NEW BERLIN – About 1,500 members of the Central New York Landowners Coalition gathered in New Berlin Saturday to learn the latest news and information about natural gas drilling from the attorney who represents them, a consulting geologist and their coalition’s president.

Representing 170,000 acres of the 12 million acre Marcellus Shale region in New York, the group claims to be the largest landowner coalition in the United States. Further, they proclaim that their lease, with its stipulation for closed loop drilling and other safety measures, is the most environmentally conscientious offer on the market.

“There’s no one more pro environmental than me,” said CNYLC President Richard Lasky. “Ours is the most environmentally sound lease in the world. I always say this to the environmentalists: You should all get together and join a land group to make sure the gas companies will do the right thing.”

Lasky echoed the prevailing sentiment within the gymnasium at Unadilla Valley High School: After two long years and now three large-scale meetings, the coalition appears to be growing weary of the media attention gained by those against drilling.

They’ve watched in earnest as a handful of large land groups around them have sign leases with multi-national energy companies for upwards of $4,000 an acre plus lucrative royalties. They’ve been stunned by Gov. David Paterson’s halt on hydrofracking, and watched from the sidelines as potential energy companies turned away from New York. And now they are feeling the pressure from the opposition, who they say are to blame for the delay.

The coalition’s attorney received loud applause after stating the opposition is largely coming from New York City politicians: “Let me just say this: There is no way are we going to let New York City speak for us,” said Scott R. Kurkoski of Binghamton, who specializes in oil and gas law.

The opposition is calling for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to throw out the draft of hydrofracking regulations they’ve been working on since Paterson’s ban in November of 2008. With their large numbers at rallies, placards and funny costumes, Kurkoski said they are winning more attention in the press and from New York’s elected officials.

“With so many of you here, why is it you are so quiet?” he asked. “I saw only one sign on the drive here today. Why didn’t I see 20 of them?”

Kurkoski encouraged the landowners to contact their elected officials during what he said was “a crucial time” for pushing the governor to lift the moratorium on drilling.

It is unknown when New York’s DEC’s draft regulations will be complete, especially in light of another study in the works about hydrofracking, this time on the federal level. The Environmental Protection Agency embarked on its own two-year study at the beginning of the month. Moreover, an Ithaca data specialist took the DEC to task again just last week with new allegations of hydrofracking spills in Western New York that went unreported.