Regarding the payment of royalties for mineral extraction (this includes stumpage fees):

• I think there has to be a royalty framework administered by a government. We all know of mined out properties that were abandoned and the taxpayer bore the cost of remediation and rehabilitation. Look at the nightmare at the Giant Mine in NWT.
• Royalties have to be managed properly so that business is not driven away, yet not so low or non-existent that citizens are left holding the bag.
• Look at the recent Chevron settlement for pollution and abuses that took place in the Amazon.

As a shareholder, I enjoy my dividend payments but I have to be aware of the environmental and social costs of my "benefit".

I like the fact that Kodiak has done a lot of remediation in the Hercules area. Yes it cost them (ME+YOU) some money. But I also lived in the area. I like seeing forests to work and play in. I like having clean water and walleye in those lakes.

The depth of my social conscience may be debatable, but I do have limits to my pursuit of money. I have recently started to question Encana's corporate responsibility for some of its actions in Montana/Wyoming.

Then there is Halliburton. The whole Iraq/Cheney issue makes them look like a bunch of criminals. I do not invest in them.

This of course will lead to a wild and crazy OT thread.

Take care folks.

KG