hot issue
• Education for educators: priceless
• Shale expertise
• Conflict management
• Beware of output “pressure”
• Organize a coordinated and grounded approach to
ensure sound, research-based information
• Value the resources provided
• We helped many landowners make a lot of money…
• Act quickly on grants for dedicated employees
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Peggy Kirk Hall
Assistant Professor
Field Specialist, Agricultural & Resource Law
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program
aglaw@osu.edu
OSU Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program