County opposes listing of LPC as endangered

Quay County commissioners on Monday approved a resolution opposing a federal listing of the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species, fearing the economic impact.

County manager Daniel Zamora said the Natural Resources Committee recommended the passage of the resolution, saying the county needs more information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the implications and regulations to landowners if the bird is listed.

The resolution states the chicken’s habitat includes New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma.

It states the chicken’s endangered status is “unfounded,” plus “the language describing critical habitat is vague, and the location of specific boundaries are not easily identifiable.”

It also stated the lesser prairie chicken’s populations increased from 1997 to 2012.

“The loss of the robust energy, agriculture and utility employment sectors in the region will also adversely impact thousands of support jobs necessary to sustain the region’s economic health and vitality” and “will result in harm to working families, local industries and communities,” the resolution states.

Commissioner Jerri Rush said the federal regulations contain no information on who will be affected by the listing, nor the consequences if landowners don’t comply.

“What they have written down is very ambiguous and very bad,” she said.

The Roosevelt County Commission is due next week to act on a similar resolution opposing the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species.

The Audubon Society states the lesser prairie chicken, part of the pheasants and grouse family, said the bird’s habitat is threatened by the conversion of natural prairie to farmland.

In other business:

— Commissioners approved a request form from Zamora for more than $32.2 million in federal funds to build a new Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari.

Zamora explained the Congressionally Directed Spending Request Form for fiscal-year 2024 serves as “a backup” plan if the New Mexico Legislature does not allocate money this year to build the hospital.

— Commissioners accepted and approved the fiscal-year 2022 audit from the Carr, Riggs & Ingram in Albuquerque.

Eric Spurlin, a certified public accountant with the firm, said during the audit’s exit conference the report was an unmodified opinion — the best the county could receive — and it contained only one finding.

Spurlin said the county’s cash position had improved, partly because of a rise in gross-receipts tax revenue.

— Commissioners went into a closed executive session to interview five candidates for the assessor position.

Current county assessor Janie Hoffman is resigning her post in June after more than 30 years in that office to pursue a business venture in Tucumcari.

A new assessor had not been chosen before the Quay County Sun’s deadline.

— Commissioners approved the fiscal-year 2024 distribution and grant-funding application of $119,605 for the local DWI Program.

DWI coordinator Andrea Shafer also announced she was resigning later this month and that compliance officer Rico Marano would take over her post.

— Commissioners approved these Local Government Road Fund requests: $122,965.90 for one mile of work of Quay Road 63, $327,694.85 for 2.99 miles of Quay Road AF and $117,661.16 for 1.24 miles of Quay Road AR. Road superintendent Larry Moore said he would request match waivers for each.

Moore also introduced Stephen Salas, who he said would take over the department after his retirement.

— County resident Doyle Rush said the closing of a section of Quay Road 41 by the county in 2013 was done improperly and that the Sally Rush Educational Trust cannot access agricultural land without the the road. Rush said he would file a lawsuit if the road wasn’t reopened.

Zamora said the county followed necessary procedures at the time to close the road. Commission Chairman Robert Lopez asked Zamora to consult with state officials and attorneys on the matter.

— Zamora presented his annual Quay County safety inspection, and commissioners approved an affidavit stating the inspection had been completed.

Zamora said the citations in the report were for “minor stuff,” adding: “I don’t think we’re in bad shape by any means.”

— Commissioners approved an application from Sheriff Dennis Garcia for $105,500 in Law Enforcement Protection Fund money for the department.

— Commissioners approved Lopez to the the CEO board of the Eastern Area Workforce Development Board as recommended by Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corp. director Patrick Vanderpool.

— Commissioners approved annual state retirement applications for volunteer firefighters in the District 1, District 2, Bard-Endee, Porter and Quay departments.

— Commissioners approved a $12,585 equipment purchase from Artesia Fire Department for Quay County fire marshal Lucas Bugg so he can fill firefighters’ air tanks.

— Commissioners approved a $420,000 tanker-truck purchase from Steele Fire Apparatus in Haskell, Texas, for the District 1. Bugg said the district received a $300,000 state fire-protection grant to cover part of the purchase and will use savings to cover the rest.