Thursday, September 23, 2010

LETTER: San Agustin Water Grab

To the editor:
In a document dated July 20, 2010, from the State Engineer’s Office, I read with dismay that almost two-thirds (696) of the protestants were dismissed from the hearings on the San Agustin Plains Ranch water grab because they (allegedly) didn’t send in the $25 fee to continue their protests.
The 233 of us still in the fight are now facing a much shorter and therefore more difficult court battle.
To all the folks who for whatever reason have never protested this unsustainable water mining or who were dropped from the case, (I almost didn’t send in my fee because I was afraid to speak in court and be cross examined on a subject I have no formal training in)I beg you to please stand with us and get or stay involved.
Write the politician of your choice and all the candidates and tell them you are against this water grab. This is not a done deal yet.
We are all neighbors and if the San Agustin Plains Ranch LLC plan prevails, we may all suffer.
I can’t tell you how long it will take for the wells to run dry or how quickly the Plains and Gila wilderness will be destroyed but I can promise you it will be impossible to get your water back or land restored – we will never see a dime in compensation from the limited liability corporation that wants to steal our water and sell it back to us.
I hope that the Governor, the OSE and the SAPR LLC do not find encouragement in the fewer protestants they have to deal with but instead learn we are still united against this travesty.
I’ve only been in Catron County for 11 years but I love this part of the world and the people here, who despite divergent political and religious beliefs, mostly still believe in helping each other, being good neighbors and have a reverence for the land. Let’s protect this place and each other.

Catherine Hill
Sugar Loaf Mountain – the suburbs of Datil
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