Urgent Action Needed for Otero Mesa

From the NM Wilderness Alliance: Please make a few phone calls. Otero Mesa is critically important for its unique desert grasslands and wildlife, but it also contains the largest untapped source of water in New Mexico--a potentially extremely important resource for southern NM communities.  The fate of Otero Mesa hinges on a proposed hydrologic study of this aquifer. We need to better understand it, and the risk posed by oil and gas development. There are two options to get this critical study funded:

• Governor Richardson has already secured $1 million for the study. We can ask him to completely fund the required $2.2 million.
• The legislature is currently hammering out the final details of the budget. We can ask them to fund the remaining $1.2 million.

Because we can't be certain which will be most effective, we are asking folks to do both:

• Please contact the Governor's office (476-2200), and ask him to fully fund the $2.2 million for the Salt Basin hydrologic study through his capital outlay.
• Please contact the following committee chairs responsible for the final budget and ask them to include $1.2 million in House Bill 2 to complete funding for the Salt Basin hydrologic study. Although these may not be your legislators, they are the ones with the power to add an item to the budget.
  • Kiki Savedra: 986-4316 
  • Lucky Varela: 986-4318 
  • Tim Jennings: 986-4362 
  • John Arthur Smith: 986-4363

Thanks Everyone!
Nathan Newcomer, Otero Mesa Campaign Organizer