The ES-Ca Board met on June 1, 2015. Guests included Sandoval County Commissioner James Dominguez, Senator Tom Udall’s Special Projects Coordinator, David Williams and Congresswoman Michele Lujan Grisham’s Field Representative, Alexandria Bazan. Also attending was Coronado Soil and Water District Chairman Lynn Montgomery.
Ms. Bazan advised the Board that the BLM’s Resource Management Plan should be released in August or September. This is the document that will state BLM’s positions on uses for the Buffalo Tract of land that borders Placitas to the north. ES-CA and most of the other community organizations are firmly opposed to any new sand and gravel mining in this area. We will have 30 days in which to send comments to BLM. Ms. Bazan asked that we send copies of our comments to her so that Congresswoman Grisham can further communicate our conerns to the BLM. The Congresswoman has toured the area and is concerned about the proximity of the current mining to residences in Placitas.
Mr. Williams spoke about Senator Udall’s concerns in this area. Senator Udall has long been a proponent of environmental protection. ES-CA will also send copies of comments to his office.
Commissioner Dominguez spoke about the proposed Sandoval County Resolution that would express the County’s concerns about any new mining in the Buffalo Tract. The Resolution was to have been introduced at the June 4th meeting, but the County Attorney and County Manager have made some changes and the Resolution will be heard at the Commission meeting on June 18. The Board is reviewing the final draft and will post it in the Forum this week. The Board encourages all residents to attend the Commission meeting on June 18.
Lynn Montgomery spoke about the Conservation District’s work in restoring watersheds along the Rio Grande. The District is very instrumental in helping to prevent flooding by insuring that land is managed properly.
Steve Vaughn reported on the Land Use and Planning Trust. State Representative Jim Smith was able to schedule a meeting for the LPT with representatives of the Governor to discuss the ongoing issues with Vulcan. While the litigation continues, the LPT is exploring the possibility of working with Vulcan to arrive at a solution to the existing issues. Steve hopes that a meeting can be scheduled with the Governor herself to discuss this matter.
The Board noted that the ES-CA general meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at the Anasazi Winery. The meeting will begin at 2pm. Mayor Jack Torres of Bernalillo will be a featured speaker at the meeting.
ES-CA has also rescheduled a public safety forum for Saturday, September 19 at the Placitas Community Center, beginning at 2pm. Representatives from the County Sheriff’s Office and the County Fire Department will make presentations and answer questions.
The next ES-CA Board meeting will be on Monday, July 13 at the Placitas Fire Station on Rt. 165. Representatives of Kinder Morgan will make a presentation concerning their pipeline that runs through Placitas. All are encouraged to attend. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm.