At the invitation of the MSU Extension Service, I was a presenter at a Workshop held at the Haggerty Center in Traverse City of June 24 on the subject of Oil and Gas Leasing in light of the current excitement regarding the Utica Shale. I invite you to go to MSU’s Grand Traverse County Portal at http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=27320 for the several papers presented including the outline of my comments as an attorney who represents only Landowners in Oil and Gas matters. In short, my position regarding leasing was that the landman who may contact a landowner IS NOT THE LANDOWNERS FRIEND, that contrary to what the landman may say, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STANDARD LEASE and that taking the high sum b being offered as a BONUS on the terms proposed by landman is usually not be in the best interests of the landowner. Papers by representatives of MSU that my be retrieved from the MSU Portal detailed the fine points of oil and gas leasing as well as the risks associated with merely accepting what the landman may offer. Each is worth a landowner’s review to be better educated on the fine points thereof.