The Central Mountainview Action Group (CMAG) will be holding its annual open house on June 18 at the Mountain View County office – with organizers hoping to encourage more landowners and others to get involved in the group's year-round activities.
Understanding landowner rights will be the main topic of this year's open house, with scheduled speakers to include representatives from the Property Rights Advocate's office, the farmer's rights advocate office, and the Surface Rights Board.
Krista Waters, a facilitator of the organization, said the role of CMAG is to promote discussion between various groups and energy companies about energy development.
“A lot of what CMAG has tried to do is provide more information to the community. Typically, the more information you have, the more understanding you have,” said Waters.
CMAG covers an area from Highway 766 in the west to Highway 587 in the north, to the Mountain View County boundary in the east.
She explained that the group has a lot of information available for landowners to access, and can help them understand a landowner's property rights in relation to energy development.
The group is always looking for more landowner participation, she said.
“It's great to have the new perspectives on what kind of information the community is looking for so we can provide the best (information),” she said.
Everett Page, one of the members of the group and former MVC councillor, said CMAG has been a good education and dissemination vehicle, allowing landowners and industry representatives the ability to communicate with each other.
“It's really worked out quite well. I think we've gotten to know some of the local community relations representatives and they're really active participants in the community and they do really care,” said Everett.
CMAG was formed in 2005 after concerns were raised about a coalbed methane project and other energy projects were proposed in the area.
People wanting more information on CMAG can find it at www.cmag.synergyalberta.ca.
"It's great to have the new perspectives on what kind of information the community is looking for so we can provide the best (information)."Krista Waters, facilitator, Central Mountainview Action Group
