Comments on: Egolf wants more oversight for land office

By: qofdisks

qofdisks — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:28:59 +0000

This is an even bigger and more important ripoff for the state. WATERResidents of western Socorro County and Catron County are mobilizing in
an effort to block what they describe as a “water grab” by Augustin
Plains Ranch LLC.The New York City based corporation filed an application with the
state Office of the Engineer two years ago, to drill 37 wells with
20-inch casings in order to pump 54,000 acre-feet of groundwater (about
17.6 billion gallons) from the San Agustin Basin each year. The wells
would be located north and south of U.S. 60 just inside Catron County’s
eastern boundary, between the Very Large Array and the town of Datil.
An amended application, filed in May 2008 and approved by the State
Engineer in August of that year, called for an increase in the depth of
the drilling from 2,000 to 3,500 feet. It also expanded the area of
proposed places of use to any areas within Socorro, Catron, Sierra,
Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties that are in the
Rio Grande Basin.For more: http://www.dchieftain.com/dc/index.php/news/484-protesters-to-fight-water-grab.htmlPrivatization of this desert state’s water will harm our forests long term by dropping water tables and robbing all surface waters like creeks, streams, springs and rivers. The vast sacred pinion forest of the San Augustin basin and surrounding mountains will suffer first. We would do well to study the dismal outcomes for the environment and common good that short term profit for a few upon privatization of water resources has caused in other nations.

By: Ramirez

Ramirez — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:45:35 +0000

Take a look at the State Constitution Rep. Egolf. There is a reason why we have a fragmented executive government in New Mexico.The State Land Commissioner has every right to approve deals on behalf of the state, and shouldn’t be regulated. I think this land swap is a good deal, and would cut management costs by consolidating lands that currently look like a checkerboard.This is simply a witch-hunt because Lyons is a Republican, and nothing more. Why haven’t these legislators focused on other branches of the Executive, like the Lt. Governor’s office, which was recently busted for wrongly spending federal tax dollars for political purposes. But, all issues should be closely watched by the public and the legislature. But don’t forget about all of the monkey business that has happened across all offices of our fragmented executive branch of government.

By: Dr. J

Dr. J — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:38:51 +0000

The UU Bar, Express, and CS ranches have always run roughshod over the public interests in that county, and they get away with it, just like the terrible deal made for Eagle Nest Lake for the state park. The owners are heavily politically connected and are out for themselves not citizens, an investigation should be done of all the state’s dealings with these people over the last decade or so. Having said that, Egolf is a fine one to talk, he should be investigated too for some of the things he pushes in the legislature.