Latest news with #JeffHildebrand
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State secures more than 3,000 acres for new park in Central Texas
Editor's Note: The photo featured in this story shows the existing Colorado Bend State Park, which is located across the river from the planned state park. AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said on Monday it finalized the second phase of purchases that included 1,100 acres in Lampasas and Burnet counties, according to a news release. In January, Texas initially purchased a 2,020-acre property from Burnet County for the park. With this purchase, the new state park will now be more than 3,000 acres in total. The state park will be located across from the river from Colorado Bend State Park and will include 1.5 miles of Yancey Creek, limestone bluffs and several natural springs, according to TPWD. The state agency said the new state park will be created using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which was approved by voters in 2023. The $1 billion fund is dedication to the creation and development of state parks. 'It's great to see phase two of the acquisition process come to fruition with the purchase of this 1,100-acre property,' said Jeff Hildebrand, Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. 'This property, combined with the previously purchased 2,020-acre tract near the current Colorado Bend State Park, will offer an exciting new state park experience for Texans.' With the purchases now complete, TPWD said it will now work on a plan in collaboration with public feedback to determine recreational opportunities at the new state park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Land purchase for park in Lampasas County complete
Austin, Tx (FOX 44) – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has finalized the purchase of 1,100 acres in Lampasas and Burnet Counties, completing the second phase of an acquisition to create a new state park. The property is located across the river from Colorado Bend State Park and includes 1.5 miles of Yancey Creek, limestone bluffs and several natural springs. Combined with the recent acquisition of 2,020 acres in Burnet County, the new state park will comprise more than 3,000 acres. TPWD purchased the 1,100-acre property using a combination of a one-time funding appropriation and funds from sporting goods sales taxes. The new state park will be developed through the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a $1 billion fund overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2023 to create a dedicated funding stream for acquiring and developing state parks. 'It's great to see phase two of the acquisition process come to fruition with the purchase of this 1,100-acre property,' said Jeff Hildebrand, Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. 'This property, combined with the previously purchased 2,020-acre tract near the current Colorado Bend State Park, will offer an exciting new state park experience for Texans.' These two latest acquisitions, along with others made by TPWD in recent months, further the goal of expanding public access to Texas' natural spaces in more corners of the state. The completion of this two-phase purchase joined other notable purchases adding 3,703 acres at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area along with the purchase of the 500-acre Lake Colorado City State Park, among others. 'I'd like to thank our incredible team for their hard work in not only acquiring these properties, but also the recent additions at Enchanted Rock and the purchase of Lake Colorado City State Park,' TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz said. 'The voters of Texas also deserve a huge thank you for saying 'yes' to the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which will make the development of this park possible.' When notified of available properties, TPWD conducts a due diligence review to determine the property's feasibility as a state park. In this case, TPWD determined the property's outstanding natural and recreational features made this property an excellent candidate. 'I'm excited for the addition of the second piece of this property in what will become a new 3,000-plus acre Texas State Park,' said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. 'This acquisition will give visitors access to the Colorado River, a beautiful creek and the diverse landscapes that are featured across the property. We look forward to generations of Texans enjoying the scenic views of the unique post oak woodland and outdoor adventures awaiting on this property. ' The new property is approximately ten miles upstream from Lake Buchanan and its acquisition will create additional recreational opportunities, habitat protection and the conservation of natural springs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Above the Yukon River, on Native land, Hilcorp is set to drill for oil this summer
Rain falls along the Yukon River in the Yukon Flats region, where oil company Hilcorp is planning to drill exploration wells this summer. (Photo courtesy of Bathsheba Demuth) Later this spring, barges of heavy equipment will pull away from a launch on Alaska's road system and begin a journey up the Yukon River. More than 100 miles upstream, a tributary, Birch Creek, branches off. The equipment's destination is along that creek, on remote property owned by Alaska Native corporations in a huge basin called the Yukon Flats. There, an oil company will set up a specially designed rig to drill the basin's first-ever deep wells, which the landowners hope could lead to the discovery of the state's next big oil field. If found, petroleum could create well-paying jobs for Yukon watershed residents and generate big dividend payments for the 20,500 shareholders of Doyon, the for-profit Native corporation for Alaska's Interior region. Doyon's leaders describe the drilling effort as a rare opportunity — one that could deliver a lucrative resource sought from its lands for decades, though never produced. But the campaign has engendered a broad backlash from tribal governments in the region. Much of the opposition stems from the track record of the business that will be doing the drilling: Hilcorp, the large, privately held oil company founded by a Texas billionaire, Jeff Hildebrand. Hilcorp has substantially increased its holdings in Alaska in recent years and now operates the massive Prudhoe Bay field on the state's North Slope, where it partners with major firms like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. But it also has a history of leaks and accidents, prompting fears from Yukon watershed residents about the risks of its new drilling program. 'We've seen it so many times, that these big corporations come in and they take and take. They say they're going to reinvest and it never happens,' said Rhonda Pitka, chief of the tribal government in Beaver, a Yukon River village some 20 miles downstream of the Birch Creek confluence. 'What will we end up with at the end of all this?' Whether the Yukon Flats will support commercial fossil fuel production remains highly uncertain, and likely won't be known for years. More exploratory drilling will almost certainly be needed to better define a deposit even if Hilcorp finds evidence of petroleum this summer, and the infrastructure to extract and move it to market would require an array of environmental permits. Even at this early stage, opponents are aggressively fighting the drilling plans. At a meeting last month, Interior Alaska's consortium of 42 tribal governments, Tanana Chiefs Conference, approved a resolution against oil development by Hilcorp in the Yukon Flats, saying it's too risky for the 'ecologically and culturally significant region.' But leaders of Birch Creek, the tiny Indigenous community closest to the drilling sites, have endorsed the effort, saying it could produce desperately needed jobs. Birch Creek's Native village corporation also owns some of the land where the drilling will take place, and like Doyon, it stands to benefit from a discovery. 'Without the economic activity this exploration project could create, Birch Creek and the other Yukon Flats villages may simply cease to exist, and our way of life will be lost forever,' the community's tribal government said in a 2020 resolution endorsing the program. Birch Creek's population is now just 30 people, and its school closed more than two decades ago because it had too few students, according to the state of Alaska. The support from Birch Creek has given Doyon and Hilcorp the 'social license to operate in that area,' Doyon's chief executive, Aaron Schutt, said in an interview. If oil is found, Doyon's agreements with Hilcorp would require the company to hire shareholders and local residents, he added. Schutt said that Doyon's early leaders, a half-century ago, chose to claim land in the Yukon Flats specifically because of its potential to yield oil and gas. 'We can't re-select. We can't undo those deals that were done by our leaders 50 years ago,' he said. 'We're stuck with the hand we were dealt from 1972 to 1975. And we have to balance all of these various constituencies and opportunities and concerns, and do the best job that we can.' Birch Creek leaders, through a Doyon official, declined to comment. Hilcorp released its own prepared statement saying it's 'excited to work with Doyon and community stakeholders to advance this meaningful exploration project in the Yukon Flats.' 'Together, we are developing a tailored program to responsibly evaluate the region's energy and resource potential,' said spokesman Matt Shuckerow. The Yukon Flats basin covers more than 10,000 square miles, bounded by the Brooks Range mountains to the north and the White Mountains to the south. The Yukon River sweeps across from east to west, and the trans-Alaska pipeline snakes over the land from north to south. The basin began forming at least 60 million years ago, according to Marwan Wartes, a veteran geologist with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. It's still sinking today, making it difficult to study. Often, petroleum-rich regions of the state have experienced uplift, producing rocky outcroppings that give glimpses of their geologic histories — but those clues aren't present in the flats, Wartes said. Experts suspect that the area contains sedimentary deposits that could produce natural gas, or even oil. But no one has drilled deep wells to confirm those theories, so the flats' subsurface remains something of a geologic enigma. 'When I look at the whole map of Alaska, it always catches my eye, and I always am frustrated that we know so little about it — because it's mostly burying itself,' Wartes said. 'It is a mystery, and I think most geologists would agree to that.' Today, the region, home to the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, is important habitat for as many as 2 million migratory ducks, as well as several species of fish. Its salmon and moose have long sustained the region's Native people, who now live primarily in seven Indigenous villages within or near the refuge. For nearly two centuries, the Yukon Flats have also been the source of global commodities — starting in the mid-1800s with furs, and continuing with the 1893 discovery of gold in Birch Creek. The region has never produced oil; nearly all of Alaska's petroleum comes from the other side of the Brooks Range, on the North Slope. But Doyon and oil companies have long eyed the flats for its potential, dating back to the years after the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. That federal legislation terminated Indigenous land claims in the state by transferring some 10% of Alaska's land to newly formed, Native-owned corporations — which, with certain limitations, could choose the land that they wanted. Doyon, owned by Alaska Natives with ties to the Interior region, became the state's largest private landowner. Working at the time with smaller Indigenous-owned corporations connected to the region's villages, Schutt said, Doyon selected additional land in the Yukon Flats, hoping that it would yield petroleum. The idea was to capture areas with oil potential while also leaving room for the region's residents to continue their subsistence-based lifestyles. Doyon formalized that strategy, Schutt said, in agreements with five village corporations. A 1974 agreement with Beaver's Indigenous-owned corporation refers to the 'potential for oil and gas' in the area around the village, 'the development of which would benefit all of the shareholders of Doyon.' Pitka, Beaver's current tribal chief, said that oil was not the driving force behind the village's participation in the Doyon agreement. 'The village corporations picked land for subsistence,' Pitka said. 'People were living on the land.' In the years after the land deals, major oil companies prospected for oil in the Yukon Flats; Exxon even signed an exploration agreement with Doyon. But Exxon pulled out of the region after its major 1989 oil spill near Valdez. Studies continued, however. Doyon contractors have collected hundreds of sediment and soil samples throughout the basin. The corporation has also conducted seismic testing, and it collaborated with federal and state agencies that drilled a research well to a moderate depth in 2004. The United States Geological Survey has estimated that the Yukon Flats contain 173 million barrels of oil, with a smaller chance of as much as 600 million barrels. 'This has been a basin that's been on everyone's radar as having potential for a long, long time,' said Wartes. Hilcorp's involvement began in 2019, when it signed an exploration agreement with Doyon covering some 2,500 square miles of the Native corporation's land. Since then, Hilcorp has flown airborne surveys to gather geologic data, and it's also drilled more than a dozen shallow test wells. Last year, it narrowed its focus, signing oil and gas leases with Doyon that cover 94 square miles near Birch Creek. This kind of remote oil and gas exploration work, known as wildcatting, is not Hilcorp's specialty; the company is better known for buying aging oil fields and making them more productive. 'They must see something that really captivates them, because there's no shortage of oil on the North Slope,' said Phil Wight, an energy and environmental historian at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Even Schutt, the Doyon chief executive, said he's not sure exactly what's driving Hilcorp's interest. 'I actually don't know the answer to that,' he said. 'It's still kind of a mystery.' This summer, Hilcorp plans to drill two exploration wells on separate sites. The company has not publicly announced its plans, but some details have trickled into public view through documents submitted to the state. Hilcorp's drilling effort requires an array of permits, among them a contingency plan that includes how the company would respond to a blowout. The locations of the company's two planned wells are 10 and 15 miles, respectively, from the Yukon River and the village of Birch Creek, according to the permitting documents. The sites will be supported by a worker camp staffed 24 hours a day. The area is along a lower branch of Birch Creek and is accessible only by barge, helicopter or skiff, depending on water levels. Schutt said the work will leave a light footprint. 'If there's no further development, those lands will be indistinguishable from the lands next door in 10 years,' he said. Opponents of the plan have focused their efforts on a pending Hilcorp request to state land managers to pump water from Birch Creek and a nearby lake for its drilling operation. The company says it will take a maximum of half of one cubic foot per second from the creek, which it describes as 0.05% of its flow. Ten different tribal groups have objected, according to their comment letters released by regulators in response to a Northern Journal public records request. Allowing Hilcorp's proposed withdrawal 'would degrade water quality and jeopardize the ecological integrity of Birch Creek,' said one comment letter, from the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council. 'We, the Indigenous Tribes and First Nations from the headwaters to the mouth of the Yukon River, urge the department to join us and put all of our future generations first,' the letter said. If Hilcorp finds oil, the discovery would likely be just the start of more intense environmental battles to come. Given the large cost of building a new oil field, construction would only make financial sense if it contained at least 200 million barrels of oil, according to Doyon's estimates. Tying a development into the trans-Alaska pipeline would entail crossing federal land and require environmental permits that would face stiff opposition. But for Doyon, the effort is worthwhile because of its big upside, according to Schutt. The company is already invested in the oil and gas industry; it owns a drilling subsidiary that maintains some of the largest rigs on the North Slope. A new field in the Yukon Flats could produce a 'massive royalty check' each year, much of which would be shared with Alaska's other Native corporations under federal law, according Schutt. Doyon's subsidiaries would be in line for contracts to work on the development, he added, and Yukon Flats villages likely could save money by tapping into newly available natural gas for heating. 'It would economically support the whole subregion and Doyon for generations,' he said. 'Those are the types of opportunities that don't come along very often for us.' Nathaniel Herz welcomes tips at natherz@ or (907) 793-0312. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Herz. Subscribe at this link. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State officials announce massive update to 'cherished' state park: 'I look forward to families experiencing this'
The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will be getting bigger. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has invested $43 million to acquire over 3,000 acres of land adjacent to the state park in Llano County. The property will double the amount of land for public use at Enchanted Rock, according to a TPWD news release. The expansion offers new recreational opportunities and will preserve the region's unique landscape and ecosystem. Enchanted Rock is known for its massive pink granite dome rising 425 feet above the surrounding terrain. The newly purchased land, previously used for private hunting, includes a distinctive rock formation that could provide new lookout points of the iconic dome. The addition will enrich the visitor experience and ensure the conservation of the area. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The expansion is part of a larger initiative funded by the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund — $1 billion in funding established by Texas voters in 2023. The fund aims to develop and expand state parks, meeting the demand of the growing number of visitors as well as ensuring natural spaces are preserved. "Enchanted Rock is cherished by Texans across the state, and we are thrilled to add a property of this size and scope to this beloved park," said Jeff Hildebrand, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. "I look forward to families experiencing this new addition to Enchanted Rock SNA and creating lasting memories for generations to come." The TPWD will gather public input to develop a plan for the property, per the release. For the community, being able to go and experience a park of this nature is proven to be beneficial for one's health. According to the National Park Service, a 30-minute visit to a park can improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and boost your immune system — all of which can reduce risks of cancer and disease. Further, just five minutes of walking in nature can lower cortisol levels and reduce anxiety and depression. Preserving national and state parks is also important for protecting natural resources and wildlife. There are a myriad of environmental benefits, including protecting habitats for rare and endangered plants and animals, protecting clean air and water, and combating climate change. Looks like Enchanted Rock will only get more enchanting for locals and visitors alike. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hilcorp-linked company announces deal to build natural gas import facility on Kenai Peninsula
A gas ring is seen on a stove powered by natural gas. (Photo Illustration by) An energy firm affiliated with Hilcorp Alaska will buy an unused natural gas export terminal on the Kenai Peninsula and convert it to an import facility, the company announced Thursday. The deal is significant for Southcentral Alaska, which is expected to run short of available, domestically produced natural gas before the end of the decade. The new agreement promises to bring imported gas to the region years sooner than alternative proposals. Under the terms of the agreement, Harvest Midstream — a company owned by Jeff Hildebrand, the owner of Hilcorp — will buy the terminal from Marathon Petroleum. The terminal has not operated since 2011, but Marathon had begun preliminary work to convert it into an import facility, going so far as to obtain a federal permit to do so. The cost of the deal was not disclosed on Thursday. Marathon will continue to own and operate a nearby oil refinery, which will become a customer for the import terminal's gas. Chugach Electric Association, the largest electric cooperative in Southcentral Alaska, said in Thursday's announcement that it is also interested in buying gas through the terminal. Julie Hasquet, a spokesperson for Chugach, said the utility needs to have a firm contract to buy natural gas at the end of the first quarter of 2028. Harvest, which expects to begin delivering some gas in 2026, is the first to meet Chugach's deadline. 'We're just excited that this is an opportunity to get gas when our customers need it,' she said. Harvest's deal is the second involving a proposed import terminal in recent months. In December, Enstar signed an agreement with Glenfarne Energy Transition LLC to develop an import terminal on the Kenai Peninsula. That terminal would be located at a site envisioned for the export end of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. That import project isn't expected to become operational until the end of 2029, however. That's beyond the end of most Southcentral utilities' natural gas contracts with Hilcorp, the current No. 1 supplier. A trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline isn't expected to become operational until 2031 at the earliest, and that project still lacks firm financing. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said timing isn't the only thing to consider — price for the consumer is also a factor. Until both the Enstar and Harvest facilities — and AKLNG — go through engineering studies, there won't be any estimates on how much their gas will cost. Global markets will also be a factor. 'I'm going to hold off until I see their determinations on a cost structure. … One of them will rise to the top,' he said. Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, said she has concerns about Alaska's increasing reliance on Hilcorp. 'It feels like we're being dominated by one company. It's concerning,' she said. Giessel said she's also concerned by the fact that Chugach appears to have broken away from working with other utilities collaboratively. Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, said that Alaskans would prefer to drill for their own natural gas, but there is no alternative to imports in the short term. 'I would love to come out and say we will have no imported gas. We feel that way and the public feels that way,' Tilton said. 'But, we have to look at short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions, and if, unfortunately, we have to bring something in in the short term, that might be what we have to do to get us to a mid-term and long-term solution.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
