[Coalition_for_valle_vidal] The Effect of Your Valle Vidal Letters

[Jim O'Donnell]

PEOPLE’S VOICE IS OVERWHELMING:
PROTECT VALLE VIDAL !!
Final Tally: 54,019 to 9

Taos, NM – Of the 54,029 people who submitted comments to the U.S. 
Forest Service on New Mexico’s Valle Vidal, only 9 people favored 
coal-bed methane drilling in the area, andjust one—Senator Pete V. 
Domenici—did not take a position, according to a tally of the public 
comments conducted by the Coalition for the Valle Vidal.

“I am thrilled to see the results of this report,” said Tracy Boyce, a 
business owner in Cimarron, New Mexico. “Considering the Boy Scouts and 
all the people who come here forthe Valle Vidal, coal-bed methane 
drilling there would truly hurt our local businesses.”

The fate of “New Mexico’s Yellowstone” will not be decided by a public 
vote; however, and local officials caution that special interests still 
wield massive power behind the scenes. “I hope this overwhelming voice 
of citizens and business owners will help convince Senator Domenici and 
Representative Wilson to help pass legislation protecting the 
ValleVidal for the people of New Mexico,” said Don Borgeson, President 
of the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce. “Without their help, the will of 
the people could be ignored just to benefit a single special interest.”

In September 2005, Northern New Mexico Representative Tom Udall 
introduced the Valle Vidal Protection Act (HB3817) in the House, while 
Senator Jeff Bingaman introduced theValle Vidal Preservation Act 
(SB1734) in the Senate. This legislation will protect the Valle Vidal 
for fishing, hiking, hunting, grazing and other traditional uses 
important to localeconomies and local lifestyles—however, it will only 
pass with bi-partisan help from Senator Pete Domenici and 
Representative Heather Wilson, according to local officials.

Senator Jeff Bingaman has reviewed the analysis of public comments and 
had this to say:

“The analysis confirms what I’ve been hearing from New Mexicans for 
months – that an overwhelming majority of people want this special 
place preserved. We know the benefits of drilling would be very small 
compared to what would be lost. I hope this impressive show of support 
for protecting the Valle Vidal helps build momentum forpassing 
legislation to preserve this area for the future,” Senator Bingaman 
said.   Representative Heather Wilson submitted comments in September 
2005 to the U.S. Forest Service opposing coal-bed methane drilling in 
the Valle Vidal; however, the Albuquerque representative has not yet 
thrown her support behind legislation that would provide certain and 
permanent protection for the “Valley of Life.”

Senator Pete Domenici submitted a letter in August 2005, which stood 
out as the only comment among 54,029 comments submitted that did not 
take a position on coal-bed methane drilling.

“Legislation is the only sure and permanent way to protect the Valle 
Vidal. We need help from Representative Wilson and Senator Domenici,” 
said Oscar Simpson, president of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, a 
statewide conservation group that works for the interests of hunters 
and anglers.

All public comments submitted to the U.S. Forest Service were tallied 
by Theodore B. Hughes, who worked for the U.S. Forest Service’s Content 
Analysis Team, before the team’s privatization. The team compiled 
documents of public concerns for land managers within theUSFS, BIA, 
USFWS, NPS, BLM, and other federal agencies. “The coalition decided to 
conduct this analysis because the U.S. Forest Service does not have the 
resources to go through every comment in detail,” said Oscar Simpson, 
president of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “We wanted to make 
sure every voice was counted.” Public comments were obtained from the 
U.S. Forest Service through a formal request under the Freedom of 
Information Act. The Coalition for the Valle Vidal consists of a 
staggering list of municipalities, county commissions, chambers of 
commerce and over 400 businesses across New Mexico who have banded 
together in opposition to industrialization of the highly valued 
“Valley of Life.” The Coalition determined to hire Hughes to be certain 
that every voice was counted.

The Valle Vidal provides an outdoor adventure each year for thousands 
of Boy Scouts, is NewMexico’s only once-in-a-lifetime elk hunt, and is 
a nationally recognized fishing destination.

The tally of public comments submitted to the U.S. Forest Service comes 
on the heels of four more local communities passing resolutions 
supporting permanent protection of the Valle Vidal. These communities 
join a long list of towns and counties that have passed similar 
resolutions. The communities of Wagon Mound, Maxwell, Roy and the Mora 
County Commission all passed resolutions March 14 asking for permanent 
protection from the U.S. Congress. These communities add their weight 
behind those of Cimarron, Eagle Nest, Questa, Las Vegas, Taos, Red 
River, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Springer, the Taos County Comission and 
Santa Fe County Commission, which have already passed similar 
resolutions. Nearly 400 businesses and local chambers of commerce 
across northern New Mexico have also joined together asking for the 
Valle Vidal—an economic engine generating millions each year in tourism 
revenue—to be permanently protected against coal-bed methane drilling.

“This overhelming voice of the people sends a clear and significant 
message that the Valle Vidal is vital for our communities’ way of 
life,” said State Representative Hector Balderas of Wagon Mound.

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Jim O'Donnell
Outreach Coordinator, Coalition for the Valle Vidal
www.vallevidal.org
PO Box 238
Taos, NM 87571
505-758-3874

Are you a member of the Coalition for the Valle Vidal?  Would you like 
to support our efforts?  Join or contribute today at: 
http://www.vallevidal.org/involved.html