Emotions have been brewing for some time at the county level since the Bureau of Land Management determined water use issues along the San Pedro River without talking with the Board of Supervisors.

It was only due to the county’s intervention on behalf of Cochise Amateur Radio Association (CARA), which provides critical service in county emergencies, that they found out things had changed. When the BLM would not renew the organization’s long-term lease due to a new, unannounced policy of no-water use on any BLM lands along or near the San Pedro River, the supervisors stepped in on the CARA issue. The lease was renewed as a result of support of the supervisors and county emergency agencies.

Now, the supervisors are faced with an uplisting of two, two-inch minnows from threatened to endangered that could put a halt on certain uses of public and private lands along the river.

Though federal agencies are to “cooperate” and “coordinate” with local governments on such issues, and though the county has .memorandums of understanding with BLM, Arizona Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the U.S Forestry, the supervisors have decided that letters with specific language about being at the table for any and all discussion on water use in the county are necessary.

During Monday’s special meeting, Supervisors Pat Call, Ann English and Richard Searle all agreed to approve a resolution that that makes it perfectly clear “that coordination will be sought as to the planning process and management action implementation by federal and state agencies” when it comes to water and land use in Cochise Coiunty.

Call said, “This makes it official that we expect to be involved in any future discussion that affects our county �- We’ve been treated abruptly in the past. This lets them know we’re in the arena and we want to play.”

It seems the BLM is only targeting the San Pedro River and sub-watershed, added Searle. “There are differing water policies in other areas of the county.”

County deputy civil attorney Britt Hanson added, “This is an attention-getter. If the law requires them to coordinate with the county and they don’t, we can take it to court.”

Sierra Vista has been stymied by BLM as well. Chuck Potucek, city manager of Sierra Vista, explained that the city wanted to build a park next to the city school bus barn. This was land set aside for that purpose some years ago. “But, BLM said ‘no.’ They said there was a new policy �” no water use on public lands at all.”

When the supervisors do get to sit down with federal agencies, Stephanie Smallhouse, executive director of Arizona Natural Resource Conservation District Association, suggested the supervisors have questions ready that can go on record at these meetings. Just what research being used to back up listings of species or water use issues is also important since it can be decades old or anecdotal, or even from another area of the country. “Sometimes it’s an extrapolation from the Northeast. We have two entirely different climates.”

Smallhouse continued, “The record could all be used in litigation if it came down to that �- We have all worked with the federal bureaucracy and we know it’s not an easy process. The agencies don’t like this process of sitting down together since the local government has the ability to halt a project �-”

Going one step further, County Administrator MIke Ortega was given the go-ahead to request public records dealing with any and all decisions in water use policies on the San Pedro River from BLM owned or controlled land over the past three years. This goes back to the CARA issue and the supervisors want to be sure the county has a voice in any policies regarding water and land use. He is also requesting all data communications on the Spikedace and Loach minnows endangered species listing status for the same three-year period.

Though Ortega, like any citizen, could have requested the information on his own, he believed the unanimous weight of the county supervisors helped pose a strong front when it comes to the feds and the state taking away control of issues important to the county’s economy and citizens.

Ortega also asked the BLM to waive copy fees since the requested documents will contribute “significantly to the public understanding of the operations and activities of county government and the BLM.”

ALSO �-

In other business, the board:

• Approved County Sheriff Larry Dever as the go-to person to conduct negotiations and execute documentation in connection with grants through Arizona’s 2011-2012 Highway Safety Plan.

• Approved an agreement for construction of a new platform for remote communication outlet antennas at Bisbee/Douglas International Airport.

• Approved a resolution to establish a county merit award system board made up of the county administrator, the deputy county administrator and the human resources director.

• Approved a merit award system policy for Fleet and Heavy Fleet Departments