Want to talk about Galisteo Basin drilling? Santa Fe County is listening.

Galisteo Basin (© 2008 Photo by Denise Tessier)

GALISTEO -- Santa Fe County, making use of the governor's six-month moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Galisteo Basin to come up with a management plan and ordinances for possible drilling, is holding a series of "listening sessions" to hear public concerns early next week.

Meanwhile, a number of state agencies have recommended that Gov. Bill Richardson extend by at least another six months the moratorium that ends July 24, saying more information is needed to fully assess the impact oil and gas drilling will have on "the unique cultural, archaeological and environmental assets in the region."

Santa Fe County has been working since early this year to come up with county oil and gas ordinances and a management plan, and in the process has brought in both legal and planning experts from out of state to help.

The county says four workshop sessions next week each can accommodate 100 people, so registration is advised by calling the county at 505-986-6279.

The sessions will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. on both Monday, July 14, and Tuesday, July 15, at the Santa Fe Hilton Ortiz Room, 100 Sandoval St.

Those same two days, the county also will host free informative Brown Bag Lunch Seminars from noon to 1 p.m., also at the Santa Fe Hilton Ortiz Room.

On Monday, Jack Kolkmeyer, director of the Santa Fe County Land Use Department, will talk about "Growth Management Planning in Santa Fe County."

On Tuesday, Robert Freilich, the land-use attorney hired by the county to help it come up with oil and gas rules, will discuss "Impacts of Growth: Tools and Techniques." Freilich, also known as "Dr. Bob," was described in a Santa Fe New Mexican editorial as "one of America's most effective and feared advocates of local control over development." He is a partner in the Los Angeles-based Miller Barondess firm.

Arnold Valdez, senior planner in the county's Land Use Department, told the New Mexico Independent representatives of the Kansas-based Planning Works hired by the county to help with its oil and gas planning visited the basin over the last two weeks as part of a "data gathering trip" to see the landscape and talk to stakeholders. Information gathered at next week's meetings will inform their recommendations to the county as well, he said.

A Report on the Galisteo Basin that asked for an extension of the moratorium was released by eight state agencies last week.

The lead state agency on the report, the N.M. Energy and Minerals Department, wrote:
 

"While the current moratorium has enabled state agencies to assess the adequacy and fairness of existing law and policy as it relates to oil and gas drilling in Santa Fe County and the Galisteo Basin generally, more factual information is needed to fully evaluate the impact of drilling ..."

In addition to Energy and Minerals, the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department also urged an extension of the moratorium for six months, while the Department of Cultural Affairs asked that it be extended a minimum of 12 months so that the area's abundant archaeological, cultural and historical sites can be better identified.

The Department of Tourism's summary flatly states: "There is no positive impact that this exploration would have on tourism. Scenic beauty is the greatest attraction in this area ..."

The report begins with a legal framework summary of what the state can and can't do now, provided by the Oil Conservation Division. Cultural resources, water and health are all mentioned as issues of concern in the report.

Other agencies that contributed to the report include the Environment Department, the Office of the State Engineer, the Department of Game and Fish and the Department of Health.

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