New Solar Year

Happy December Solstice, as the center of holiday traditions, first days of winter, and return of more daylight, to each and all of the amazing allies, friends, and supporters of Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT), who continue to resist the root causes of climate change — fossil fuels, the oil and gas industry, and their local, state, and federal government facilitators [1]!  Although we have sent few written updates about our ongoing campaigns during 2025 — a tumultuous year of transitions as a regional, volunteer, climate activists collective — we have provided weekly news, videos, music, and reflections through the Climate Justice Forum radio program, broadcast on-air at 90.3 FM and online for almost 14 years, on progressive, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow, every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm Pacific time [2].  We plan to share with you a description of our year of work soon, after the annual rush of funding requests from the non-profit industrial complex.  If you would like to generously sustain WIRT’s grassroots, frontline activism, please support us via our new address at this letter’s conclusion, which, along with core WIRT organizers and internet presence, we have protected from intrusions over this past year.

Idaho Oil & Gas Updates

Despite the upcoming holidays, we offer the enclosed, urgent call to action and appeal for your comments, issued this Monday by Citizens Allied for Integrity and Accountability (CAIA), whom we also encourage you to support [3].  On Wednesday, December 17, the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) held a daytime, evidentiary hearing and an evening, public hearing at Fruitland City Hall, to consider state permitting of a drilling integration application filed by Snake River Oil and Gas (SROG), which would “force pool” residents around the new well site to lease their sub-surface hydrocarbons cheaply and against their will.  Through several social media posts, CAIA president Shelley Brock alerted people to this issue that not only affects oil and gas ground zero Payette County, but also ultimately other Idaho communities, as fossil fuels extraction — and recent hydrogen exploration in Canyon County by a Colorado company — spreads across the already impacted Treasure Valley and beyond [4-7].

Southern Idaho holds only a fraction of the methane and oil exploited in larger fields in other states.  The expense and difficulty required to extract it has imposed more shortcuts in drilling and transporting operations, higher risks and lower royalties paid to landowners, and multiple hazards for the invaluable assets of natural environments, lands, waters, and air.  Over the last few decades, local officials have acted to both guard and betray their constituents imperiled by fossil fuels “development.”  For instance, Payette County commissioners recently proposed an ordinance that would extend setbacks between drill sites and homes, businesses, schools, etc. from 300 feet to 500 feet, although this change still requires public processes before codification into law, and no distance under one-half mile can adequately protect public health and private properties.  CAIA’s issue and legal expertise has secured better protections for force pooled property owners during the last few applications by SROG, who pursues increasingly more outrageous schemes to heist Idahoans’ resources.

Last Wednesday, December 17, Fruitland citizens and previously and currently affected property owners came together to voice strong opposition, through their public testimony against the latest SROG forced pooling attempt at both packed meetings.  The hearing officer listened intently and clearly showed interest in the concerns of participants, while Boise and nearby media outlets provided excellent coverage of these critically important hearings.  WIRT deeply appreciates the many Idahoans who rose to defend the health, safety, and constitutional rights of their families and neighbors, from this controversial integration process and its consequent, volatile drilling within a high-density residential, business, and traffic area close to the Payette River and sensitive wildlife habitat.  We will feature a recording of their hearing input on the Wednesday, December 24, Climate Justice Forum radio program broadcast and archived for two weeks on KRFP [2].  As cautiously optimistic CAIA prepares further legal documents on behalf of property owners and the state moves closer to a final order in coming weeks, WIRT joins these admired colleagues in urging you to read and act on the following CAIA alert as soon as possible.

CAIA Call to Action

“When Arkansas-based Snake River Oil and Gas filed an application early this winter to force hundreds of Fruitland property owners to allow the extraction of oil and gas they owned out from under their homes against their will, CAIA jumped into action to defend them.  Weeks of community outreach by our members, filings and conferences by our legal team, and communication with the press culminated in an Idaho Department of Lands contested hearing at Fruitland City Hall on December 17 [8].  Multiple media outlets showed up to hear compelling arguments by CAIA attorney James Piotrowski, on behalf of CAIA members included in this forced pooling application [9-11].

James deftly exposed the company’s goal to operate as cheaply as possible, by paying landowners as little as they can get away with, amidst their refusal to guarantee that the most dangerous elements of their drilling operations won’t traverse citizens’ lands or impact public roadways.  Their callous indifference toward the consequences of their operations became even more apparent when the befuddled CEO had to call on his landman for help, after James asked him to identify on the company’s own map which tract of land would hold the actual drill site.  Dozens of angry citizens gave powerful testimony protesting the dangers of drilling that well in the center of town just a few hundred feet away from their homes, businesses, and their kids’ schools.

We were pleased with the tone set by Hearing Officer Scott Zanzig, who seemed determined to let citizens have their say and overruled objections from SROG’s attorney to James’ heated cross examination of his clients.  Zanzig extended the deadline for the attorneys to submit their final motions and even reopened the public comment period for an additional week, to allow everyone — including you — to submit letters and evidence backing your concerns with the proposed application and future drilling of a well in that location.  All comments must be emailed to filings@oah.idaho.gov by 5 pm on Wednesday, December 24.  Please include Docket No. CC-2025-OGR-01-005 in the subject line of your email.  This is an additional, unexpected opportunity to help protect these Fruitland homeowners, while setting a precedent that could one day guard your own neighborhood!

Please consider submitting even just a brief memo about this — it could have a meaningful impact.” ~Citizens Allied for Integrity and Accountability

[1] The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2025, December 17, 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac

[2] KRFP Radio Free Moscow

[3] 2025 Goes Out with a Bang! (CAIA Newsletter: December 2025), December 21, 2025 Citizens Allied for Integrity and Accountability

[4] Thanks to the Argus Observer for running this important story…, December 17, 2025 Shelley Brock

[5] CAIA attorney James Piotrowski grills a Snake River Oil and Gas landman…, December 17, 2025 Shelley Brock

[6] Thanks to KIVI News reporter Leslie Solis for her excellent coverage…, December 18, 2025 Shelley Brock

[7] The Koloma Enigma, November 10, 2025 GeoExPro

[8] Fruitland Residents Oppose Potential Oil Drilling at Packed City Hall Meeting, December 18, 2025 Idaho News 6

[9] Idaho Department of Lands Holds Public Hearing in Fruitland for Oil and Gas on December 17, December 16, 2025 Argus Observer

[10] Fruitland Residents Speak Out against Plans to Drill for Oil and Gas near Neighborhoods, December 19, 2025 Idaho Capital Sun

[11] Fruitland Residents Pack City Hall to Oppose Potential Oil and Gas Drilling, December 19, 2025 KIVI