The Mora County Commission voted unanimously to repeal the “Mora County Community Water and Local Self-Government Ordinance” on the grounds that Federal Judge Browning has found the ordinance invalid on Constitutional grounds. This is very good news and would not have been possible without the lawsuit filed by IPANM in November 2013 after passage of the original ordinance in April 2013.

This good news is also welcome in light of the recent demise of HB 366, drafted by IPANM and sponsored by Representative Gentry, House Majority leader. Rep. Gentry did a phenomenal job pushing the bill through two House Committees and across the House floor with a final 37-28 vote. Unfortunately, Senate Conservation Chairman Peter Wirth refused to hear the bill and it was left in their committee to die without a final vote. The same fate occurred with SB 421, drafted and sponsored by NMOGA. Paula Garcia, current chair of the Mora County Commission, testified strongly against both bills but also admitted that the Mora County Ordinance was not the “correct way” to limit oil and gas activities in the counties. We are pleased that Ms. Garcia followed through on her commitment to reverse Mora’s ordinance and hope that before that county adopts another ordinance, IPANM will be able to speak to the Commissioners.

I will be speaking at the Society of Petroleum Engineers luncheon in Farmington tomorrow and hope to send the final report on the session out by Tuesday afternoon. There are also several updates to send regarding BLM’s intent to merge the New Mexico and Arizona offices and IPANM’s request to ONRR for another training session in New Mexico this spring. We will keep you posted!