Environmentalists Weighing in on Drilling Issue

I posted last week about the proposed drilling by natural gas companies in some of Arkansas' most sensitive wildlife areas. The thing that gets me about this article is the fact that a state official said they will make sure the companies aren't clear cutting trees. Uh, ok. Let me tell you a story about these companies - for them time is money. After deciding where our metal garage would go, we called the electric company who, after giving us the choice of paying $1,500 up front to have our line moved, or putting a new meter on the new building, so they could at least collect the service fee each month, they sent a company to supposedly remove one small tree and some branches.
When the dogs started barking one morning and I walked up the hill to investigate, I found the company ready to take out several large trees and two clumps of smaller ones. When I protested, the guy from the tree company became very upset and told me we could be responsible for cutting the trees oursevles.
Our fight with the electric, and then the phone company ended with the one small tree gone, but had we not actually been on site protecting our land and trees each day, there would have been a much different outcome. Now, I don't think state officials will be with these companies every step of the way. And, I believe the trees will only be the first casualties of this unholy alliance.
http://www.forbes.com:80/feeds/ap/2008/07/31/ap5275532.html