How It Starts. ... a recognised pattern for dictatorship to commence with emergency measures designed to combat a threat. Those emergency measures then become normalised and people exercising arbitrary power find it addictive. A new threat is then found to justify the continuation. Craig Murray

What’s the Hang Up on Releasing Adult Lobos? CounterPunch

Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote . ... President dismissed Democratic-led push for voter reforms amid coronavirus pandemic during Fox & Friends appearance.  Guardian

Trump Moves Forward On Biggest Environmental Rollback To Date Amid Pandemic Chaos. ... The administration unveiled its final rule to gut Obama-era auto emissions standards as the COVID-19 pandemic rages.  HuffPost  

Beyond Chutzpah: US Charges Venezuela With Nacro-Terrorism. CounterPunch

As Coronavirus Spreads, Poll Shows Nearly 60% in US Believe Political System Designed Solely to Serve Rich and Powerful. ... The survey was taken as Congress debated a $4.5 trillion corporate bailout amid the coronavirus pandemic. CommondDreams

Huge medical staffing company just slashed benefits for doctors and nurses battling COVID-19 outbreak. RawStory

Religious extremists are making the coronavirus pandemic even worse. ... Whether in the Iranian shrine city of Qom or the Bible Belt of the United States, the zealots are even claiming they hold the cure to the pandemic. Independent

Right-Wing Media Joined Trump in Enabling Health Disaster.  FAIR

Revealed: Monsanto predicted crop system would damage US farms   Guardian

'Pandemics Know No Borders': Democrats Call on Trump Admin to Suspend Sanctions on Iran During Coronavirus Outbreak.  Related: "We need to cancel all economic sanctions during this crisis." CommonDreams

What’s The Best Way To Boost The Economy In A Pandemic? ... As Congress debates a $1.8 trillion stimulus package, we ask what would benefit ordinary people most: a cash payment for everyone, targeted assistance for those who lose their jobs, or corporate bailouts?  T RN  

The Only Oxygen Cylinder Factory in Europe is Shut down and Macron Refuses to Nationalize It.  CounterPunch  

Trump and His Allies Have Decided to Preserve Capitalism at Any Cost.  TruthOut  

LEE CAMP: An Idea We Take For Granted Has Made The Outbreak Much Worse. ... This pandemic has been made worse and continues to be made worse by toxic nationalism, ironic considering the virus truly doesn’t give a shit about our borders. Consortium News  

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APRIL 1, 2020
Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar & Joe Biden (sill against Medicare4All today) vigorously emphasized the viability of employer insurance over guaranteed healthcare for 9 months. And that Elizabeth Warren helped them. All while polls supported Medicare for All nearly everywhere. What an historic betrayal.

Justice Department audit finds widespread flaws in FBI surveillance applications. ...The finding by Inspector General Michael Horowitz came after an earlier inquiry found numerous errors in court submissions seeking surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser.
Politico  

J’Accuse. ... A 22 person team from Police Scotland worked for over a year identifying and interviewing almost 400 hoped-for complainants and witnesses against Alex Salmond. This resulted in nil charges and nil witnesses. Nil. Craig Murray   Update: Daily Record Investigates My Home and Finances.  Craig Murray

DOJ Using Pandemic to Give Corporate Agriculture A Fast-Track to Lethal Mega-Mergers. ... Instead of prioritizing predatory agribusiness, agencies must block consolidation to safeguard struggling communities and small farmers.  CommonDreams

Going After Maduro.  CounterPunch    Related: As the World Tackles the COVID-19 Pandemic, the U.S. Raises the Pressure on Venezuela. CounterPunch

The Deep State’s Demolition of Democracy.  CounterPunch

'American Oligarchs' Reveals How Trump, Kushner Families Learned To Work The System. NPR  

No greater love hath Trump than to lay down your life for his re-election. ... Only a once-in-a-century leader has the guts to say out loud what the worst among us are really thinking: everyone other than me is expendable. Guardian

The Pope is Wrong on Argentina.  CounterPunch  

Trump to Kneecap Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Standards, Hurtling Nation 'Toward a More Dangerous Climate'. ... "Of all the bad things President Trump has done to the environment, this is the worst."  CommonDreams  

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MARCH 31, 2020
The financial system IS rigged BECAUSE you don't have a president who's a change maker -
Bill Clinton 2016

"Cruel:" Trump Admin. Moves to Take Land of Mashpee Tribe—Whose Casino Plans Irked President's "Special Interest Friends" -- Out of Trust. ... The tribal chairman said the announcment came "on the very day that the United States has reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus."  CommonDreams     Related: Tribe That Drew’s Fire Over Casino Plan Loses Its Reservation Status. ... The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe got a frightening notice from the Trump administration just as residents are grappling with the devastating impact of COVID-19.  HuffPost  

Washington Uses the Pandemic to Create a $2 Trillion Slush Fund for Its Cronies.  CounterPunch

The Guardian view on Hungary's coronavirus law: Orbán's power grab. ... The pandemic has allowed one of Europe’s most authoritarian leaders to marginalise critics and political opposition. Guardian Update: Hungarian Parliament passes bill that gives PM Orbán unlimited power & proclaims:- State of emergency w/o time limit - Rule by decree - Parliament suspended - No elections - Spreading fake news + rumors: up to 5 yrs in prison - Leaving quarantine: up to 8 yrs in prison

'The Strike Wave Is in Full Swing': Amazon, Whole Foods Workers Walk Off Job to Protest Unjust and Unsafe Labor Practices. ... "One of the best ways to thank essential workers is to support the fight to improve their lives."  CommonDreams  

Goldman Sachs asks in biotech research report: ‘Is curing patients a sustainable business model?’  CNBC 

How ICE Operations in New York Set the Stage for a Coronavirus Nightmare in Local Jails.  Intercept  

UK: Assange bail application highlights COVID-19 risk to many vulnerable detainees and prisoners. Amnesty

'Unacceptable': Dems Fume After Trump Announces Plan to Refuse Congressional Oversight of Corporate Bailout Funds.  ComonDreams    Related: Trump Announces Plan to Refuse Congressional Oversight of Corporate Bailout.  TruthOut  

Covid-19: UK Withdrawal from the EU Single Market Must Be Postponed to 2023.  Craig Murray  

America’s Crisis Daddy Andrew Cuomo Exploits Coronavirus Panic to Push Bail Reform Rollback in New York.  Intercept  

“He Can’t Make Any Big Decisions”: As the Crisis Escalates, Trump Experiments With a Pivot. ... With his “wartime president” posture failing to stop the slide and his presidency in the balance, Trump toys with reopening the economy early.  Vanity Fair  

Tom Perez Put Corporate Lobbyists in Charge of the DNC’s Budget. ... Six of the ten members of the DNC Budget and Finance Committee are at-large, put forward by Chair Tom Perez, and several are lobbyists or investment heads for the fossil fuel industry.  Sludge

Why do rightwing populist leaders oppose experts? ... The likes of Trump, Bolsonaro and Johnson have denigrated professionalism but Reagan, Thatcher and other neoliberals led the way.  Guardian  

U.S. To Indict Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Aides: Report. ... The U.S. is expected to announce $25 million in rewards for information leading to the arrest or prosecution of Maduro and Diosado Cabello, head of the ruling socialist party.  HuffPost Related: Trump admin’s $15 million bounty on Maduro triggers explosive confession of violent Guaidó plot. ... The Trump administration’s deception-laden indictment of President Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle has badly backfired, resulting in the exposure of a violent assassination plan that could lead to the arrest of coup leader Juan Guaidó.  Gray Zone  

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MARCH 30, 2020
“No government by experts in which the masses do not have the chance to inform the experts as to their needs can be anything but an oligarchy managed in the interests of the few.” John Dewey

Holy Crap This Is Insane': Citing Coronavirus Pandemic, EPA Indefinitely Suspends Environmental Rules. ... "The EPA uses this global pandemic to create loopholes for destroying the environment. This is a schoolbook example for what we need to start looking out for."  
CommonDreams  

Why has the media ignored sexual assault allegations against Biden? ...Conservatives who didn’t care about the multiple sexual assault allegations against Trump have seized on the accusations while liberals turn a blind eye.  Guardian   Related: Biden Said He Believes All Women. Does He Believe Tara Reade? ... A former staffer says he sexually assaulted her in 1993.  Reason  

Dan Kovacevich, former CEO of Wells Fargo: “We’ll gradually bring these people back [workers younger than 55] to work late next month, if the virus is under control, and see what happens. Some of them will get sick, some may even die, I don’t know. Do you want to suffer more economically or take some risk of getting flu-like symptoms and a flu-like experience? Do you want to take an economic risk or a health risk? You get to choose.”  Bloomberg  

Charles Koch Network Pushed $1 Billion Cut to CDC, Now Attacks Shelter-in-Place Policies for Harming Business.  Intercept  

CNN and MSNBC Staff Push Back on Airing Trump’s Coronavirus ‘Lies’. ... Trump’s daily pandemic briefings have devolved into an “open-mic night” full of “misinformation,” cable staffers said, as networks weigh how much of the events they must air.  DailyBeast

Debt Collection Industry Deems Itself Essential to “Financial Health” of Consumers, Fights Covid-19 Shutdown.  Intercept  

What Trump is Doing in the Middle East While You are Distracted by COVID-19. CounterPunch  

“Forced labor” stories on China brought to you by US government, NATO and arms industry to drive Cold War PR blitz. ... A new wave of media reports on Chinese forced labor relies almost entirely on a series of dubious studies by purportedly “independent” think tanks backed by the West’s military-intelligence apparatus.  Gray Zone  

     Senators invested in Boeing stock ($BA) include:

-Dianne Fesintein (up to $650k)
-Jerry Moran (up to $50k)
-David Perdue (up to 50$)
-Susan Collins (up to 50$)
-Tom Carper (up to 50$)
-Sheldon Whitehouse ($48,998)

Revealed:How U.S. Senators Invest in the Firms They’re Supposed to Regulate. ... As they legislate on important matters, over 50 senators enjoy investments in major communications, defense, finance, energy, and health companies that Congress oversees.  Sludge  

Members of Congress Own Up to $93 Million in Fossil Fuel Stocks. ... As dire climate change projections mount, one in four members of Congress is invested in oil, gas, or coal interests.  Sludge  

Stimulus Bill Allows Federal Reserve to Conduct Meetings in Secret; Gives Fed $454 Billion Slush Fund for Wall Street Bailouts CounterPunch  

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APR WATER GRAB - SEC - LOCAL ENVIRO. & NEWS

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  

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  

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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  

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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 Enviromental 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

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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 Enviromental 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  

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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

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December 30, 2019 -
APR Court filing update. Bill of Costs. Certificate of Costs 12/30/19. Download  

December 19, 2019 -
Megafarms and deeper wells are draining the water beneath rural Arizona – quietly, irreversibly  AZ Central

December 17, 2019 -
Court filing update. Docketing Statement court of appeals dated 12/17/19. Download

December 19, 2019 -
Socorro only has month-to-month franchise (SEC) agreement  Chieftain  

December 12, 2019 -
SEC files lawsuit against Socorro  Chieftain  

December 5, 2019 -
Nestlé cannot claim bottled water is 'essential public service', court rules. ... Michigan’s second-highest court rules in favor of township in case that could damage company’s effort to privatize water.
 Guardian  Download story  

December 4, 2019 -
New Mexico Wild Newsletter   Download  

November 26, 2019 -
Latest APR v Blaine court filings (Notice of cross appeal)
Download    

July 31, 2019 -
Letter to Water and Natural Resources Committee. From: Max Yeh, Percha/Animas Watershed Association (PAWA) Re: Report and update on NMCC’s water rights litigation Download

November 22, 2019 -
Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo wants to expand its F-16 pilot training airspace across southwestern New Mexico. Meeting time and more information here

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November 20, 2019 -
Court amends order in APR decision. Chieftain
Download (See November 13, 2019 below)

November 14, 2019 -
Trustees assert membership elected them to make rate decisions Chieftain

November 13, 2019 -
Order on State Engineer's Motion to Reconsider.
… It is hereby ordered that paragraph 5 of the August 23, 2019 final order be amended to state "The Augustin Plains Ranch's 2014/2016 Application to appropriate groundwater from San Agustin Basis is dismissed with prejudice" Download the document      (See Nov. 20, 2019 above)

November 13, 2019 -
Light Pollution Is Taking Away Our Night Skies. Here’s Why That Matters. ... Some cities and states are trying to protect our night sky “for the health and wellbeing for all living things.”  HuffPost  

November 8, 2019 -
New Mexico Postcard: The Call of the Sandhill Cranes.  CounterPunch  

November 8, 2019 -
San Carlos Apache Leader: Proposed Oak Flat Mine Is an Environmental Injustice. Phoenix New Times

November 8, 2019 -
October 23, 2019 APR v Blaine court filings:
- Request for hearing by Office of State Engineer
  Download

- The State Engineer's Notice of Completion of Briefing.
   Download  

-  State Engineer's Reply to Consolidated Reply to Responses to Motion to Reconsider.  Download

- Updated list of all court filings as of Nov 8, 2019
  Download

November 7, 2019 -
PRC says "no" to SEC's request. Chieftain

Monday the 11th, Veteran’s Day, there will be an event at CWB Gallery, in Magdalena at 2:00 in the afternoon.
Eric Shimamoto coming from Albuquerque will do a presentation. He did extensive research into the voting records of New Mexico Senate Democrats for the past several legislative sessions, and developed a shocking slide presentation about the way a block of Democrats in the Senate vote with the Republicans to stop progressive legislation.

Siah Correa Hemphill, a candidate for State Senate in District 28 also plans to meet with us. I heard her speak about her candidacy at a recent meeting of the Catron County Democratic Party and can attest to her positive, common sense plans for the future of our state.

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October 4, 2019 -
More Water or More Wild: The Decades-Long Struggle over the Gila River’s Fate.  NM In Depth

November 5, 2029 -
Report on Forest Plan webinar:
Presentation slides  
How to write a letter to the editor  
Sample letters to Forest offices of
Cibola.docx    Carson.docx    Santa Fe.docx

November 2, 2019 -
Learn How to Comment on New Mexico's Forest Plans!
Please join us for a webinar from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, that will provide you with background on the draft management plans for the Carson, Cibola, and Santa Fe National Forests and guidance on how to effectively submit your comments to each forest.  Register Here 
Download Press Release

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 25, 2019 -  
Fire and Logging Myths. CounterPunch  

October 24, 2019 -
October GreenFire Report from NMELC  

October 24, 2019 -   
USDA Forest Service Resumes Select Timber Management Activities ... Court approves stipulation modifying the injunction on certain activities in New Mexico and Arizona. Download press release

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 22, 2019 -
Court Filings update as of October 22  Download 

October 22, 2019 -
Friends of the Bosque Fall Newsletter  

October 18, 2019 -  
Leadership Lacking for Wolf Protection  CounterPunch

October 17, 2019 -
Clock ticking on SEC appeal.  Chieftain  

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October 14, 2019 - Southwest Seminars
Mother Earth Father Sky 2019 Lecture Series
Perspectives on Natural Science and Environment in the West - Expect lively, informed, and engaging speakers on: Archaeology - Art Geology - Natural History Biology- Cultural History Literature.
Mondays at 6pm - October 14 – December 16 *
Hotel Santa Fe, a Picuris Pueblo Enterprise
(and occasionally at Santa Fe Women’s Club)
$15 at the door, subscriptions available.
In honor of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center
* For schedule, see southwestseminars.org

October 12, 2019 -
Please join us in congratulating the Law Center's fearless founder and leader, Doug Meiklejohn, for being named a Santa Fe Living Treasure! Download Press Release - Download full press release here

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 9, 2019 -
 -  Catron County Board of County Commissioners'
    Response to State Engineer's Motion to Reconsider.
    Download  (5 pgs)  

 - The Community Protestants' Response to State
    Engineer's Motion to Reconsider. Download (12 pgs)

 -  Latest court filing list in APR v Blaine  Download  

October 4, 2019 -
SEC Co-op defies PRC ruling. Chieftain  

October 3, 2019 -
APR stands firm, case advances to Court of Appeals.
Chieftain     Related: Notice of Appeal mentioned in the artcicle:  Download

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 Madalena 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.

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September 26, 2019 -
From NM Environmental Law Center explaining the APR appeal:

“The Augustin Plains Ranch filed an appeal to the Court of Appeals. The Ranch is seeking to have the Court of Appeals rule that Judge Reynolds made the wrong decision. We do not know the specific grounds that the Ranch will argue, but the gist of the appeal will be that Judge Reynolds made one or more mistakes and the Court of Appeals should reverse his ruling.

“The motion filed by the State Engineer is separate from and not related to the appeal filed by the Ranch. The State Engineer is not asking that Judge Reynolds change his decision denying the Ranch's application. Rather, the State Engineer has asked Judge Reynolds to correct three mistakes that he made. The State Engineer has asserted that:

“1) Judge Reynolds only had authority to dismiss the Ranch's appeal from the State Engineer ruling, and Judge Reynolds did not have authority to dismiss the Ranch's application;

“2) Judge Reynolds did not have authority to dismiss the Ranch's application with prejudice because that means that the Ranch cannot ever file an application to appropriate water again; and

“3) Judge Reynolds's order should have specified that it was limited to the application filed by the Ranch in 2014 and amended in 2016.” Download the above  

September 26, 2019 -
Grant County Passes Wild & Scenic Resolution!
Download

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September 23, 2019 -
The APR has appealed. Now we wait for the Court of Appeals to move on the appeal.

State Engineers Motion to Reconsider - Download  

NOTICE OF APPEAL - Pursuant to Rules 12-201 and 12-202 NMRA and NMSA 1978 Section 72-7-3 (1923),
Applicant-Appellant Augustin Plains Ranch, LLC hereby appeals from the August 23, 2019 Final Order Granting Summary Judgment in Favor of the Community Protestants and the Catron County Board of County Commissioners and Dismissal With Prejudice, attached hereto as Exhibit A (“Order”). The Court’s July 24, 2019 Memorandum Decision on Motions for Summary Judgment, to which the Order refers, is attached hereto as Exhibit B Download

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September 20, 2019 -
Tri-State: wholesale rates unchanged - Chieftain

September 12, 2019 -
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted 4-1 to deny the rate increase and adopt the Recommended Decision made by the Hearing Examiner.   
Download the PRC final ruling  

September 12, 2019 -
Cibola forest plan meeting in Magdalena. ... An open house meeting to discuss the Draft Plan and draft of the Environmental Impact Statement will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2109 at Magdalena Schools' Fine Arts Center, from 5-7 pm  Chieftain Download   

September 12, 2019 -
BLM to host public meeting on Borderlands Wind Project. ... The Bureau of Land Management will host a public meeting on Sept. 18 on the proposed Borderlands Wind Project. The meeting will start at 5pm , at the Quemado Elementary School, 3484 Highway 60.
Chieftain

September 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

August 28, 2019 -
New Mexico Law Gives Private Utilities Unchecked Power Over Shift to Renewables.  TruthOut  

August 23, 2019 -
Hearing Examiner: SEC rate increase should be denied.  Chieftain  

August 22, 2019 -
Lawsuit claims SEC responsible for Quebradas fire.
Chieftain  

August 22, 2019 -
Cibola forest plan meeting in Magdalena. ... An open house meeting to discuss the Draft Plan and draft of the Environmental Impact Statement will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2109 at Magdalena Schools' Fine Arts Center, from 5-7 pm  Chieftain Download   

August 23, 2019 -
Final order granting summary judgment in favor of the Community Protestants and the Catron County Board of County Commissioners and dismissal with prejudice. (heart of the matter):
"THE COURT FINDS THAT" ...

1 - The motions for summary judgment filed by the Community Protestants and Catron County are granted;

2 - All other motions for summary judgment are denied as moot; and

3 - APR's appeal from the State Engineer's August 1, 2018 Order denying the Augustin Plains Ranch's 2014/2016 Application to appropriate groundwater is dismissed with prejudice . Download document  
Related: August 23, 2019 - Court case actions update D-728-CV-201800026.  Download  

Note: The APR has 30 days to appeal if they so desire.

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August 21m 2019 Update: Clarification - In response to the request of Judge Reynolds to write an order denying the Augustin Plains Ranch LLC’s application to mine water in the San Augustin basin, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center and the Catron County Board of County Commissioners submitted its order by the August 20 deadline. See pages 7-8 in the submission - Download Aug. 14, 2019 document  

August 14, 2019 -
Notice of submission of final order granting summary judgment in favor of The Community Protestants and the Catron County Board of County Commissioners and Dismissal with Prejudice.  
Download Aug. 14, 2019 document  

August 14, 2019 -
Before the NM Public Regulation Commission
In the matter of the filing of advice notice number 69 by the Socorro Electric Cooperative Case No. 18-oo383-UT. ... Statement of the case:
On December 3, 2o18, Socorro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SEC) filed Advice Notice No.69 for a proposed rate increase…. Etc.   Download  

August 13, 2019 - Augustin Plains update
Confused about the legal maneuverings surrounding the APR case? Here is what our attorneys Doug Meiklejohn and Jaimie Park say:

1 Judge Reynolds issued a Memorandum Decision on Motions for Summary Judgment on July 24

2 Judge Reynolds requested that Community Protestants and Catron County submit a proposed final order by August 15

3 He requested that if any party disagrees with the proposed final order they must submit their own proposed order by August 20

The Judge can select an order or he can write his own. There is no deadline for the Judge

Once the Judge issues an order the APR will have 30 days to file an appeal to the Court of Appeals, if they choose to do so

It is still a bit up in the air when it comes to knowing for sure what will happen when, and no one is predicting what the Judge or what APR will do. After 12 years, we can wait a little while longer.

Note: A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. A final order concludes the court actions.
Download news

Related:
July 25, 2019 -
From Douglas Meiklejohn -
Attorney - NM Environmental Law Center
Subject: Judge Reynolds's memorandum
Download the Memorandum  

Congratulations! Judge Reynolds ruled in our favor on the Augustin Plains Ranch application.

From pp 5-6 of the Judge's Memorandum, is the part you will find of greatest interest:
"By August 15, 2019, Counsel for the Community Protestants and Catron County shall jointly submit to the Court a proposed final order granting summary judgment and dismissing APR's latest application with prejudice. The people of New Mexico should not have their water tied up any longer with possibilities. If any party disagrees with the form of the order, they shall submit their own proposed order by August 20, 2019."  Download press release  

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August 8, 2019 -
Proposed rate structure is inequitable, regressive - Letter to the editor.  Chieftain    Download  

August 3, 2019 -
Email from Ray Martinez, Co. Commissioner, reguarding NM Census Download  

August 3, 2019 -
“Voices of the Gila” – local community members who love the Gila River and believe it should be protected for generations to come through Wild and Scenic designations. Voices  

August 1, 2019 -
Creative, flexible power supply partner welcomed.  
Reyes, Jr OpEd   Chieftain

August 1, 2019 -
There will be a regular meeting of the San Augustin Water Coalition board on Tuesday, August 13th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Datil Baptist Church hall. The public is welcome .

August 1, 2019 -
It's time for face to face with Tri-State  
Chieftain    Download

Water Grab Archive:  2018-2019 -  2017 - 2016

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