[Editor's Note: Because of the length of the meeting and the lateness of this article, as a result of severe allergy issues, this author will report the meeting in short bursts of synopses of each speaker's comments. It likely will be a multipart series of articles.)

By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County commissioners approved the regular meeting agenda of Sept. 12, 2019.

Commissioner Billy Billings:
This proclamation commemorates what happened in our country 18 years ago yesterday, when the U.S. was attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. It is a national day of service and remembrances.

The proclamation, which had been read at a ceremony at Gough Park the day before, was approved by commissioners.

County reports:
Grant County Sheriff's Department Lt. Mike Burns:

Several members of our office attended commemorations of 9/11 at Harrison Schmitt Elementary School yesterday morning and at Gough Park at noon. We wanted to show that we are still on duty and vigilant. Over 400 of our brothers and sisters died that day running toward danger.

The department continues to process applicants for the five positions we have left to fill. We want only those with the best experience and attitude for the department. We want them to stay with us as a career.

We continue to use the generous training funding you and the public have provided us. Several will attend the FBI executive leadership training, advanced search and seizure training, evidence training, crash investigation and narcotics interdiction. All our staff will be allowed the attend child protection training by CYFD. We will also start offering training on seat restraints in vehicles. I'm also pleased to announce we will do training on crisis intervention, and we have narcotics staff working.

Agent Jacob Vega is working with the Silver City Police Department. He testified in New Orleans on a case that he was positively connected with on a murder/burglary.

We continue to patrol Bataan Park and Fort Bayard Medical Center. We have responded to a number of calls around the clock.

We just submitted a traffic safety application to the New Mexico Department of Transportation for which we will receive funding as well as using DWI funding. Department morale remains high.

County Manager Charlene Webb:
I would like to introduce Damian Martinez of Holt, Mynatt and Martinez law firm, which is under contract with the county for legal services.

Treasurer Steve Armendariz:
I thank my staff. We have received $14,376 for the County General Fund since the last meeting, as well as more than $2,000 for debt service and $2.1 million for other entities in the county that my office collects for. We are taking time to do a cleanup with mobile home liens. We're helping the Motor Vehicle Division.

Most of public input was in favor of the resolution that would be voted on later in the meeting on supporting the Wild and Scenic River designation for 440 miles of the Gila, and San Francisco rivers and their tributaries.

For Tuesday arguments against the designation, visit http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/53238-grant-county-commission-hears-public-input-at-work-session-091019

Public input:
Chris Overlock:
The Gila River is very special. I support the resolution supporting long-term protection. This isn't some half-baked plan, but one of the most important votes you will take. Now is the time to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the river. This resolution won't be law but confirms Grant County values its river. The Gila River is almost a metaphor for life. I heard a lot of good information the other day in opposition. I know a lot of people are concerned that their property rights and water rights will be taken. I don't think they will be.

Frances Gonzales:
I hope this resolution will get passed. I am representing the Chiricahua Apache Nation, which is 100 percent supporting this resolution. The Gila River is our lifeblood. It's what makes the river so beautiful, scenic, wild and recreational. We have our history with Geronimo being born near the headwaters. Bayard and Hurley have passed resolutions supporting the Wild and Scenic designation, so we can get it going for us. I hope you will pass it.

Shelby Hallmark:
I've been a resident since 2005. Some things we should all be able to support. This will not disrupt things as they are now. In three weeks, we will have a big outdoor conference here. What better way to show that our community endorses this effort? My wife and I ride our equines in the forest and on the Gila and San Francisco rivers. Preserving these beautiful waterways will benefit all of us. I ask you all to vote for it and make it unanimous.

Andy Payne:
I ask for your support for this resolution. It will be only on public lands to protect our "free-flowing" river. This is furthering the good for everyone—people and wildlife. It's good for the state. It will bring people here and they will know we care about the environment.

Joel Davis:
I represent the Chiricahua Apaches. Our chairwoman supports the designation. Our chairwoman wrote letters to Senators Udall and Heinrich. We have legislators supporting the wild and scenic. We are Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache. We want to permanently protect the San Francisco and Gila rivers and their tributaries. These are Indian title lands. Fort Sill Apache is the representative of part of the former Gila Reserve. The Gila River flows from sacred mountains and we practice sacred ceremonies here. The Mountain Spirits are here. We are many descendants from Mangas Coloradas and we support the wild and scenic designation. It's a big part of why we stayed after we visited.

Siah Correa Hemphill:
I am here to support the wild and scenic designation. My family has lived here for more than 500 years. We understood the importance of caring for the river and the lands. My family has taken a seven-day backpacking trip of 40 miles down the Middle Fork of the Gila. I want to preserve the river so my great-grandchildren and yours may enjoy the river for the next 500 years.

Charmeine Wait:
I'm the executive director for Silver City MainStreet Project. We work to improve and support Silver City. Our most important assets are the Gila River, the Gila National Forest and Wilderness. I serve on the task force to support outdoor recreation, which has a huge impact of $9.1 billion on the state economy. We need to recognize and capitalize on what we have. I know we need to diversify our economy. I encourage a vote in favor of this resolution.

Guadalupe Cano:
I am a Silver City town councilor. I come in support of wild and scenic. Our town council also approved a resolution in support of wild and scenic designation. We all seem to agree that our river needs to be protected. Thank you. I know you have attended many meetings to learn more. I know you have done your due diligence.

Cissy McAndrew:
I'm with the Southwest New Mexico Green Chamber. This designation is not about making changes but about maintaining what we have. It's not about us and them, but about all of us. It doesn't open private lands to the public. It will have no effect on water rights. Do not be led by emotion or by fear. Freeport McMoRan is not in support of the designation, but Freeport won't be here forever. We need to look at Grant County. I urge you to support the resolution.

Robert Lucero:
I'm here again to protest that dogs are running loose in Hanover and that they kill my animals. I also agree on the resolution for wild and scenic.

Kristina Ortiz and Lori Ortiz:
We are here representing Bayard and Hurley. Both councils unanimously approved similar resolutions. We encourage you to do so.

Ray Trejo:
I'm from Deming and I represent the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. I was given the opportunity to spend time on the Gila River as I was growing up. We continue to do so with our children and our grandchildren. As a retired public-school administrator, I told the teachers it was important to give children time to spend on the river. I encourage you to do the right thing and support wild and scenic.

Carol Martin:
These are exciting times. We have the potential for economic development growth due to more people wanting to enjoy public spaces and cultural heritage in protected landscapes. The Continental Divide Trail runs through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. We have 350 hikers this year. Many use sections and many head to the Gila watersheds on the CDT. They need to be protected. We have the unique opportunity to protect this "free-flowing" gift of life. Get out there and see and explore this beautiful and scenic river.

Jeff Ray:
I'm here to encourage you to support the wild and scenic resolution. These comments come from my heart—the importance of imparting the appreciation of natural areas and natural resources. When I was in Santa Rita School—my father was principal of that school—public schools didn't have opportunities to visit the river. My father taught me the joy and the spiritual enhancement of the Gila River and the Gila National Forest. For me, it's a spiritual matter to preserve it in a world where there is rampant exploitation of nature. I am emphatically and passionately asking for you to support the wild and scenic resolution.

Gerry Engel:
I retired from the Forest Service 14 years ago, and since then I've been doing volunteer trail maintenance with the Back Country Horsemen to give access to some of our beautiful spots here. I also hunt and fish and ride for pleasure. I add my voice to those in favor of the wild and scenic designation. I think the main stem of the Gila River, the Middle, East and West forks and stretches of the San Francisco River fit the wild and scenic designation. I would like to see them preserved for the future, and I believe they will help economic development.

Jamie Crockett:
I live in Gila Hotsprings. Many of us have an appreciation for the wilderness and the river. I spend much of my time recreating and earning my living by outfitting in this wild and pristine place. I've been talking to a lot of residents who also believe the wild and scenic designation will preserve the rivers and allow access for hunting, fishing, photography. The current uses remain as they are. I want a river that periodically floods, so I can float it. The wild and scenic designation will encourage visitors and provide funding for trail and signage maintenance and to begin to repair the lack of signage. I ask you to support this resolution to keep the rivers the same. It is important for our businesses and also for our residents to see the river as a refuge and a sanctuary. The designation will preserve long-term usage and show that we recognize the importance of our river.

Lindy Lennox:
I love this place. Thank you for the 9/11 proclamation. We were in Washington, D.C., with our home about a mile away from the Pentagon. The reason we moved here was to get away from the craziness and to ride and be able to heal. I ride a mule. Although I am a Vietnam-era veteran, I fortunately didn't see war. I want places to escape and heal. Save these places for their healing powers.

Luis Terrazas:
Thank you for this opportunity to speak. I was born and raised here. I have hunted in the forest. I've floated the river. I've been in the wilderness, and it's beautiful. I agree with everyone here that the Gila National Forest, the Wilderness and the Gila River are precious. I want to preserve it for future generations. I had a wonderful conversation on my way in with Mark Allison (New Mexico Wilderness Alliance), and I had some questions. About how this designation would affect agriculture and hunting and fishing. I asked him questions about how to assure that when it got into the Senate levels, it wouldn't change. And why didn't people in the Gila-Cliff area know about this. I believe in preserving the river. I know also that it is already protected by wilderness. Let people most affected by this designation, give them an opportunity to have a part in the discussion. Allow them to be here. I think they should be afforded an opportunity to speak. I asked Mr. Allison, if they had had any hearings there and he couldn't recall any. I'm not against, but I'm for protecting the river. I think this isn't the time, because the ones most affected by the designation need to have input to ensure their property and water rights remain unaffected.

Ken Spragman (?):
I live in the northern part of the county. I've raised my children in the forest. I also have irrigated land. I've been on horseback in the forest. It seems to me like an opportunity not to pass up.

Pat Boles:
I'm a new resident, but I've been coming to the Gila for 40 years. I agree with the majority that the issue comes down to economics. The majority would benefit most economically by the wild and scenic designation.

Ron Perry:
I support the designation for the San Francisco and Gila rivers and their tributaries. I’m coming at this from a scientific background. We are in the midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction. Most biodiversity relies on water. We need to be proactive in keeping the biodiversity because climate change will cause the area to become more arid. I support wild and scenic.

Kendra Milligan:
I am here on behalf of the National Center for Frontier Communities. Grant County is a far and remote area of the nation. Many frontier residents draw their support from natural resources, which includes the Gila River. We ask that you support the wild and scenic designation to continue economic development, tourism and the livelihoods of residents. I'm an avid hiker and I've been to several of the places that will be designated —Black Canyon, the Gila Box and the West Fork. I hope you will preserve these beautiful places for future generations.

Glenn Griffin:
The Grant Soil and Water Conservation District recently passed a resolution in opposition to wild and scenic, because the river should be maintained for the New Mexico CAP Entity. This will be your first chance to vote against the NM CAP Entity. I am a candidate for the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District. I will work to turn the group away from a diversion. I support the majority who want the wild and scenic designation to protect our river.

Anthony Gutierrez:
I am a lifetime resident along the Gila River, and I am the executive director of the New Mexico CAP Entity. I certainly do not mean any disrespect to any commissioners, but I remind the Commission that they swore to uphold the New Mexico Constitution and to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Grant County. This includes protection of private property rights and water rights. You heard on Tuesday that this designation could very well threaten those property and water rights you swore to protect as well as the right to have businesses, whether farming and ranching or others, and being able to utilize public lands. While protection of the watershed is of vital importance, so is the ability to use resources for the good of the public. I grew up on the river. I've had all the advantages these people are talking about, hunting, fishing hiking. I even worked as a contractor for the Forest Service building trails when I got out of high school. These areas already have protections in the wilderness. The Forest Service has closed off areas where people used to recreate. The watershed is protected by topography. The list of supporters was given to you by Mr. Allison. I've had several civil conversations with Mr. Allison. He's a great guy. The list of supporters was given to the commissioners, along with the Q&A. These supporters are the same ones that have opposed any development of the AWSA water. These same supporters have opposed the very core of our culture—mining, ranching, some agricultural activities they don't agree with, also access to public lands. We had a comment from a representative of the Center for Biological Diversity. He said, we are going to sue you, and we're going to sue you again and sue you again until you give up. This designation is just another way to regulate private property outside of the designation, the development of water, and public use of public lands.

Simon Sotelo:
I've lived in Grant County for 16 years, but my roots go deeper than that. My mother and father lived in the Mimbres. Everyone's talking about the Gila. There is an 8-mile area in the McKnight Canyon section of the Mimbres River that is in this proposal. It's important to me. My family homesteaded in the Mimbres in the 1800s, long before New Mexico was a state. My parents talk about apples. They are gone now. It's important to maintain the rivers for the future. Things changed. Apples went away. We need to support wild and scenic. The designation is not going to take away water rights. It will maintain a corridor for the headwaters. Where does the legislature take into account the history and culture of the area? We can't continue to take things away. The apples are gone, and they won't come back. It's important to preserve the river for the future. The Mimbres Valley has no one to speak for them.

Ron Troy:
We know the climate is getting warmer and drier. We need to maintain the sustainability. We need to embrace Aldo Leopold. We have the wilderness because of him. We will see support and opposition. Thank goodness for our competitive edge. You have a responsibility. Political leaders have to be visionary. This is sustainability at little cost to the taxpayer.

Angelica Padilla:
I am a native and a small business owner. I ask for your support for wild and scenic. It's a chance to be proactive. It's my personal opinion that the mine won't last much longer. The Gila River and the forest will be our economic driver. I want to see it preserved for future generations. I would like to see public access to it. The Gila River is my cathedral. It's spiritual. Nowhere in the world has what we have here. It's where my family gathers. We spend a lot of time on the river and in the forest. It's my peace and respite. I want everyone to have it. It's worth protecting.

Buddy Eby:
I'm a lifelong resident of Grant County. I'm a farmer, rancher and retired livestock inspector. I am against the wild and scenic river designation because I believe it will be detrimental to a lot of land uses. It would affect logging, mining, ranching, grazing, to name a few. I believe it will have a negative effect on property values of those who live near these rivers. Landowners will not be allowed to do flood control projects to protect their property. I believe farmers will not be allowed clean ditches or fix dams that provide water for their crops. It will also affect grazing along these designated rivers. It would have a negative impact as no structures will be allowed to bring water to cities that may need it in the future. We already have agencies in place to manage the rivers It would allow the government to condemn property they deem necessary. We don't need more regulations. Why do we have to change what we have now? I've lived here all my life and I still see a wild and scenic river. I ask the commission to vote against this wild and scenic designation. Thank you for your time.

Linda Stailey:
I am a resident of Gila, New Mexico. I live ¼ of a mile from the Gila River. My children and their friends grew up playing in the river. They had little bonfires and roasted marshmallows. They fished and threw the fish back. It was part of their childhood and their memories. My grandchildren can't get to the river. It's fenced off and they can't get to it from our property any longer. They don't have the same opportunities their parents had. Please vote against the designation. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Jason Dobrinski:
Thank you for your time. I'm a property owner and resident of Grant County. I reiterate to be cautious of the unintended consequences that this designation could bring. They will take an inch and it will grow to a mile. It may seem attractive today, but 25 years from now, I think we will regret it. I urge you not to support the proposal.

Mark Allison:
I am the executive director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, also known as New Mexico Wild. Thank you for giving all of us the time. I appreciate the comments both for and against. I know everyone loves the river. There have been efforts to dam it and divert from it for decades. Communities have fought them back. People are tired of playing defense and want to do something more proactive to protect the river This proposal does not affect the NM CAP diversion. Its real purpose is to prevent future diversions. It is not the intention to prevent current uses or property and water rights or to impact them. You have my commitment to write a letter to the senators stating that. We started developing this proposal five years ago. Fifteen thousand volunteer hours have been put in to document the segments. There is confusion about the Forest Service planning process. Our process started long before their planning process. We had dozens of community meetings, including some in Cliff and Gila. Some residents of the area are supportive of the wild and scenic designation. We pledge to continue to work with the residents. Once it is introduced in Congress, it has to pass the House and the Senate and must be signed by the president. It's a long-term effort. Then, a comprehensive river management plan will be developed to manage the river, which will involve all the stakeholders and a comprehensive community outreach on how the community wants to see the river managed over the next 20 to 30 years. This proposal is completely separate from the Forest Service planning process. You are seeing democracy today and not relying on land management agencies. The Forest Service can only recommend wild and scenic designations. Only Congress can designate wild and scenic. Most wild and scenic designations began with resident input. Hooker and Connor dams were defeated by citizen activists, like the late Dutch Salmon. I can reassure people about private property and water rights. I encourage you to support it. I think the senators are eager to hear what you decide.

A five-minute recess was taken.

The rest of the meeting, including a decision on the resolution will be covered in a later article.