Catron sheriff won't block removal of cattle

Catron County Sheriff Cliff Snyder may have changed his mind about trying to block the removal of unauthorized cattle from the Diamond Bar Allotment in the Gila National Forest.

District Ranger Annette Chavez and other forest managers reportedly spoke with Snyder on Tuesday.

The officials "sincerely felt Sheriff Snyder expressed no indication there would be any interference from the Catron County Sheriff's Department concerning the livestock removal," Andrea Martinez, public-affairs officer for the forest, said this morning.

"Our relationship with Catron County and the sheriff is very important to us," she added. "Our intent is to continue cooperation and communications with (them), especially during the development of the Diamond Bar livestock removal-impoundment activities."

Snyder has not returned calls from the Daily Press.

In a Feb. 4 letter to federal officials, he vowed to prevent shipment of the cattle out of Catron County. He cited several state statutes that he said supported his position.

Clint Wellborn, the 7th Judicial District attorney, responded the next day with a letter to Snyder, warning him that federal marshals would arrest anyone interfering with the impoundment.

The cattle removal, which Martinez said will take place in mid-February, is a result of a court order in which a judge determined that ranchers Kit and Sherry Laney are running unauthorized cattle on the allotment.

The Laneys have argued they have surface rights on the parcel because of their historic use of the land, predating creation of the Forest Service and wilderness areas.

At 8 a.m. today, an area closure went into effect. Nonresidents may not use Forest Road 150 (the North Star Mesa road) on forest land south of Wall Lake and north of the south rim of Rocky Canyon.

The 147,000-acre Diamond Bar Allotment, as well as several forest trails, also are closed to the public.

Maps of the area are available at district ranger offices. The closure "will be reviewed on a regular basis to determine its usefulness," Martinez wrote.

Private-land owners are allowed to travel to and from their properties.