WildEarth Guardians

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Statement of John Horning regarding the Los Alamos Rio Grande Resolution

WildEarth Guardians Executive Director celebrates the day when the Rio Grande began to reclaim rights to its own water
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

Today is a hopeful day for the Rio Grande and forthe people of New Mexico. We came together with the community of LosAlamos to announce a shared vision to help restore the Rio Grande andprovide a more secure water supply for city residents.

At its heart, this resolution reaffirms our deep connection with anddependence upon the Rio Grande.

First, by agreeing to create new mechanism to lease and purchaseenvironmental water to benefit the Rio Grande, the Los Alamos Council andthe County of Los Alamos are recognizing that residents have a desire aswell as an obligation to help restore the Rio Grande.

Second, by agreeing to support Los Alamos' efforts to acquire a permanentcontract to its federal San Juan/Chama water, the environmental groups aresupporting the City's efforts to eventually bring the Rio Grande's watersto city residents.

It is our hope that this resolution is just the beginning. If we are tolive up to is potential then many other cities, members of theagricultural community, our state legislature and our Congressionaldelegation will be inspired to join us in creating similar policies toprovide even more funding to acquire water for the river and the 450different species of native wildlife that depend on it.

If we are successful, future generations will look upon this effort notonly as a time when the community of Los Alamos and environmental groupscame together on behalf of the Rio Grande, but also as a day when the RioGrande began to reclaim rights to its own water.

Though the Endangered Species Act divided cities, farmers andenvironmental groups in a debate over who is responsible to ensure thewell-being of endangered species that depend upon the Rio Grande, it isalso responsible for bringing us together. The Endangered Species Actre-affirms our moral and ethical obligation and the legal commitment wemade more than 30 years ago to recover endangered wildlife. The vision andthe values of that great law provide the foundation for the resolutionthat passed this evening.

As we move ahead, we look forward to working further with the Los Alamoswater utility authority, the residents of Los Alamos, other cities and theagricultural community to restore this once and future great river.

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