Meetings

New Mexico Senators Udall (former) and Heinrich conducted meetings to which only select Stakeholders in the Wild and Scenic River Act Amendment were invited. The problem is, all residents of five counties in Southwest New Mexico- Grant, Luna, Catron, Sierra & Hildalgo are Stakeholders. The local meetings that Udall (former) and Heinrich’s field representatives conducted resulted in no revisions to the proposed legislation, even though the LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS that were in attendance had substantial objections. The meetings were fluff.

River Corridors

Designated River corridors are at least one-half mile in width. The 1968 Wild & Scenic River Act states that corridors are measured one-quarter mile out on each side of the river from the high-water mark. Who decides where the high-water mark is? The RMP (River Management Plan) custodian, with the assistance from resulting lawsuits filed by radical preservationist groups. One-half mile wide or more will include the best grazing and farming land. Ranchers, farmers, and miners will not be able to clean out their diversions or irrigation structures, because sediment downstream will not be allowed. Rivers change course frequently and those with water rights must move their diversions and equipment to accommodate the change. Changes will not be allowed, so irrigation will likely come to an end.

Farmers & Ranchers

This Wild & Scenic River Act Amendment will begin kicking ranchers and farmers off river 'corridors' outside the Wilderness despite the Senators promises to the contrary. Though their land may not be confiscated, property owners use of their water and property rights will be severely restricted. If they cannot graze or farm their land, they will lose the lower agricultural tax rate and their taxes will go up. Lawsuits from radical preservationist groups could also affect ranchers and farmers- if these groups disagree with the RMP custodian plans for designated river segments, these groups will file lawsuits against the RMP custodian and the individual farmer/rancher.

Protection

The Gila River and its many tributaries ARE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED in the areas proposed by the M.H. Dutch Salmon amendment to the 1968 Wild and Scenic River Act. The Gila River System is PROTECTED by the Federal Wilderness Designation, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management regulations and many other safeguards. THE ADDITIONAL WILD & SCENIC DESIGNATION IS REDUNDANT AND EXPENSIVE.

The proposed legislation will not improve more habitat by further restrictive protections that it would ultimately mandate. Both the Gila and San Francisco Rivers have critical habitat designations for listed threatened and endangered species. A wild and scenic designation will not increase protections beyond these designations.

Mining

All mining- existing and proposed, are specifically targeted by this Wild and Scenic River Act Amendment and could be shut down.  The Wild and Scenic River segments called the Gila Box and Las Animas Creek can both affect mining activities.  Las Animas Creek flows east toward a large deposit of copper ore which may one day be developed. River Management Plan and its Plan Managers, in addition to selective application of the Endangered Species Act, will have authority to restrict all commerce the entire length of named rivers and creeks and any tributaries connected to them above or below designated segments. Radical preservationist groups recently tried to shutdown mines in New Mexico and they still pursue this goal.

Cost

The cost of more regulations on public land will be extremely high. Forest Service personnel will be required to prepare plans and enforce regulations, increasing their paperwork load, costing millions of dollars and continuing to keep them out of the woods and in their offices at their computers. Our magnificent Gila National Forest will suffer under the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Act. No funds for maintenance and more government bureaucracy. It is a tale that there will be more trails and better access through the implementation of this Wild & Scenic River Act. The Forest Service will continue to close trails due to lack of funding.

Myths

It is a myth that the Gila and San Francisco Rivers are free flowing rivers. They have dams, diversions and wells from their headwaters all the way to the Arizona Border. The San Francisco River, as it winds into Arizona, it flows into Luna Lake. At the Gila Cliff Dwellings on the West fork of the Gila River begin several irrigation diversions, as well as a number of government, private and business wells. The dam on Sapillo Creek holds Lake Roberts. Sapillo is a significant tributary of the Gila. This dam and multiple diversions are above the Wilderness. The East, West and Middle forks of the Gila gather together just above the wilderness. These upper tributaries provide water for grazing allotments. Where the river tumbles out of the wilderness it flows into the Cliff-Gila valley. There, several diversion dams and municipal, domestic and commercial wells divert water to residential, industrial, agricultural and mining enterprises. Gila River water is diverted and pumped 300 feet up a mesa to fill Bill Evans Lake, where it is stored for use in mining operations. In Arizona, the Coolidge Dam, stops the flowing Gila River to form San Carlos Lake. The Gila River is NOT free flowing. This myth is perpetuated to secure contributions from grant makers and elderly urban dwellers that will never see either river.

Radical Agendas

This designation will serve to advance preservationist groups agenda of establishing core wilderness areas and connecting corridors where human activity is restricted, buffer areas surrounding the cores for limited human activity and islands of human habitation away from the cores. Proponents of this designation are responsible for the closing down of the logging industry, beneficial forest management, and access to our national forests. They are also behind the introduction of the Mexican wolf, efforts to close mines, lawsuits to protect the Mexican spotted owl & NM meadow jumping mouse, efforts to appeal the NM Non-Navigable Water Rule, demonizing ranching and farming, lawsuits for withdrawal of forest grazing permits, elimination of hunting and trapping on public lands, expansion of wilderness & wildlife corridors and opposition to access the only new water available in Southwestern New Mexico. Their focus is on one resource- recreation. At the expense of other resources- water, range, timber and minerals. Why would anyone believe the proponents intentions for this designation are benevolent given their past history?

Logging

Forest fires are burning hotter and larger than they used to. Total destruction is what these fires are leaving behind. Recovery from these fires will take hundreds of years. Is this loss due to the protection of the Mexican spotted owl and New Mexico meadow jumping mouse? The activist groups in New Mexico continue to file lawsuits against the U.S. Forest Service to revise their plans to log our national forests. We have an obligation to demand that our legislators in New Mexico and Washington develop legislation to stop this nonsense. If we continue to pull grazing allotments off the forest, inhibit logging and thinning, all our forests will look like the photo above.