[Coalition_for_valle_vidal] Please Call and Thank Our Congressional Members for the Valle Vidal Bill

[Jim O'Donnell]

Valle Vidal Supporters,

As most of you know,  the Valle Vidal Protection Act of 2005 passed the  
US Senate on November 16, 2006.  It now awaits the President's  
signature.  This a huge victory as the Valle Vidal is now permanently  
protected from destructive oil and gas drilling.  Please see article  
attached  below.

Congratulations to all of you for your calls, letters, emails,  
donations and volunteer efforts.  This victory would not have happened  
without your dedication.

We owe our representatives a thank you.  Over the next few days, please  
be sure to call our elected officials and thank them for supporting the  
Valle Vidal Protection Act.

Senator Pete Domenici
  (505) 988-6511

Senator Jeff Bingaman
(505) 988-6647

Rep. Tom Udall
(202) 225-6190

Rep. Heather Wilson
(505) 346-6781

Rep. Steve Pearce
(202) 225-2365
(
Governor Bill Richardson
(505) 476-2200

Please be sure to stay with us as the Forest Service Amendment process  
regarding the Valle Vidal is not yet complete.  Before we are totally  
finished, we still need to make sure that the area is properly managed.  
More on this in the new year.


http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2006/nov/17/president-considers- 
protectionfor-valle/

Albuquerque Tribune

President considers protection for Valle

Domenici changes direction on issue

James W. Brosnan/Tribune Reporter
Friday, November 17, 2006

WASHINGTON — Legislation to block oil and gas drilling in the Valle  
Vidal is heading to President Bush's desk for signature into law  
following a 180-degree turn by Sen. Pete Domenici.

After holding up the bill for nearly four months, the Albuquerque  
Republican announced Thursday that he and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a Silver  
City Democrat, would try to pass the bill quickly through the lame-duck  
session of Congress, without any legislative hearings or a vote by the  
Energy and Natural Resources Committee they lead.

Hours later, the Senate approved the bill unanimously.

"I am happy and surprised that things fell into place so quickly for  
this bill. I am confident the president will sign this bill so that the  
Valle Vidal will continue to be a virtually unblemished piece of New  
Mexico for people to enjoy for generations to come," Domenici said in a  
joint statement with Bingaman.

"This is terrific news. The Valle Vidal is a beautiful part of New   
Mexico that deserves to be protected," said Bingaman.

The action represents a victory for thousands of New Mexicans who  
protested by letter, phone calls and e-mail when the U.S. Forest  
Service said it would study whether to allow oil and gas development on  
a 40,000-acre portion of the 101,794 acre preserve north of Taos.

Pennzoil donated the Valle Vidal tract to the government in 1982 and it  
was added to Carson  National Forest.

When El Paso Corp., one of the nation's largest natural gas companies,  
requested the Forest Service study, conservation, environmental,  
hunting, fishing and tourism groups joined to form a coalition to  
protect the Valle Vidal, calling it a "veritable Rocky Mountain  
paradise," with populations of mule deer, black bear, mountain lion,  
bald eagles, native Rio Grande cutthroat trout and the largest elk herd  
in New Mexico.

"It is a pristine, wonderful area," enjoyed by sportsmen of all kinds,  
back-country hikers and bird-watchers, said Oscar Simpson, president of  
the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

The coalition won its first victory July 24 when the Valle Vidal  
Protection Act passed the House under the sponsorship of Rep. Tom  
Udall, a Santa Fe Democrat.

But Domenici, chairman of the Senate energy committee, refused to  
schedule the bill, contending there would be no harm in waiting so long  
as the Forest Service was just studying the drilling issue.

Simpson was in one of the coalition's semi-weekly strategy sessions  
Thursday when members learned the battle for Domenici's support was  
over.

Domenici explained Thursday that he was worried that pushing for Valle  
Vidal protections might affect his bill to expand oil and gas drilling  
in the Gulf  of Mexico to within 125 miles of Florida's coast. That  
bill is stalled over disagreements with the House.

"I have been concerned about being perceived as pushing for or even  
forcing energy production in other states while saying `not in my  
backyard' in New Mexico. However, at this point, I believe we can, and  
should, try to enact the Valle Vidal Protection Act," he said.

Bingaman told reporters earlier this week that he would bring the bill  
out of the Energy Committee early next year if the bill did not pass in  
the lame-duck session. However, that also would force the House to pass  
the bill all over again.

Bob Gallagher, president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association,  
criticized "the rush to judgment" before the Forest Service had  
completed its study. He said environmentalists would be the first to  
complain if the oil and gas industry tried to pass legislation to allow  
drilling without a study first.

Gov. Bill Richardson had mounted his own effort to save Valle Vidal by  
asking the federal government to include the preserve in the areas of  
New Mexico to be protected from new mineral development under a  
"roadless" rule.

After New  Mexico's senators announced their agreement Thursday,  
Richardson said he was pleased but - in a dig at Domenici - added that  
he was concerned it was too late for action this year after "the long  
months this bill has sat in the Senate Energy Committee."

But Domenici showed that, when he decides to move, things can happen  
quickly. If the president signs the Valle Vidal Protection Act, the  
roadless rule won't be needed to protect the preserve.
© 2006 The Albuquerque Tribune
 
 



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