SFNF Issues New Closure Order For Jemez Cave
SANTA FE
The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) has reissued a closure order that prohibits the public from entering Jemez Cave and closes public access to trails that lead to the cave as well as the area immediately surrounding it.
This closure order, which replaces one issued in 2019, is effective until April 30, 2023, unless it is rescinded earlier.
Jemez Cave is located on the Jemez Ranger District in the Soda Dam Geologic Special Interest Area adjacent to NM Highway 4. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Jemez Cave is culturally significant to the Pueblo of Jemez and an important archaeological site subject to the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).
   A reasonable person listens to a District Court judge when he issues an order from the bench. Once youâve been dragged through depositions, examinations, records searches and arguments, the judge has the final say.
   Our local electric cooperative isnât that quick on the take-up. While we celebrated the departure of John Tapia, who was a clear roadblock to public access, the remaining staff and lack of oversight by the Board of Trustees has Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative on a path that will lead back to District Court Judge Jason Lidyard.
   Lidyard made no bones about his decision on our records fight that ended in a Nov. 20, 2020 decision by Lidyard that the Co-op must produce all the documents requested by the Rio Grande SUN, including vouchers for payments to vendors, board books, supporting financial information, among other things.
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   Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperativeâs largest commercial account, Kinder-Morgan wonât be opening in the 2021 fiscal year.
   The oil and gas company that operates in the northern part of the state told Co-op managers it has no plans to reopen this year, Co-op general Manager Ernesto Gonzales said in the Co-opâs monthly board meeting.
   In January 2020 Kinder Morgan made up 6 percent of the Co-opâs revenue with $281,000. This year it made up 1 percent with only $39,000.
   The monthly financial books also compared January of this year to January of last year. Last January the economic outlook for the Co-op looked very different. More people are now at home, large industries are closed and smaller businesses are only now beginning to partially open.
   City of Española and Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative are still trying to figure out who exactly owns which street lights in the city.
   Española City Manager Xavier Martinez said the two organizations met Feb. 12. The goal was to address issues with billing and establish who owns which light poles.
   âAll this needs to be nailed down and figured out because thereâs some issue with the billing,â Martinez said. âWe donât know what exactly the city is being billed for, we want to get a solid breakdown on that.â
   The Co-op provides maintenance on streetlights in Española and then bills the city for the lights it owns.