Press Release
October 14, 2011
Peter Brancato
Dan Keefe
518-462-2594
New State Legislation Impacts Privately-Owned Oil and Gas Interests
Private owners must register any oil and gas interests with County Clerk
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is notifying potential owners of oil and gas interests within Allegany State Park that they must register their claim with the Cattaraugus County Clerk's Office, or the rights will revert back to the State Park.
"It's extremely difficult to know the scope of subsurface oil and gas rights that were severed from Allegany State Park decades ago," said Commissioner Rose Harvey. "By requiring private owners of oil and gas rights to register their interests, this legislation will clarify the ownership of subsurface rights and improve the management of Allegany State Park."
Under a new state law, oil and gas on or under state-owned land within Allegany State Park, if unused for a period of twenty years, will be extinguished and revert to the State of New York, unless a statement of claim is filed in the Cattaraugus County Clerk's Office by September 22, 2013. The statement of claim should provide the name and address of the owner of the oil and gas interest (one owner may file on behalf of all co-owners), and describe the land on or under which the oil and gas interest is located, and a copy of the instrument creating or reserving such interest.
To view the law, visit law http://nysparks.com/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation administers 178 parks and 35 state historic sites. For more information about state parks and historic sites in New York, please visit www.nysparks.com.