Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Presenter:  Ted Hollingsworth

Action
Request for Easement – Parker County
Pipeline Crossing Lake Mineral Wells Trailway
January 24, 2013

I.       Executive Summary:  Texas Express Gathering LLC requests an easement to directionally drill an 8” gathering line across the right-of-way for the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway.

II.      Discussion:  The Lake Minerals Wells State Trailway is a former right-of-way for the Missouri Pacific Railroad, acquired by TPWD in 1996, for the purpose of creating a 20-mile hike/bike/equestrian corridor connecting Weatherford in Palo Pinto County and Mineral Wells in Parker County.  Due to the linear nature of the trailway, there are a number of roads, utility corridors and pipelines that cross it.  In recent years, TPWD staff has attempted to minimize impacts to the trailway, especially visual impacts, by requiring infrastructure to be bored under the trailway corridor, with no surface occupancy or surface expression on TPWD land.

Texas Express Gathering LLC requests an easement to install by directional drilling, an 8” diameter gathering line to serve local oil and gas production operations five miles northwest of downtown Weatherford, 2.8 miles from the Weatherford terminus of the trailway. The line is to be bored entirely beneath the trailway, with all entry/exit points located off-site. Standard damage and easement compensation is to be paid per the current TPWD rate schedule.

III.     Recommendation: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

“The Commission adopts the Resolution attached as Exhibit A.”

Attachments — 5

  1. Exhibit A — Resolution
  2. Exhibit B – Location Map
  3. Exhibit C – Vicinity Map
  4. Exhibit D – Project Location Map
  5. Exhibit E – Site Map


Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Exhibit A

A Resolution by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Regarding the Granting of an Easement Covering Approximately 0.07 Acres of Real Property in Parker County for an Oilfield Gathering Pipeline Crossing the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway

Resolution

Whereas, Texas Express Gathering LLC (Texas Express) desires to move product between oilfield production facilities on both sides of the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway (Trailway); and,

Whereas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) owns and operates the Trailway to provide outdoor recreation opportunities for the public; and,

Whereas, Texas Express requests an easement for the directional drilling of an eight-inch diameter gathering line underneath the Trailway in Parker County, Texas (the Easement); and,

Whereas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (the Commission) finds that as required by Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, notices of today’s hearing of this matter were published at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in newspapers of general circulation which are published at least six days a week in the communities nearest to the Trailway in which such newspapers are published (the Mineral Wells Index in Parker County), with the last day of publication being not less than one week or more than two weeks before the date of today’s hearing; and,

Whereas, staff of TPWD have worked with Texas Express to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife resources, recreation, and the operations of the Trailway, through the use of directional drilling with no occupancy of TPWD land; and,

Whereas, Texas Express has agreed to compensate TPWD for damages and for the Easement, consistent with the current TPWD Damage and Fee Schedule; and,

Whereas, the Commission finds, in accordance with Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, that (1) there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use or taking of such land (Easement);  (2) the program or project that requires the use or taking of land (Easement) includes all reasonable planning to minimize harm to the land (Trailway); and,

Whereas, the Commission finds, in accordance with Section 13.009 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code that conveyance of the Easement subject to conditions that will minimize the overall impacts of the Easement on the Trailway is in the best interest of TPWD; and,

Now, therefore, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes the Executive Director to take all necessary steps to negotiate terms and conditions under which an Easement may be granted, and to grant an Easement to Texas Express Gathering LLC for the purposes and subject to the conditions described herein and in the motion approving this Resolution.

Adopted and approved this 24th day of January 2013.

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T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman

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Ralph H. Duggins, Vice-Chairman

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Antonio Falcon, M.D., Member

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Karen J. Hixon, Member

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Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Member

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Bill Jones, Member

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Margaret Martin, Member

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S. Reed Morian, Member

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Dick Scott, Member


Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Exhibit B

Location Map for Lake Mineral Wells Trailway in Parker County
Weatherford to Mineral Wells


Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Exhibit C

Vicinity Map for Lake Mineral Wells Trailway


Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Exhibit D

Project Location Map


Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Exhibit E

Site Map