DIAMOND BAR CATTLE COMPANY/W.M. GRIDER'S LETTER TO NM LIVESTOCK BOARD

Welda McKinley Grider
P.O. Box 753
Carrizozo, NM 88301

March 21, 2004

Daniel Manzanares, Executive Director
New Mexico Livestock Board
300 San Mateo NE, Suite 1000
Albuquerque, NM 87108

Mr. Manzanares;

I am the person who after shaking Mr. Delk’s hand at the Brand Board meeting where the Laney Case was discussed told you that you had lied to me.

I spoke with you by phone on or about March 1st, 2004. I introduced myself as a rancher from the Carrizozo area. I stated that I was concerned about the Brand Board’s upcoming consideration of signing the MOU with the Forest Service.

I told you that my father had spoken by phone to Mr. King and that my father had come away from that phone conversation with the understanding that Mr. King had taken a “strong stand in favor of the Laney’s”. You did not comment. (Although I did not hear the conversation, nor was I present. I am merely stating my understanding of that conversation.)

According to the brief notes that I made for myself concerning this conversation, you stated that you were “a ranch boy from the Northern part of the State and you knew too well, the problems of the Forest Service and the troubles ranchers were having in your part of the state.”

You stated the last MOU was signed “in about 1979, about the time I graduated, and it is still in effect, as far as I am concerned”. You said you “were very familiar with the recent Court Order and it didn’t name the New Mexico Brand Board”. You further stated, “Until I get a Court Order specifically naming the Brand Board, I have no intention of signing another MOU”.

You stated further, “If I get a Court Order specifically naming the Brand Board, then I have to protect the Brand Board”. I said I understood that, but at this point it didn’t. I asked if the Board would have to vote on signing a MOU and without hesitation, you agreed the Board would have to vote on such an action, but that I needed to understand if the Board had a Court Order, it would have no recourse but to sign a MOU, but that you didn’t think it would come to that.

You stated that as far as you were personally concerned, the problem lay between the Laney’s and the Forest Service and would not concern the Brand Board in any way. You reminded me that the Brand Board’s main purpose was to protect the owners of a brand. I agreed with that fact.

But upon agreeing with that fact, I stated again that I felt the Forest Service would ask them (the Brand Board) to support the impounding of the cattle in some way and that I wanted to voice my opposition to the Brand Board supporting an action that should be decided in court. I stated my personal beliefs about water rights, allotment rights and etc. You stated you were personally also in support of the Laney’s, as well as other ranchers facing the same problems, again stating that you were a ranch boy from up north.

We ended the phone conversation with my full belief that you would not, unless faced with a court order, without the vote of the Board – sign any MOU or any thing else.

At the Brand Board meeting, while I was listening to the comments during the time allotted by Mr. King for public input, it seemed to me that you were the only person at the head table (s) that was not extremely uncomfortable with the comments from the public.

It was whispered down the hall, that you acted on orders from the Governor himself. Certainly it became clear when Mr. Delk spoke, that the Board had not voted on you signing the MOU. Indeed, it was my understanding that the members of the Brand Board heard about this action about the same time as the public did.

So my statement to you – that you had lied to me, may have been strong language, but to my way of thinking, if a person does not tell the truth, then he has in some way - lied. Quite possibly at the time of our conversation, you were telling the truth, but the later actions, indicated to me the opposite.

I would be willing to hear your side of the story. I would ask you to answer several questions.

Is my rendition of our phone conversation incorrect in any way? If I misunderstood a point would you please set me straight?
Were you in receipt of a different Court Order?
If not, how did that Court Order affect your decision?
Was the Board informed prior to you signing the MOU?
Did the Board vote on this action? If so, what was the consensus of that vote and when was it taken?
If the Board was not informed and if it did not vote – then by what authority did you sign the MOU?

I await your reply and I thank you in advance for your consideration into this matter. I still support property rights set forth by the constitution, by the laws of the State of New Mexico, by the Taylor Grazing Act and the Gualdalupe/Hilgado Treaty. I am not in support of regulations imposed by governmental agencies that do not comply with the laws of the land. I remind you that Hage vs. US upheld private property rights. I remind you that the New Mexico Brand Board, by your own words, “main function was to support the owners of a brand. “

Sincerely,
/s/
Welda McKinley Grider

Cc: Joe Delk
Members of the New Mexico Livestock Board
Don L. Lee, President of New Mexico Cattle Growers Assn.
Caren Cowen, Executive Director of New Mexico Cattle Growers Assn.
Steve Pearce
Kit Laney
Ronnie Merritt
Frank Du Bois