Published Oct 16, 2008
Some Rio Arriba County ranchers are upset with Governor Bill Richardson’s proposal to regulate a section of the Rio Chama.
The plan, if approved, would force ranchers that graze cattle along the protected section of the river to adopt “best management practices.” Ranchers may need to rotate livestock, install watering tanks away from streams and fence identified riparian areas.
Donald Martinez Jr., of El Rito, said installing watering troughs away from springs or enclosing certain stream areas could be an undue financial burden on ranchers. Martinez said he is a seventh generation rancher and part of the first generation that had to hold a side job because the industry isn’t profitable enough. He said each time state or federal authorities impose new rules the business gets more cumbersome.
“How many jabs can we take?” he wondered. “We just get slammed.”
The state Environment Department held a public meeting Oct. 8 in El Rito to describe the governor’s proposed expansion of the Outstanding National Resource Waters project. The state gives the designation to certain lakes, streams and rivers; activities on those waters are then limited so “no degradation” occurs to water quality.
The project first began in 2005, and so far waters within the Pecos Wilderness and Valle Vidal Special Management Unit have been designated. The latest proposal identifies waters along the upper Rio Grande, south of Rio Arriba County, and the Rio Chama, including parts of the Chama River Canyon Wilderness in Santa Fe and Carson National Forests, where a number of County ranchers graze their cattle.
Designated waters are mainly located in road-less or wilderness areas; more than 5,000 miles of surface waters in the state currently carry the designation. Anyone can nominate an area to be considered for designation by the state Water Quality Control Commission, whose members are the Governor’s appointees; the approval process includes meetings and public comment before the Commission makes its decision.
Department Division Director Marcy Leavitt said the current phase of designation is in its early stages, and meetings so far have been held simply to inform the public about the potential action. She also tried to convince attendees in El Rito that the designation wouldn’t hurt them economically. She said all previously allowed activities in the newly designated areas could continue as long as the amount of contaminants discharged does not increase and “best management practices” were implemented. The Forest Service would be in charge of enforcing the new rules if adopted.
Northern New Mexico Stockmen’s Association President Carlos Salazar said despite what the Department promises about continued use, he expects some designated areas to be closed to ranchers.
“Don’t be fooled. It will stop grazing,” he said. “This is a no-win situation for the rural folks.”
Salazar said he is also worried logging would be halted in designated areas. He said he sees logging as necessary to prevent wildfires from getting out of control, but environmental groups like the WildEarth Guardians see it as a threat to wilderness areas.
Leavitt said the Guardians, a Santa Fe-based environmental group, originally came to Richardson with the idea of giving waters the “Outstanding” designation. Ranchers are suspicious of the Guardians, whose web site identifies livestock production as “the most widespread and destructive activity” on dry western landscapes. It states the group “is working to eliminate livestock grazing on federal public lands.” Calls to the Guardians were not returned.
Leavitt said one reason for designating Outstanding National Resource Waters is for the benefit of municipalities downstream.
“Healthy watersheds provide purification at little to no cost,” she said.
Salazar disagreed, saying cities would benefit at great cost to ranchers in rural areas.
“We’re the ones that are gonna suffer the consequences,” he said. “What’s wrong with the waters as they exist right now?”
At the meeting, no evidence of degradation of either the Rio Chama or the Rio Grande was presented.
La Jarita Mesa Livestock Association President Sebedeo Chacon said he resents being told by the state how to care for the waters his family has lived on for five generations. He said the governor should attend future meetings to hear for himself what the public has to say.
“Outside people come and invent laws,” he said. “In the future it’s gonna affect us.”
Calls to Richardson’s office seeking comment were not returned.
No additional meetings had been scheduled as of Tuesday. For more information on the program, visit www.nmenv.state.nm.us/swqb/ONRW/ or call 827-2822.