Salazar pushes for coordination on Rio Grande

As part of his two-day trip through the West, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in New Mexico on Thursday to begin discussions on the development of consensus around conservation and water security along the Middle Rio Grande. Salazar brought together water, land and wildlife managers, conservation groups, ranchers and others to start talking about the long-term future of the river in central New Mexico. Salazar gave officials until July 1 to lay the groundwork for a recovery and restoration plan along a 100-mile stretch of the river. His goal was to avoid conflicts as more pressure is put on the river to meet endangered species needs and the demands of a growing population — all while facing a persistent drought. Salazar told the group he wants to avoid legal battles that could end up costing millions of dollars. "That doesn't do a lot of good to provide certainty for the development of our natural resource, nor does it do a lot of good in terms of protecting and preserving the habitat that is really needed for the protection of wildlife," he said. "I want us to figure out a way to move forward."...more