These posters have sprung up in our county and the counties nearby. Mora County residents have recently elected county commissioners who are strong believers in the idea of community rights and they are now the majority on the county commission. They are working to enact community ordinances which would restrict or ban gas drilling in Mora County and protect individual and community water rights.
Around here water is precious and even more so since we are still in a drought.
In Mora County, water sustains cattle, the largest agricultural product here and for many, their only paycheck. Most people in the county drink from their own wells and water associations monitor and regulate how much water each member uses from the acequias (water ditches) to irrigate their fields.
Beautiful, clear creeks and rivers flow through the ranches and public lands in Northern New Mexico and residents fear that hydrolic fracturing could either pollute the water from chemicals used during the fracking process or suck up all the water here for drilling projects elsewhere.
Either way, the ranchers and residents of our county would be screwed.
As someone most aptly put it, "We can live without natural gas. We can't live without water!"
Fracking is such a horrible thing,,,,and I wish it was outlawed forever! OUR public lands are being ruined for what? IT doesnt solve any problems it only extends the Problem for our children to solve!
ReplyDeleteWe saw all the signs when we were driving through Mora. I'm so glad to see the community coming together to tackle this issue. I was quite concerned and a little freaked out when I saw that fracking could be on the table for the county we want to call home. I did a little research when we got back home and I found that a documentary was recently made about Mora and San Miguel County and the fracking debate.
ReplyDeleteThere's a discount to purchasing the DVD for those who live in either county...here's the trailer and website:
http://rootedlands.com/view-trailer/