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<br />as a relluh of Ihe norHribuuary
<br />gtoimdWllW 8Ql:umenl, lUld is allowed 10
<br />drill deepwe1ls, !hen everybody else is
<br />going IO/l8:YCl 10 beablc 10 do itas welJ.
<br />"JI'lI be like llIl oil field. The only
<br />conSlraint will be Ihe price of IlIe
<br />electricity needed 10 pump the waleI
<br />"","
<br />Baudersay. lhal in the resulting
<br />free-for-alJ,industry and utban users wJII
<br />havelheuppcrhandbeci1usetheyC8D
<br />afford 10 plY the mosl forwmer. Studies
<br />show lanners can afford IOplly, al mosl,
<br />$20 an acre-foot for watet while orban
<br />aress C!I1 casily afford $1,000 an acrc--
<br />footormore for the same waler.
<br />But economics is still a concern. If
<br />farmets am OOIlcemed aboul the cost of
<br />pumping irrlSaUOIl waleffrOm Jess than
<br />100 fcclbe!ow the surfllCC,illlllJline the
<br />eleclric bills AWDI faces from wells
<br />lifting water 10 the swfacefrom 2,500
<br />feetbelowlhevaJleyfloor,
<br />'ThosowslS werc the key 10 Ihe
<br />second pan of the AWDI pmjecl,filed in
<br />water 'court in May. This secQnd
<br />lIPDlicauon called forCOhS!ruCUOh of
<br />VCI damS on cree flowin 'out of !he
<br />.tangre de Crislos, The dllms wopl
<br />teQutte the flIIlI!ltI\U:Uon of roads, power
<br />be pumped OUI wilhout huning-othet' Jines and channelized creeJcbeds in
<br />users. .J!:ristineareas,Mostoflhepro~sed
<br />Ralph Curtis ef the Rio Grande struclures wefe plallned for Forelsl ,
<br />Water Conservation District, which is ServJCeJand adlDCC/ll w tberanclt.
<br />n.iSlng S250,OOOa year from its farmer The original filing angered Ihe
<br />members 10 bailie AWnl, says Ihe farmers, The second filing created
<br />compeny's plan ':sure as hell is going 10 OUtrage in tho- BIlCa area; the angriesl
<br />Iowertbewatetlablc.ltwillpulpeopl6 people weretboscattnlCltd to Ibe area
<br />oolofbusinoss.Farmenwon'lbeabjolO bythoSttOngI.
<br />afford ui pump if the water Iable drops Company officials poinltd OUI that
<br />Ioomiich....'. ......, '.' ":',' ,'.., thoyweresimply"maintainingCOl]lOl'llle
<br />Cunis."siyii':ih'eu' hA"i""bcCD a. opU()fl$" by making a clainl Cor $WJ'llge
<br />moralOrium on tho dri.lUng of any..nQ' ofthcmountain runoJrbeIoreo!hersdid. .
<br />wells in the vaUcy since 1981 because BlltSlt"ODg also said that the dBms wollid
<br />Ute slale engineer. is convinced new produce ckcU'icily to power the pumps
<br />wells,wUllower tho levol of liIe Rio; on tho valley f11lOT.
<br />..:..~ ~~''<W"~ .-;;.......~,j/l)Ir"";I",,-.....;o....'\-'-"',. .our months lateti-w:lth .tho Baca.
<br />... Fred Ballder, a patH.lme Jawyer,.: mo' a ainn 1 e ro'eCl,lhe
<br />electric company'.mM rtader and _local comnllnV withdrew nlnns {or Ute dams.
<br />bncIownet, says.if Awn!. wins ii! ~. . AWDl's front man in the valley,_ ranch
<br />
<br />
<br />-""'ng
<br />
<br />San Luis Va1lcJL,.....,
<br />(Cotttt#I"4.ft'om}M~ 11)
<br />
<br />manager Buddy Whillock, ~pJained lhat
<br />a1temateSOl/lCtlSofeJectric.ityhadbeen
<br />arranged. CritiCs said il WllS a move w
<br />..n...'....'h..Rar,n...."idenISWoutaIlO.lJOIIl
<br />forceswithlhefanners. -
<br />The withdrawal of the dam filings
<br />came shortly after U.s. Sen. TIm Wirth,
<br />D.Qllo., mllde public a bill 10 designate
<br />new wilderness areas In !he state. One of
<br />those areas is a large chunk of Ihe
<br />Sangre de Cristos around Ihe Baca
<br />mnch, Had the company pWStled ilS dam
<br />fiUng, tlull would have meant opening up
<br />a bailie on a second froD(, Company
<br />orficials may hllve decided theycouJd
<br />nOl afford to wad~ inlo lhe highly
<br />contentious scrap over wilderness areas.
<br />The withdrawal of Ihe filing
<br />mollified many of lhe angry Baca
<br />res1denl.~ Since ~en Wk;"_~;-'~
<br />
<br />:!::u~~::::;.~:.~
<br />comrulnV mlllht donaae rllbch properly
<br />4P-Jc:"iICarnon Peak It\thp.lmvemmenl
<br />fnl'in~I".iDnintheproposedwil~S
<br />---.-.
<br />
<br />GoailVtUwatVtX/JDrl
<br />
<br />ne5JljlCStIOng,S initial taik
<br />oL local econom.lc
<br />~ .:..development by-ilTigating
<br />ranchlalldin I/Ieva!leyand awaclinga
<br />brewery, it is now clear that the
<br />company's priority is the expon-cf-the
<br />water 10 the Front Range, When the
<br />company began lBlking,openly this
<br />IUIJImetofllSplanslO~tltcW.&lCt,
<br />crirlci8m ofSmmg reached a now pitch
<br />in the vaJJey.
<br />"How can he call himself an
<br />environmenIaJist?" asked rancher
<br />GccrgeWhilU:n. the I'ormer'head of the
<br />San Luis Valley Cal!lemen's
<br />Association.
<br />"Our IiveIlhO(ld depends on the'
<br />native:specicsof'gl'llll$eSout''1bUethat:
<br />. need the high waICr lable; You draw
<br />down the waler IBble and'killlhe
<br />vegetlllion and you JlJ'e going to have a
<br />
<br />brown dUSlCloud coming"0utof'Ih"
<br />vaUey Ihat you will be able w see I
<br />Denver,"
<br />With criticism mounting, Slror
<br />suddenly announced Ihathe had giv('
<br />his 23 percelllstal:einAWD.l's pare;
<br />Nlmmny. FlI1l Coloi8do Coroonuw1i: ,
<br />aprivatenonvrofitfoundation,theFWt
<br />FOlUldation, based in Kalamazoo, MiCh
<br />-Feuer iJleralure aescnbes-rt.
<br />oJganization as a "foundation dedicalt
<br />to research, educalion IInd service
<br />Foundation officil1ls'have since said the
<br />intend 10 plough back imotlle valley
<br />pQrtion of any profits tealiled fro.
<br />Suong'sdonauon,
<br />Lawyers for the ranchers bega
<br />probing the foundalion and the nature (
<br />the donalion. Some suggcswd SUon
<br />made the donairon to salvage hl
<br />repulauonasanenvironmenlalisl; th
<br />more cynical suggested it WllS a leil~
<br />ploy,andlhalhestillOWllSlheshares.
<br />Slrong himselfisinctedulous 013
<br />anyone would doubl his mouvcs.
<br />"I gave away all o(tI1eshares lha,
<br />in Ibe parenl company." Suong said
<br />adding lhaltheir val(le was "a fev
<br />million dollars,"
<br />"WhalkindofcynicalinteJpletatiol
<br />can you put on thal? I gave il lWay 10;
<br />nonprofil foundation, IfmYTCpulllio.
<br />bad been at slake. the best!hing wool<
<br />ltave been DOl to undertake (!he projecl
<br />in Ihe first place, J knew hov
<br />CODlfOvetRial il was going to be."
<br />Despile the donation, SUonl
<br />remllinsimimalely involved in thl
<br />pmil'r.1 U...;Q nn FtllZet'S ovaw ann
<br />
<br />=:!~:::'='~
<br />
<br />~ AwPI and of the ~..'-"u....,)
<br />....t" r"lP""'''
<br />In addition he Stlid be lutsa"smal
<br />residual in some optioos"and a <>smai'
<br />remaininginlCteStinaroyailyinlereSL'
<br />SltOttg,'s {amily 'holding''llOhipanj-iJ
<br />Canada. SuovtSt Holdings. is tlJso owne,
<br />ofab(lutSpercentofFUstCoJorado8ll(
<br />owneto{aroyaltyinu:restm1hewalet,
<br />
<br />. .
<br />,TIie~lll1.~uis Valley shows a few signs of renewal
<br />
<br />"'D" ,yjd'Chn:iii'~'lIiIiootlitihe
<br />soutllemSanLuis VaiJoyis
<br />oncof1hc few in lIteSlllC
<br />wllm every kid gelS a free lunch. 1be
<br />scboolqualifies because 30 percenl of
<br />Costilla CounlY lives well below the
<br />poverty level: household incomes are
<br />haIl'thOseintbercsr:oftbesrale.
<br />".lI'scaJJeda'recession.butwcnever
<br />came OUI of lbc Deprossion:' say.
<br />Garcia, whe lcaches basic adull
<br />educatlonandrunsjoblnliningprognuns
<br />for Ihe scbool's JI'Clkrninantly Hispanic
<br />"""""
<br />II is Gartia's self-descrt'bc:dmissiott
<br />10 holpreverse the SlCadily climbing
<br />unemployment in hls cornorof Ihe
<br />vailey,NearJyhalftl1eadullSlnCostlUll
<br />nevergradualcdfromlUBhscbool:many
<br />cannol read, and still others spetlic no
<br />English, Unemploymenl hellllUt15 {out
<br />Ilmestltelllaleaverage.
<br />,Despite Ihe bleak figwes;lIOII1CIhing
<br />unexpecled has been happening In
<br />Garcia's Cefltonninl School over Ihcpast
<br />few years: More lItan IhrCll-founlu of
<br />Ibe gfadualing seniors have gone to
<br />college. Whal's even more surprising is
<br />.tbal Gan;ja'and guidanCClcounselorPete
<br />Orlega tully eJlpeel many of them 10
<br />retumlothcisolatedcounlywitltlhelr'
<br />new skills,
<br />"There arc vel}'slrOhg family lies
<br />hete," say:s Onegil. "Many studcnlS want
<br />to come back and help Ibeir
<br />comDllUlity."
<br />The effan of Centennial School
<br />educ8lOl'llisrnorelheu.ceptionthanlhe
<br />
<br />
<br />ntIein San Luig Valley. BulitrefleclSan
<br />underlying oplimism be:ginning 10
<br />CIllCllfefromthtOlhelWiseimpoverished
<br />valJey floor. Many valley resldenlS fmd
<br />themselves looking inward 10 family,
<br />QlJwre and religion mther i/Ian oULWard,
<br />lOindusllyorresolll'CCdevclopmentasa
<br />means otdelivel'llnce {rom hard9hip.
<br />While many economic development
<br />projeclS are under way Ihrougboulthe
<br />region,lhemostsucoessfatlC!l1beD'llCed
<br />10 Ihese community,based. non-
<br />indllSlrialforces.
<br />In Ihe tiny, dusty IoWn of San Luis,
<br />ananisans'.revivalapptoachingTaOll,
<br />N.M.,proponiDns bas rectIIlly sprung up
<br />unde! t1teaegisortbClCa!holic ChLl1'Ch
<br />ami its cltarismatic leader. Rev, Patrick
<br />Valdez. He reauited.local ctaftspeople
<br />and outside volunlee1'S to renOvate the
<br />church, design atourisls' center$lldart
<br />ga1Iery,and convena nunnCl)' iJ).toa bed
<br />andbreakfil5l.aLlledElCQnvenlO.
<br />
<br />Theinn,whichopenetlinJI1I)C,has
<br />beCome something of a media sensation,
<br />auraclmgaconstanlslream of vi silO IS
<br />and Sludents wilh ilScraflSY, hislOric
<br />.-'
<br />Cl!pilalizing-<ln the town's foJkloric
<br />pasl (San Luis is the oldest inCOlpOrnted
<br />town in COlorado), Father_Pal, as he is
<br />known, has singlehandedly turned
<br />MOund the IOwn's economy. as well as
<br />Ihetown'sscJr-&tetm.
<br />"He's brought this communilY,
<br />logelher Iike)'OlI wouldn'l beliove,"~
<br />marvels Felix Romero, a fourth.
<br />
<br />genenltiongroceryandhllrd~"swre
<br />owner, ".It was all local people behind'
<br />Ihis. We had nothing ofourhcriJage for
<br />our children.,Now OIey have something
<br />to come back and do," adds RometO.
<br />The San Luis revival represenlSjllSl
<br />the sott of progress lhat valley reaidents
<br />welcome, one in which lhey feel in
<br />control ofJocal resources and m lOuch
<br />with their rich pasL What some of lite
<br />area's priests have been ablc 10 do that
<br />many poliucians bave DOli! .Instill a
<br />feelingofcivicpride'andindividUill
<br />power. .
<br />In Alamosa, theregion's biggC$1
<br />city: toIlImunity activiSl Cannon Kelly
<br />often wilnllsses the.sadder side of
<br />impoverished valloy life:, She has
<br />worked with pregnant teens, victims of
<br />domestic violeJIce and disadvantaged
<br />~yot1lhs,
<br />Whal has also emerged from her
<br />experience is a scnse tltat strong cultuta1
<br />uaditions have kepllhe valley more
<br />inl8cllhanitmightolherwise be, Says
<br />Kelly: "We Iry.tO keep things in
<br />penlpective.lt's!JUC-th~arealotot
<br />economic Iwrdshlps. Thllre are few job
<br />opporlunities. Wt see poverty,
<br />alcoholism, suicide and isolation. BUI
<br />Ihere ls also a lot of celebration in our
<br />heritagc.~
<br />Kelly says lhccloseness of the
<br />HIspanic community. inc.lllding its
<br />cashless, underground ex:change of
<br />goods and services, enables it-IOslug
<br />along on a day-to-day survival course.
<br />Like Father Pat, she believes llie
<br />
<br />
<br />l'atber1>aJ:Va1dez
<br />
<br />economic salvation oflhe valley lics
<br />rooledinrevilalizingtitepasL
<br />Reinforcing lhe bonds of
<br />community. Kelly says: will also help
<br />residentsbatUetheindustrialgianlS,the
<br />WlleIdeveJOpers and mining companies
<br />she believes threa<<m the foundatioilS of
<br />'va!leylife.
<br />''This region is the fountainhead of
<br />Hispanic culture. We area strong JleOplc
<br />with a heriuge that can-bring ina 101 of
<br />money. That's whal we're promoting,~
<br />
<br />-FlorenceWillfum.s
<br />
<br />
<br />" '''"1' ,..,,;
<br />( '. .'
<br />,) V ,_: -' ~
<br />
<br />."".,
<br />
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