AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR TOM UDALL (BACKGROUND)

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"Like so many New Mexicans, farming and ranching

are in my blood. My grandmother was born in

 Luna, New Mexico in 1893 and her family

 drove cattle through the mountains down

 to the railroad in Magdalena.

 Farming and ranching are part

 of our heritage and serve as a key economic

 engine in our state, accounting for more than

 $4 billion in our economy. 

More than 20,000 farms dot the

New Mexico map.

 I am committed to preserving the important

 role that the agricultural community plays in

 our state's identity and economy."

Senator Tom Udall

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As you can see from the Senator's statement

above, Tom Udall has roots and connections

to New Mexico's ranching community, and

that tie runs right through this country.

When the Senator speaks of his ancestors

driving cattle to Magdalena, he's speaking of

the Magdalena Trail - which runs right by

(or perhaps through) part of the

 Augustin Plains Ranch LLC,

 the proposed site of the WATER GRAB.

The cattle "Trail" became the "Driveway" in

1918, and was in use up until about 1970.

There's lots more info about the Trail on

the Bureau of Land Management website -

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/fo/Socorro_Field_Office/features/magdalena_trail.html

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While the Water Grab is more of a state, rather
than federal, issue, there are definitely some

factors here that would be of interest to the

Senator, and there are ways in which he

could aid the cause.

Our letter to Senator Udall will be up shortly.
Editor's note, December 14:
The letter is UP and is here:
http://stopthewatergrab.blogspot.com/2013/12/dear-senator-udall.html

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