APR
WATER GRAB - SEC - LOCAL ENVIRO. & NEWS
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3/24/23 - The Legislative session is over, and thanks to your efforts SB337
passed! We need to be aware that local representation for regional planning is
the responsibility of the Interstate Stream Commission, so we will need to be
vigilant. For now, those who have a minute to do so might want to thank our representative,
Gail Armstrong, for her support of good water bills.
Thanks for all you
did to get this legislation passed into law,
Carol Pittman
Gail Armstrong’s
contact information:
email address gail@gailfornewmexico.com
Phone No.
505-986-4215
3/13/23
- SB337 Update: This bill would give some local
control to water planning activities and, if passed into law, could prevent large
water grabs as is being attempted by the Augustin Plains Ranch LLC in northern
Catron County.
3/12/23
- On Tuesday, March 14 the House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources
Committee will consider
SB337 the WATER SECURITY PLANNING ACT. The Senate passed
this bill 39-0. ... Our Representative, Gail Armstrong, serves on the Committee
and if you have time, please contact her and urge her to support SB337. It looks
possible to get this bill passed into law this session.
Email address gail@gailfornewmexico.com
Phone No. 505-986-4215
3/9/23
- Mexican gray wolves thrive in 2022.
Chieftain
or .pdf
3/5/23
- Augustin Water Coalition meeting. SAWC will have a regular board meeting
on Tuesday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Datil Christian Cowboy Church in Datil.
... Agenda items include planning a fundraiser (Spring Fun Run/Walk) in partnership
with the Datil Volunteer Fire Dept. The public is welcome to attend. - Eileen
Dodson
San Augustin Water Coalition
3/5/23
- Water Legislation Update: March 6, at 1:30 p.m., Room 322, Senate Finance
will hear SB 337 Water Security Planning Act. This is the highest priority water
bill this session. It would establish a long-term framework for state-funded regional
water security planning – community driven, science-based, and focused on
resilience, sustainability, and equity. You’ll find talking points in the
bill title above (from Middle Rio Grande Water Advocates and NM Water Ambassadors).
Please email committee members today and call in the morning to urge them to vote
“YES” on SB 337.
More
information: SB
337 Water Security Planning Act.pdf
2/19/23
- There is a hearing coming up on Tuesday regarding SB337, a bill to protect
water resources. The bill is named WATER SECURITY PLANNING ACT and is deserving
of our support. The hearing is before the Senate Conservation Committee Tuesday,
February 21, 2023 - 9:00 am.
This email is to request that you support
the bill.
Download entire
announcement.pdf
and SB337-NormsBIll.
pdf
8/12/22
- Controversial Augustin Plains Ranch water project legal battles continue.
... The legal battles in a controversial water project are continuing as the state’s
Court of Appeals remanded it back to district court.
NM
Political Report
1/26/23
- Legislation update: As you know, the hope is that legislation will pass
(in this session) that will prevent the movement of massive quantities of water
out of our community to benefit an international corporation financially. Below
is a template that you can use to reach the appropriate Senator, and/or the appropriate
Representative. Please contact them with your request to consider this issue (by
post or by email). - Carol Pittman. Template.pdf
or .DOC
1/2/2023 - Attached is a flyer about water legislation that will come before
the 2023 legislative session. We have been very hopeful that such legislation
would finally appear, and now that it has, we must support it (think Augustin
Plains while you read the flyer). Read the flyer carefully, and if you have questions
let me know (pittray@gilanet.com) and I’ll do my best to find answers. I’ll
let you know how to support the legislation as the legislative session progresses.
2023
Legislation Document.pdf
12/1/22
- Montana Judge Won’t Halt Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Aggressive Wolf
Hunt. ... The decision came as part of a lawsuit from environmental groups filed
after the deadliest year for Yellowstone wolves since their reintroduction.
The
Intercept
October
15, 2022 - Update on Grey Wolf recovery program. On October 4, 2022, The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service released the final revised recovery plan for the Mexican
wolf, which includes new site-specific management actions to address the threat
of human-caused mortality, including illegal killing. NM
Wild
September
28, 2022 - Without settlement, Rio Grande Supreme Court case returns to trial.
Source
NM
September
22, 2022 - Colorado water officials oppose New Mexico lawmakers’ push
for federal action on the Rio Grande. ... Legislation proposed by New Mexico politicians
eyes federal workgroup for Rio Grande. The
Colorado Sun
September
19, 2022 - Indigenous groups say changes to utility regulation in NM would
favor energy companies. ... 2020 ballot measure altered how people get onto the
PRC and shrank the board. Source
NM
August
30, 2022 - Montana doubles down of wold slaughter. ... permits for 456
wolf slaughter. CounterPunch
August
29, 2022 - Settlement deadline looms in Rio Grande Supreme Court case. Source
New Mexico
August
19, 2022 - Bernalillo County approves new Santolina plans despite public objections,
water access issues. ... Opponents urged electeds to reject ‘massive, unneeded
new development’ Source
New Mexico Download
.pdf See also Albuquerque
Journal
August
18, 2022 - Community Responds to Bernalillo County Commission Approval of
Santolina Tire Dump. Contra Santolina press releast. Download.pdf
August
18, 2022 - Water rights case gets bounced back to District Court. Chieftain
or Download
.pdf
August
11, 2022 - SAWC heard on Thursday that the Court of Appeals has remanded the
District Court's decision back to the DC because of an error with the way the
DC turned the LLC's appeal down. Download
Decision.pdf
July
28, 2022 - Appellate judges assigned to water case. Chieftain
or .pdf
version
July 22, 2022 - Rio Grande runs dry in Albuquerque for the first time in
40 years. Washongton
Post Journal
July
20, 2022 - Wolf tracks in Yellowstone National Park ... Was Yellowstone’s
Deadliest Wolf Hunt in 100 Years an Inside Job? Intercept
July
20, 2022 - Climate Change Collides With Western Water Law. CounterPunch
July 4, 2022 - The Key Impacts of Livestock Production Upon the Land. CounterPunch
June
17, 2022 - Wolves in the West are Collateral Damage of Human Selfishness.
CounterPunch
June 16, 2022 - Sabotaging the Mexican wolf recovery project. ... A whistleblower
reveals how fraudulent wolf kills hurt recovery of the endangered species High
Country News
June
10, 2022 - Water Shortages Threaten Development in More Western Cities Pew
Research
June
3, 2022 - Electric Co-ops Are Well Situated To Lead The Green Energy Transition.
Popular
Resistance
June
2, 2022 - County backs proposed livestock authority; feds release more wolf
pups. ... A Joint Powers Agreement between the counties of Socorro, Catron and
Sierra was approved last week by the Socorro County Board of County Commissioners.
The purpose of the JPA is to create the County Livestock Loss Authority, designed
to help protect the rights and livelihood of the cattle ranching industry, which
feels at risk by the federal government’s management of the reintroduction
of the endangered Mexican gray wolf. Chieftain
.pdf
June
3, 2022 - Wishing the Gila Wilderness a Happy 98th Birthday. CounterPunch
Related reading: First & Wild West. Torrey
House Publishers
May
24, 2022 - Cry Wolf. Endangered Gray Wolf recovery is being "sabotaged"
by ranchers who claim the canines are killing cattle - and the federal employes
who sign off the reports. The
Intercept
May
19, 2022 - Mexican wolf numbers allowed to rise; legislators call for lethal
removal. Chieftain
or
.pdf
May
19, 2022 - Socorro Electric Coop agrees to restructure rates ... After three
years of refusing to do so, last week the Socorro Electric Coop agreed to restructure
its rates as directed by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission in September
2019. This comes as a compromise between SEC and the NMPRC Utility Division Staff
after several years of back and forth. Chieftain
or PDF
May
4, 2022 - America is exterminating its wolves. When will this stop? ... Last
year Idaho approved the killing of 90% of its wolves and Wisconsin killed 200
in less than 60 hours. Recently 500 were killed in the northern Rockies. This
is a disaster for our ecosystem. Guardian
April
28, 2022 - 'Stunning and Supremely Disappointing': Biden Admin Moves to Appeal
Gray Wolf Protections. ... The Interior Department said the "procedural step"
will allow time for additional assessment and "does not signal that the federal
government has determined that an appeal will be pursued." CommonDreams
April 28, 2022 - McCartney elected to Coop Board. Chieftain
or .pdf
April
21, 2022 - Bustamante seeks re-election.
Chieftain
or .pdf
April
21, 2022 - Letter: City’s feud with electric cooperative is harmful.
Jim Nelson - Chieftain
or .pdf
April
21 - City accuses
Coop of attempting to delay informing members. Chieftain
or .pdf
April
21, 2022 - Jaguars Could Return to the US Southwest, But Only If They Have
Pathways to Move North. CounterPunch
April
20, 2022 - SEC Annual meeting newsletter announcement and Socorro City buyout.
Download.pdf
April
20, 3022 - Restoring the Grizzly to the Southwest: Aldo Leopold’s Escudilla,
Revisited. CounterPunch
April 20,2022 - “It’s Not a Drought, It’s Looting”:
Water Rights Activists Organize in Mexico. ... Mexico is heading into the worst
months of its dry season. Fifteen of 32 states are experiencing extremely high
stress on water resources, as use surpasses the amount available. TruthOut
April 14,2022 - Expanding Drought Leaves Western U.S. Scrambling For Water.
... One of North America’s longest rivers, the Rio Grande is another example
of a waterway in the western U.S. that’s tapped out. HuffPost
April 7, 2022 - SEC again ordered to restructure rates.
Chieftain or .pdf
April
6, 2022 - New Mexico Teeters On The Edge Of A New Era Of Coexistence. Roxy’s
Law represents a critical marker on New Mexico’s path to reimagining how
we perceive and live with the wildlife that makes this place special. Popular
Resistance
April
1, 2022 - Socorro Electric Co-op fights PRC and city Albuquerque
Jorunal or download.pdf
March 31, 2022 - Bustamante, McCartney face off. No SEC candidate for Catron.
Chieftain
or Download.pdf
March
24, 2022 - SEC trustees accumulating fines ... accumulating a $1,000 fine
per day since April 2020 after refusing to restructure their rates as directed
by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. Chieftain
or download
PDF
March
22, 2022 - Khanna-Warren Bill Would Ban Wall Street Profiteering on Water
Scarcity ... The Future of Water Act, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, would "protect
water from Wall Street speculation and ensure one of our most. CommonDreams
12/20/21 - Related More Than 130 Groups Call on CFTC
to Shut Down 'Dystopian' Water Futures Market ... In this time of global-warming-induced
drought in California, the last thing we need is to gamble on our precious water
resources." CommonDreams
March 21, 2022 - The Horrific Scam that Water Billionaires are Running
on Poor Countries. ... Mega corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Danone are
making around 494 times what they spend by bottling water in Mexico and selling
it back to locals who have no choice but to buy it. CounterPunch
March 10, 2022 - The city of Socorro sent an open letter to the Socorro
Electric Cooperative's CEO and Board Members, offering to acquire the cooperative's
system within the city of Socorro and to take over providing electric services
to city residents. Download
PDF
March
4, 2022 - Historic Victory on Santolina Case
Download
PDF
February
14, 2022 - The Case for Equal Protections for Wolves Throughout Their Range.
CounterPunch
February
10, 2022 - 'Huge Win for Gray Wolves' as US Court Restores Endangered Species
Act Protections. ... Campaigners also emphasize that, as one expert put it, "there
is still a huge amount of work ahead to protect wolves in Montana, Idaho, and
Wyoming, where they face some of their biggest threats." CommonDreams
January 27, 2022 - Over 81,000 demand support for long-term Mexican gray
wolf conservation.
Wild
Earth Guardians
January
25, 2022 - ‘Corporate vultures’: how Americans fearing higher water
bills are fighting takeovers. ... Corporations are trying to privatize dozens
of public water utilities around the US, capitalizing on the financial troubles
of cities The
guardian
January
21, 2022 - From Gail Armstong "I’m pushing to fund the water data
act. There is lots of additional funding being put in the office" - Thank
Gail for her efforts at : gail@gailfornewmexico.com
January 17, 2022 - Press
Release.PDF.
RELATED: How Much Water Does New Mexico Have.
ABQ
News
RELATED: When the well runs dry:
How much water does New Mexico have? El
Paso Times
January
15, 2022 - Help Protect Mexican Gray Wolves! ... The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) is updating its management plan for Mexican gray wolves, and we
need your comments by January 27 Wolf
Conservation Center
January
13, 2022 - Julian Assange: A Thousand Days in Belmarsh CounterPunch
January
1, 2022 - Indigenous feminism flows through the fight for water rights on
the Rio Grande. ... An intergenerational group of Pueblo women lead the way on
water policy along the Middle Rio Grande Valley. HCN
April
27, 2021 -
Idaho’s Wolf Slaughter Bill Stampedes Toward a Vote. ...
would allow an unlimited number of wolf tags per hunter, no restrictions on methods
of take, establishment of year-round trapping seasons on private lands, and allowing
the state Wolf Depredation Control Board to hire independent contractors to kill
wolves (and) use any method available to kill. Guardian
April
24, 2012 -
New Mexico fights to escape powerful grip of big oil and gas.
Guardian
April
24, 2021 -
Idaho Senate OKs Bill To Kill Up To 90% Of The State’s
Wolves. ... Conservationists slammed the bill as incentivizing the “cruel
deaths” of more than 1,000 wolves. HuffPost
April
20, 2021 -
The New Mexico Spring .. How progressives took power
in the state’s Democratic Party. Intercept
April
15, 2021 -
Update on SEC vs. City of Socorro lawsuit. Chieftain
April
8, 2021 -
Letter:
Update on City vs SEC lawsuit by Mayor Bhasker. Chieftian
April
17, 2020 -
US West Prepares For Possible First Water Shortage Declaration.
AZ, NV could see their first mandatory water use caps as climate change leaves
the Colorado River at a historic low. HuffPost.
April
16, 2021 -
The New Mexico Spring. ... How
progressives took power in the state’s Democratic Party. Intercept
April
13, 2021 -
US to enter mega drought which will be the worst for 1200 years
– here’s what to expect. ... Experts warn of permanent drought after
third-driest winter in California’s history. Independent
April
13, 2021 -
'Major Step Forward' as NM Legalizes Recreational Marijuana.
.. "By ensuring
equity and social justice in our cannabis legalization, we are saying 'enough'
to the devastating 'war on drugs' that over-incarcerated and over-penalized thousands
of New Mexicans."CommonDreams
Related: Biden Looks to Extend Trump’s Bolstered Mandatory
Minimum Drug Sentencing. ... Over 100 advocacy groups sent a letter to Congress
opposing the “hardline anti-science policy,” which applies to a broad
range of fentanyl-related substances. Intercept
April
12, 2010 -
Trapping: New Mexico Moves Forward, Montana Leaps Backwar.
CounterPunch
April
12, 2021 -
Critics Warn $15 Billion Merger of Global Water Giants Would
Create 'Dangerous Corporate Monopoly'... "Veolia's plan to dominate public
water services all across the globe is becoming a terrifying reality." CommonDreams
April
10, 2021 -
Wolves Remain at Risk as Hunters and Their State-Level Allies
Call the Shots TruthDig
April
8, 2021 -
Update on City vs SEC lawsuit - Mayor Bhasker. Chieftain
- Download
. PDF
April
8, 2021 -
Mexican Wolf Depredation Investigations…Again. CounterPunch
April
1, 2021 -
Endangered Mexican gray wolf. Letter to Chieftain
WATER NEWS Meet
Arizona's water one-percenters
A flood-irrigated home in Phoenix. In Phoenix,
two cities are emerging: one is water-rich, the other water-poor. Guardian
The Great Water
Grab: Wall Street is buying up the world’s water. Our
Santa Fe River Paraguay
in a spin about Bush's alleged 100,000 acre hideaway. Guardian
Why Did George
Bush Buy Nearly 300,000 acres in Paraguay? 5min
Forecast The
New “Water Barons”: Wall Street Mega-Banks are Buying up the World’s
Water. GlobalResearch |
According
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Mexican gray wolve popoulation in the
wild by the end of 2020 increased to 186, up 14% from the
previous year.
April
1, 2021 -
Co-op suspends election of trustees. Chieftain
March
26, 2021 - NEW SEC Annual
Members Meeting. Saturday April 10, 2021. Business meeting starts at
3PM. Meeting takes place through Zoom Only. Go to
https://socorroelectric.com/2021-annual-meeting.html
several minutes before the start of the meeting for a link to the LiveStream.
To sign up for member comment contact the SEC at service@socorroelectric.com
or 800-351-7575, extension 1001 before 5pm April 9th.
March
26, 2021 -
Demand Montana Governor Gianforte Veto Draconian Wolf Killing
Bills. CounterPunch
March
24, 2021 -
The Future of Wolves in the American West. CounterPunch
March
24, 2021 -
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte Violates Rule In Killing Of Yellowstone
Wolf. ... The newly elected Republican was let off with a warning and was allowed
to keep its skull and hide. HuffPost
March
23, 2021 -
Another Dead Wolf in Arizona CounterPunch
March
22, 2021--
Meditations from the Greater Gila: On the Possibility of Wolves,
the Actuality of Dark Skies, and Actualizing the Possible. CounterPunch
March
21, 2021-
Legislation to End the Gila Diversion for Good Passes the Senate!
House Bill 200 passed the senate by a tally of 25-16 on March 17 after passing
the house of representatives by a tally of 43-24 on February 25. It now heads
to the governor's desk and awaits her signature! RELATED: What is the Gila
River Project? Wiki ALSO:
ISC mulls water projects after diversion project scrapped NM
Political Report
March
18, 2021 -
Latest count for wolves up from year before. Chieftain
March
16, 2021 -
Greenfire report including status of Santoina project. Download
PDF Related: March 12, 2021- Community Protestants-Appellees' Answer Brief.
Download
PDF
March
13, 2021 -
Livestock and Deforestation in the American West. CounterPunch
March
12, 2021-
Rarest subspecies of wolf in North America sees population almost
double in five years. ... Environmentalists are hopeful about increase in numbers
but say wolves are still in a precarious position. Guardian
March
12, 2021 -
The Fraught Politics of Wolf Hunts. CounterPunch
March
11, 2021 -
Weakened protections led to more disappearances of endangered
Mexican wolves. UWM
March
10, 2021 -
Wolves Will be Wolves, So Let’s Manage the Humans. CounterPunch
March
3, 2010 -
Wisconsin hunters kill 216 wolves in less than 60 hours, sparking
uproar. ... Kills quickly exceeded statewide limit, forcing the state to end the
hunting season early. Guardian
February
24, 2021 -
(Nov 2019) The Great Water Grab: Wall Street is buying up the
world’s water. Our
Santa Fe River
February
19, 2021 -
“The State Engineer's attorneys have asked for another
extension of the deadlines for the filing of briefs in the Court of Appeals. The
basis of the request was that the attorneys are busy with the State Legislative
session. ... ”The Court granted the extension. Our Answer Brief is now due
on March 12th, and the Augustin Plains Ranch's Reply Brief is now due on April
23rd. The Court of Appeals also indicated that no further extensions will be granted
unless there are extraordinary circumstances.” Download
the memo .PDF
Comment: If we win in the Appellate Court then legislation
our side is trying to get passed to control movement of water will apply because
APR will have to start over. If we lose, APR can go forward and legislation won’t
apply to their project. All these delays mean that we won’t know what’s
up until later and later ... Can’t do anything about it either!
February
18, 2021 - [NEW]
Upcoming SEC elections -
... there will be an election for two positions on the Socorro Electric Cooperative’s
Board of Trustees this spring. Letter
to the Chieftain
February
11, 2021-
State tells farmers, don’t plant if not necessary. Chieftain.(Comment
- this is a threat to those opposed to moving water from APR. It supports the
idea APR can help directly or indirectly, keep the river flow up as it heads south
to TX)
February
11, 2021 -
Protests in Los Lunas over proposed water usage increase at
Niagara Bottling plant. KQRE
Update: Niagara apparently withdrew its request today.
February
11, 2021 -
Tell Legislators to End the Gila Diversion for Good. Download.pdf
from NM Wild.
February
11, 2021 -
Of Mexican Wolves and Their Habitat. CounterPunch
February
4, 2021 -
Southwest US communities and Hispanics most likely to have arsenic-laden
water. ... Tighter federal regulations on the toxic worked to decrease levels
in public water, but certain regions and groups remain more at risk. EHN
February
2, 2021 -
New Mexico Wild Update. Download.pdf
January
28, 2021 -
NM Environmental Law Center Action Alert: Two of our bills made
it through their first committees Tuesday!
Download
.pdf
January
28, 2021 -
Colorado’s ornery, independent water guardians finally
agree on one thing: Wall Street can look elsewhere. ... It’s rare to see
Front Range water managers like Denver Water and Northern Water joining counterparts
on the Western Slope. The
Colorado Sun or .PDF
Related:
NYT
Article or PDF
November
2020 -
White Paper: A Summary of the Hydrogeology of the San Agustin Plains,
New Mexico. SOpen-File Report 615 Download.pdf
January 21, 2021 -
Co-op elections coming up. After skipping last year
due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, Socorro Electric Cooperative is planning
to go ahead with this year's annual meeting, scheduled for Saturday, April 10
at Macey Center. Chieftain
January
15, 2021 -
Outcry as Trump officials to transfer sacred Native American
land to miners. ... Critics condemn ‘callous betrayal’ after Trump officials
set in motion transfer of Oak Flat to Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Guardian
January
12, 2010 -
A river used to run through it: how New Mexico handles a dwindling
Rio Grande. ... The
Rio Grande used to flow freely, but now in Las Cruces, humans, fish and plants
are vying for water in the arid landscape. Guardian
December
31, 2020 - SEC needs to be held responsible (re: powerlines) Letter to the
Chieftain.
January
5, 2021- Gray Wolves Lose Federal Endangered Species Act protections CounterPunch
January
2, 2021 - In October, the Trump administration removed protection status from
the nation's threatened and endangered gray wolves. While the order did not apply
to Mexican gray wolves found in New Mexico, the decision was a troubling development
nonetheless. Urge the Biden Administration to Protect Mexican Gray Wolves! Please
sign this petition to encourage the incoming Biden administration to protect
Mexican gray wolves!
December
26, 2020 - NY Times road trip story mentions Magdalena. NYT
December
26, 2020 - Mass die-off of birds in south-western US 'caused by starvation'
... Necropsy reveals 80% of the thousands of songbirds that died suddenly showed
typical signs of emaciation. Guardian
December
25, 2020 - Oil and Gas is Costing New Mexico Dearly. ... Trump administration
proposals to sell thousands of acres of New Mexico public lands for more oil and
gas extraction. These proposals have ignored the climate and other costs of oil
and gas and instead sought to enrich companies at our expense. CounterPunch
Comment: Helicopter flyovers by the NM Environment Department
and US EPA found the methane emissions leak rate from oil wells has more than
doubled this year across the entire Permian Basin, which stretches from West TX
to eastern NM and contains some of the largest oil deposits in the world.
December
24, 2020 - Mexican Wolf Killings Expose the Dark Underbelly of Western Culture....
Namely, many of the confirmed Mexican wolf depredations are unsubstantiated based
on the evidence in the reports, and some are so full-scale bogus as to call into
question how, exactly, Wildlife Services is making these decisions. CounterPunch
Related: Advocates question investigations used to target 'problem'
wolves. Tucson.com
Related: US Wildlife crying wolf on livestock deaths? Albuquerque
Journal
12/20/20
- (2019) The Forest Service proposes to restore riparian, aquatic, and wetland
habitat on the Carson, Cibola, and Santa Fe National Forests, and the Kiowa Grasslands
in New Mexico by implementing a variety of restoration activities. Forest
Service
12/20/20
- Federal Water Tap, December 21: Supreme Court Rules In Favor of New Mexico
in Pecos River Case ... The Supreme Court hands New Mexico a victory over Texas
in a case centered on reservoir evaporation. The Federal Reserve is now a member
of a central bank group focused on the financial implications of climate change.
Circle
of Blue
12/16/20
- Does Cattle Grazing Prevent Large Blazes? When I worked for the BLM doing
botanical surveys, us “ologists” (hydrologist, ecologists, biologists,
archaeologists, geologists, and botanists) used to refer to Range Conservationists
as Range “Cons” because they conned the public into believing many myths
about livestock grazing. CounterPunch
12/16/20
- The New Derivatives Market in California Water: Disaster Natural Resources
Capitalism at Work. CounterPunch
12/11/20
- Trump’s BLM Withdraws Cattle Grazing Plan in Face of Environmental
Lawsuits. ... Trump’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) raised the white flag
of surrender and pulled their grazing decision for the Elkhorn Wildlife Management
area on December 10, 2020 after the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystem
Council threatened to sue.
December
10, 2020 - New Mexico is on track to have the weakest methane emissions regulations
in the nation. ... Laguna Pueblo Gov. Wilfred Herrera, Jr., urges the state to
strengthen its proposed air quality rules. ... In New Mexico, oil and gas operations
release more than 1 million metric tons of methane every year. HCN
December
3, 2020 - Magdalena approves SEC franchise agreement. Chieftain
December
2, 2020 -
Federal Grazing Fees: the Hidden Subsidy. CounterPunch
November
24, 2020 -
Unleash a Desert River and Its Wisdom. ... The Rio Grande,
like many Western rivers, is experiencing a collision of crises threatening its
future, the future of the aquatic and riparian ecosystems it supports, and the
communities and cultures that are at its heart. CounterPunch
November
18, 2020 -
Environmental Justice Series -
Uranium Contamination in
New Mexico
Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30pm - 6:45pm
Join
us for an important community-focused conversation on Uranium Contamination in
New Mexico, featuring the following community members:
• Manny Pino,
Laguna-Acoma Coalition for a Safe Environment (LACSE)
•
June L. Lorenzo, LACSE
•
Laura Watchempino, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE)
•
Terry Keyanna, Red Water Pond Road Community Association
•
Larry King, Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM)
This
virtual event will be hosted by Law Center staff: Dr. Virginia Necochea, Executive
Director; Valerie Rangel, Community Engagement & Outreach Manager; and Staff
Attorneys Eric Jantz and Gail Evans.
To
register, please click on this link:
https://nmelc-ej-series-uranium.eventbrite.com
If
for any reason you are unable to access the zoom, you
can also watch live on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NMELC
November
16, 2020 -
Scientists studying wolves as first responders against deadly
brain disease. ... Experts fear that chronic wasting disease could one day jump
from deer to humans. Independent
November
5, 2020 -
It’s official: Voters decide to reintroduce wolves in Colorado.
... Proposition 114 passed as a flurry of Front Range-votes widened the initiative’s
margin of victory, paving the way for the animals’ return to the Western
Slope. Colorado
Sun
November
2, 2020 -
'In the sun they'd cook': is the US south-west getting too hot
for farm animals? ... As temperatures rise, farmers are being forced to adapt,
experimenting with new breeds and cooling methods. Guardian
October
30, 2020 -
What Stripping Endangered Species Protections Means For Colorado’s
Wolf Reintroduction Initiative. CPR
News
October
29, 2020 -
SEC needs to look into clean energy. Chieftain
Letter or download .PDF
October
29, 2020 -
'We Will See Them in Court': Howls of Protest and Lawsuit Promised
as Trump Takes Wolves Off Endangered Species List. ... "The largest canine
native to North America, gray wolves were once common throughout more than two-thirds
of the lower 48 states," before being "nearly wiped out in the mid-20th
century due to habitat loss and deliberate eradication efforts," Environment
America explained in a statement released on Thursday. "Let's learn from
history: Removing legal protections is a disaster for gray wolves."
CommonDreams
October
19, 2020 -
Taxpayers Shell Out Huge Subsidies to Wolf Pup-Killer’s
Ranching Enterprise. CounterPunch
October
16, 2020 -
Compassion, Wolves and America’s First Wilderness. CounterPunch
September
15, 2020 -
Birds
are dropping dead in New Mexico, potentially in the 'hundreds of thousands' ...
Scientists are investigating why so many birds are dying and are asking the public
for help. NBC
News You can help: Southwest
Avian Mortality Project.
... Hundreds of dead migrant birds have been reported in the state of New Mexico
during August and September 2020. iNaturalist
9/16/20 -
UPDATE: Probably linked to wild fires. Guardian
September
11, 2020 -
'Reckless, Violent, Massacre' of 570 Wolves and Wolf Pups in
Idaho Bolsters Alarm Over Trump Attack on Species Protections. ... Wildlife advocates
warn that if a Trump administration effort to lift nationwide protections proceeds,
"this cruelty could extend to all wolves within our country's borders."
CommonDreams
September
7, 2020 -
Slaughtered Pups and Maimed Wolves in Idaho Demonstrate the
Effects of Federal Delisting.
CounterPunch
Scroll
to Top
August
28, 2020 -
One Ranch, Nine Dead Cows, and Six Very Strange Wolf Investigations.
CounterPunch
August
27, 2020 -
Up to half of world's water supply stolen annually, study finds.
... As water scarcity
increases from factors including climate change, so do drivers of water theft,
an ongoing problem in Australia. Guardian
August
17, 2020 -
Our Race Against the Clock to Affirm Water as a Human Right.
... On the ten year anniversary of the United Nations historic vote to recognize
water as a basic human right, Barlow reflects on where we go from here. CommonDreams
August
12, 2020 -
Is ‘dismal’ the best education New Mexicans can
expect? Families fight for multicultural, bilingual and educational equity in
the face of governmental evasion. HCN
August
12, 2020 -
While Socorro petitions for new rates, Co-op waits for Supreme
Court. Chieftain
Scroll
to Top
August 13, 2020 -
To’Hajiilee, county call for action on water
pipeline.
Navajo
Times
August
13, 2020 -
Living in the dark: Native reservations struggle with power
shortages in pandemic. ... The
pandemic has exacerbated severe energy and economic inequalities on Native lands
in America – so people are turning to renewable energy. Guardian
August
12, 2020 -
August Greenfire report .pdf
August
11, 2020 - August 7, 2020 -
Navajo Nation’s Shortage of Clean Water
Is Impeding Efforts to Control COVID TruthOut
August
6, 2020 -
When the Rio Grande goes dry. Ink
Stain
August
4, 2020 -
Framing Wolves in New Mexico? CounterPunch
or PDF
Scroll
to Top
July
24, 2020 -
New Mexico secretary of state worries Trump's federal troops
will disrupt the elections. DailyKos
July
22, 2020 -
Save the Staffel Wolf Pack. CounterPunch
July 17, 2020 -
Of Toddlers, Wolves, and Public Lands Ranchers. CounterPunch
July
10, 2020 -
'Heat dome' weather system to bake America with temperatures
beyond 90F for weeks. ... Summer 2020 marked by heatwaves, Tropical Storms, fire
threats, and a La Nina watch. Independent
July
9, 2020 -
Mexican wolves found dead - Wildlife managers are investigating
the deaths of two Mexican gray wolves found in May. Chieftain
July
8, 2020 -
New Mexico Monsoon Awareness website
Scroll
to Top
June
25, 2020 -
Thank New Mexico's Leaders for
Ending the Gila Diversion!
Download
Press Release 
See also June 16 below
June
24, 2020 -
New Mexico Groups Appeal EPA’s Dirty Water Rule Download
Press Release
June
22, 2020 -
Two Electric Projects in New Mexico Being Funded by USDA NOTE:
"The Socorro Electric Cooperative Inc. is receiving a $28 million loan
to connect 485 consumers, build and improve 45 miles of distribution line, and
build and improve 25 miles of line for the Magdalena Transmission Line Rebuild
project." This is not "funding", customers still
have to repay the loan. Download
press release
June
20, 2020 -
Who Owns A River? The Question Is Tearing This Community Apart
... Thanks to a controversial New Mexico rule, rich landowners are staking claim
to the state’s public waterways. HuffPost
Scroll
to Top
June
12, 2020 -
Advocating for the Mexican Gray Wolf: An Interview with
Amy Harwood. CounterPunch
Related: How to speak up for the wolves in th e 10(j) management
rule scoping comment period. ... The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) issued
a request for comments on April 15, 2020 - 60 day period. . Lobos
of the SW
June
11, 2020 -
‘Their greed is gonna kill us’: Indian Country
fights against more fracking. ... expansion of drilling in New Mexico would threaten
sacred artefacts and bring public health risks to area still reeling from Covid-19.
Guardian
June
10, 2020 -
APR Update: The calendaring on the document below does
not mean that we have a hearing date; we only know where the case
will be, not when. Notice Assignment To The General Calendar- from the NM State
Engineers Office. Download
Related: Additional explanation of what this means.Calendaring
Document Explained.
Scroll
to Top
June
7, 2020 -
‘Forever deadly’: State officials, communities scramble
to fight a proposal to house high-level nuclear waste in New Mexico. NM
Political Report Related: Nov. 2019 - Nuclear Colonialism: Indigenous
opposition grows against proposal for nation’s largest nuclear storage facility
in NM. NM
Political Report
June
7 2020 -
Pandemic and Digital Divide Threaten Accurate Census Count of
Native Populations. TruthOut
June
4, 2020 -
Transforming your electric cooperative’s power supply. ...
By Duane Highley Chief Executive Officer Tri-State Generation and Transmission
Association. Chieftain
June
4, 2020 -
US south-west in grip of historic ‘megadrought’, research
finds. ... Intensified by climate change, the current 20-year arid period is one
of the worst on record, with wide-ranging effects Extinction
Chronicles
May
28, 2020 -
Letter
to Chieftain re:SEC rate increase.
May
22, 2020 -
Environmental assessment and draft decision notice Finding
of No Significant Impact for the Military Training Exercises Project on
the Mount Taylor, Magdalena, Mountainair, and Sandia Ranger Districts of the Cibola
National Forest and National Grasslands.
Download
Letter
May
21, 2020 -
APR Update.An update is difficult when nothing seems to be happening,
but in spite of how quiet it is and has been, our fight continues. Download
the update
May
21, 2020 -
New Mexico Wild - Protecting New Mexico's Wilderness, Wildlife,
and Water. New website
May
15, 2020 -
Starting tomorrow, all New Mexicans will be required to wear
a face covering in public. Download
Information
May
12, 2020 -
“M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River
Act” - Introduced in NM Legislature by Martin Heinrich and Tom
Udal
May
12, 2020 -
The War Against the Wolves of Alaska. CounterPunch
May
5, 2020 -
Navajo
Nation Suffers Third-Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in U.S. with Limited Healthcare
& Water DemocracyNow
May
5, 2020 -
Coalition Sues to Stop Clean Water Rollbacks. NM
Wild
Scroll
to Top
April
30, 2020 -
Friends of Bosque del Apache NWR encourages our members, donors,
and sponsors to write letters with substantive comments to USFWS at Bosque del
Apache concerning their plans to expand hunting at the refuge. Download
announcement
April
29, 2020 -
A Big Win for the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
and a Call to Protect Wolves and Wilderness in Idaho. CounterPunch
April
23, 2020 -
Socorro Electric Co-op to comply with PRC ruling Chieftain
April
21, 2020 -
The Carnage of Wolf Trapping in Idaho. ... A new public records
request to Idaho Department of Fish and Game reveals that Idaho wolf trappers
are capturing nearly as many non-target species as they are capturing wolves.
CounterPunch
April
17, 2020 -
Trump’s response to the startling decline in lynx populations
across the West? Remove the lynx from the Endangered Species Act, then annihilate
its habitat once and for all. Meanwhile - A new survey has found that Oregon’s
wolf population has risen to 158, missing from the count, however, was OR-7, the
wolf made famous by his 4,000-mile journey to find a mate in 2011. And, 'A dangerous
road’: Coastal GasLink pays to kill wolves in endangered caribou habitat
in B.C. interior. The imperiled Hart Ranges caribou herd will lose a chunk of
critical habitat to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and the company’s contribution
to a recent predator cull is raising ethical questions. The
Narwhal
Scroll
to Top
April
17, 2020 -
NM
Governor issues statement regarding ‘Opening Up America Again’ guidelines.
KQRE
April
17, 2020 -
Emerging Climate-Fueled Megadrought in Western US Rivals Any
Over Past 1,200 Years: Study ... "We now have enough observations
of current drought and tree-ring records of past drought to say that we're on
the same trajectory as the worst prehistoric droughts." CommonDreams
April
17, 2020 -
Stay Informed & Take Action – Join the Fire Adapted
New Mexico Network and work towards community wildfire resilience! Click
Here --- Fire Adapted Learning Network. Click
here
April
17, 2020 -
Socorro City’s response to SEC. Press
Release
(scroll
down to April 15, for more info)
April
17, 2020 - New Mexico Unveils App for Behavioral Health Support. ... provides
free 24-hour crisis and non-crisis support and access to behavioral health professionals.
Click
here
April
16, 2020 -
Tribal Response Plan Covid-19 - State of New Mexico. Download
plan
Navajo
Nation Covid-19 website
April
16, 2020 -
Magdalena Village board approves emergency declaration Chieftain
April
16, 2020 -
Tribes Aren’t Getting COVID-19 Aid Because Federal Agencies
Are Flailing. ... “They don’t know how to interact in the appropriate
way with tribes and they’re just not getting the job done,” says Sen.
Tom Udall. HuffPost
April
16, 2020 -
It’s
Time for the Forest Service to Curtail Idaho’s Wolf Slaughter in Wilderness
Areas. CounterPunch
April
15, 2020 -
SEC Board fined $185,000.00 by the PRC.
Download
Court document
List of court filings as of 4/16/20. Related:
(Oct 2019) Clock ticking on SEC appeal. Chieftain
April
15, 2020 -
COVID-19 & Indian Country: Pandemic Exposes Navajo Nation’s
Water Access Crisis & Health Disparities. DemocracyNow
April
11, 2020 -
Comment by April 16 to protect river segments in the Gila!
Click here Related:
Wild and Scenic bill opponents out in force at meeting. Silver
City Daily
April
11, 2020 - A Compendium of Questions & Answers Relating to Wild &
Scenic Rivers (May 1997)
Click
here
Scroll
to Top
March
7, 2020 -
Wild and Scenic bill opponents out in force at meeting. Silver
City Daily
April
9, 2020 -
Good news! Copper Flat Mine faces new obstacle: no water, no
go. NMELC Announcement
April
2, 2020 -
Socorro County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Download
Magdalena specific info. Download
April
1, 2020 -
What’s the Hang Up on Releasing Adult Lobos? CounterPunch
March
31, 2020 -
From New Mexico Wild March 31, 2010
Comment by April 16
to protect Wilderness in the Gila! The Gila National Forest is currently revising
its forest management plan for the first time since 1986. The final version of
this plan will determine how Wilderness, wildlife, water, and other natural resources
are managed within the Forest for the next 20-30 years.
Download
announcement
March
30, 2019 - Could COVID-19 Spell the End of the Fracking Industry as We Know
It? ... NM is just one state whose fracking boom appears poised to fall off an
economic cliff amid the pandemic. TruthOut
Scroll
to Top
March 18, 2020 -
The Socorro Electric Coop has postponed the annual
meeting that was set for April 18th. Not rescheduled as yet.
March
13, 2020 -
Greenfire report from NM Environmental Law Center
Download
March 5, 2020 -
SEC trustees run unopposed - Chieftain
March
3, 2020 -
Uranium cleanup report falls on few ears. Navajo
Times
February
26, 2017 -
San Augustin Water Coalition annual meeting for Saturday, April
25th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Datil school gym. We will hold a candidates' forum.
... all parties who will appear on ballots in Catron and Socorro Counties.SASWC
Scroll
to Top
February
25, 2020 -
APR Update. As you know, Judge Reynolds granted summary judgment
last year in favor of the Community Protestants (us) “with prejudice”
(meaning that the APR cannot come back with the same or a similar application
to mine water in the Plains). ... Subsequently,
the APR appealed this decision to the New Mexico Appellate Court. We are now waiting
for that court to take up our case, which, according to Doug Meiklejohn at the
New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC), could take up to three years. While
we wait we prepare for what could happen.
For
more information: Download
February
20, 2020 -
Reforming Expectations to Save Western Rivers. ... Recently,
former Interior Secretary Babbitt proposed an alternative to the highly controversial
yet difficult-to-kill Gila River diversion project, which would dam and divert
water from the last free-flowing river in New Mexico
CounterPunch
Related: Damming the Gila a vampire proposal Santa
Fe New Mexican
February
20, 2020 -
How the Military is Raiding Public Lands and Civilian Spaces
Across the Western Front. CounterPunch
Scroll
to Top
February
18, 2020 -
(In the view the APR might try to bottle the water) Washington
state takes bold step to restrict companies from bottling local water. ....
State senate passes bill to ban new permits for water bottling operations,
calling process ‘detrimental to public welfare’. Guardian
February
13, 2020 -
NM Environmental Law Center February newsletter
Lawsuit
filed over fuel spill at Kirkland Download
February
12, 2020 -
SEC amends its declaratory judgment filing Chieftain
February
11, 2020 -
The War on Wolves is Part of the Culture War. CounterPunch
February
5, 2020 -
New Mexico deserves wild, scenic Gila River - Howie Morales,
NM Lieutenant Governor. Chieftain
Letter
February
5, 2020 -
Co-op to vet trustee candidates; intervenes in Tri-State case
. Chieftain
February 1, 2020 -
New Mexico Wild February newsletter. Download
Scroll
to Top
January
29, 2020 -
City: No (SEC) permanent agreement is in place.
Chieftain
January
29, 2020 -
Transparency,
independence are fundamentals electrical co-ops need to reinstate. Letter
to Chieftain
January
29, 2020 -
Wolves
Play a Beneficial Role in Wildlife Management. CounterPunch
January
26, 2020 -
Global
Groundwater Is Threatened by Unsustainable Practices Amid Climate Crisis . ...
As the planet’s thermometer continues to inch upwards, one sought-after resource
is only going to increase in value: groundwater. TruthOut
January
25, 2020 -
A
rewilding triumph: wolves help to reverse Yellowstone degradation Guardian
January
24, 2020 -
Trump
Rule Threatens New Mexico Waters. NM Environmental Law Center Green
Fire Report
Related: EPA
water rule change called disastrous for New Mexico New
Mexican
Related: EPA, Army finalizes U.S. waters definition; promises water
protection, economic growth WV
News
January
23, 2020 -
Tri-State
embraces renewables
Chieftain
Scroll
to Top
January
22, 2020 -
Bosque
Winter 2020 news letter
January
16, 2019 -
APR's
docketing Statement dated 12/13/19.
Download
January
15, 2020 -
New
Mexico Environmental Law Center Changes in leadership. Download
announcement
January
9, 2020 -
Where’s
the juice? 500 MW line open for business ... With the first annual payment of
a $1.9 million “transmission charge,” the Navajo Nation is securing
the rights to use or sell access to 500 megawatts of electrical transmission capacity
for 35 years starting Dec. 23. Navajo
Times
January
10, 2020 - APR Update
-
Below is a
brief summary of where we, the community, stand with regard to the Augustin Plains
Ranch LLC’s application to mine water in the Plains aquifer.
It’s
been quiet, but we know that the APR LLC has appealed Judge Reynolds’ decision
denying their application, and we are preparing to meet them in the Appeals court
whenever a hearing is scheduled
To
that end, we have started spending the money raised to hire a hydrologist. As
you may remember, Tom Myers has been here and looked at the situation on the ground.
We have now asked him to put together a model of the hydrology of the Plains aquifer
so that we can be prepared if the Appellate Court decides there should be a hearing
on the substance of the application. I don’t know anyone attempting to say
what the Court will do, so we must be prepared for every possibility.
Of
course, the best possibility is that this court will agree with Judge Reynolds
decision, but we dare not become complacent. This note is to recognize the contributions
everyone has made: it is only our determination as a community to keep our water
that has carried us this far.
Thanks! Carol Pittman - Datil.
Download
the message
Scroll
to Top
December
19, 2019 -
Socorro only has month-to-month franchise (SEC) agreement Chieftain
December
12, 2019 -
SEC files lawsuit against Socorro Chieftain
November
14, 2019 -
Trustees assert membership elected them to make rate decisions
Chieftain
November
8, 2019 -
San
Carlos Apache Leader: Proposed Oak Flat Mine Is an Environmental Injustice. Phoenix
New Times
November
7, 2019 -
PRC says "no" to SEC's request. Chieftain
Scroll
to Top
October
4, 2019 -
More Water or More Wild: The Decades-Long Struggle over the
Gila River’s Fate. NM
In Depth
October
31, 2019 -
Village moves forward on water improvements.
Chieftain
October
29, 2019 -
The fight to stop Nestlé from taking America's water
to sell in plastic bottles. ... Creek beds are bone dry and once-gushing springs
are reduced to trickles as fights play out around the nation over control of nation’s
freshwater supply. Guardian
October
24, 2019 -
Spotted Owls and the National Christmas Tree ... the Forest
Service has unilaterally restricted (firewood collection, etc) in an attempt to
engender hostility between people who otherwise support environmental protection.
It’s a cynical effort to divide people instead of being accountable to the
law. CounterPunch
October
18, 2019 -
Leadership Lacking for Wolf Protection
CounterPunch
October
17, 2019 -
Clock ticking on SEC appeal. Chieftain
Scroll
to Top
October
10, 2019 -
County commission’s opposition to Western Spirit power
lines. Chieftain
Related: Our low-income population will bear the
burdens of this project. ... Martha Salas, Chair Socorro County Commission. Chieftain
October
4, 2019 -
SEC Co-op defies PRC ruling. Chieftain
October
4, 2019 -
...
the final Environmental Assessment for Military training in the Cibola National
Forest has been published. Objections are accepted until October 14.
Download
the Plan here
In
the Draft Decision Notice the Forest Service has determined that there will be
no significant impact from the training, despite the fact that:
· 3
additional helicopter landing zones will be established (just as in the previous
proposal)
· The number of helicopter sorties in the Magdalena Ranger
District will quadruple (keep in mind that currently there are 2,964 allowed sorties
per day at one Helicopter Landing Zone, which include 8,892 day landings and 8,892
night landings).
· Helicopter flight paths go directly over residences
·
Training areas have not been moved – and in fact still encompass private
property
· Environmental impacts have not been adequately addressed.
Scroll
to Top
October
10, 2019 -
Socorro City Reply to Socorro Electric Co-op August 2019 newsletter
related to "The City of Socorro is proposing to create a municipal electric
utility and to begin "siphoning off " Members of SEC."
Download
SEC newsletter
Download
Socorro City reply to SEC newsletter
September
5, 2019 -
City: SEC wants a 'second bite at the apple' Chieftain
September
5, 2019 -
Socorro
County needs economic development, lower electric rates. Letter to the editor
Chieftain
August
28, 2019 -
SEC says rate increase is just, reasonable.Chieftain
Download
Related: August 22, 2019 - SEC response to PRC Download
August
28, 2019 -
Plains of San Agustin aquifer safe .. for now.
Chieftain
Water
Grab Archive: 2018-2019 -
2017 - 2016
