The Las Placitas Association (www.lasplacitas.org) is looking for board members. Consider joining the LPA Board to help influence the future of our community. Leave a note expressing your interest in the contact section of our web page and a current board member will contact you. Board members are needed and especially with membership management, social media, or financial management skills. Make a difference and volunteer.
LPA had a busy 2017—We negotiated to maintain an in-perpetuity library of Michel Crofoot’s writing about Placitas plants, herbs, geology, native seeds, plant ball creation, herbarium, native plant locations, and erosion control. These papers will be preserved and available to the community through our website. We felt that Michael’s writings should not be lost with his relocation.
LPA sponsored THREE hikes this year—led by our vice-president David Haigh to La Cienega Petroglyphs, Tesuque Cree Trail, and Tent Rocks. Michael Crofoot led three hikes in the open space this year to explore what was growing during the spring, summer and fall.
Pipeline Activities—The entire pipeline route through Placitas was “droned” by the LPA Pipeline Committee using a professional operator to catalog locations of excessive erosion, exposed pipelines, missing concrete blankets, and other anomalies conducive to unsafe operation. That information was used in meetings with the operators. Two studies commissioned in 2009 at a cost of $250,000 based upon work by the LPA board at that time was uncovered and reviewed by the current LPA Board this year. We found that actions and remedies suggested in the two studies have not been accomplished. In a meeting with operators, congressional representatives, and safety commissioners, we reviewed the study findings and none of the “fixes” have been implemented. This work continues in 2018. With the increased throughput and aging pipelines, LPA’s pipeline committee is compelled to monitor the safety record and actions of the operators and suggest alternatives to the current operation to increase the safety of our community.
Mining Activities—Along with ES-CA, and the ES-CA Trust, LPA has met regularly with our congressional delegation and state officials throughout the year to see if the 800- to 1,000-acre gravel mine in one of the Draft Resource Management Plans alternatives is still under consideration. (Read the excellent report, Land of Enchantment …. or Gravel on the LPA website.) Most recently we met with the outgoing director of the NM BLM to discuss the mining proposed in the draft BLM Resource Management Plan. Again, there is no assurance that mining will not be the selected alternative and we will wait until the release of the plan to assess our next actions.
Lectures—LPA launched its Lecture Series in the fourth quarter of 2107 with two well-received presentations about erosion issues and the evolution of Placitas, given by Michael Crofoot. We are planning a quarterly lecture at the library in 2018. Email us with suggested topics, speakers, or volunteer to present a lecture.
KUPR—LPA continues its ongoing support for the “Heart of Placitas,” low wattage, public radio station. In February of 2014, LPA applied for a license to construct a low-power FM public radio station to serve the communities of Placitas, Bernalillo, Algodones, parts of northern Rio Rancho, and the pueblos of Santa Ana, San Felipe, and Zia. In May of 2015, the station went on the air with a limited schedule and has since grown with robust programming serving the tastes of our diverse communities and reaching out to a more distant audience by streaming over the internet. In January 2018, the station will begin broadcasting 24 hours a day. LPA provided start-up money and has continued to provide financial support to ensure this asset to our communities can continue. Information on the station and its programming can be found at www.kupr.org.
Become a member or join the board of Las Placitas Association. Board meetings are the third Wednesday of each month (except December), 6:30 pm, at the Placitas Community Center, 41 Camino de las Huertas. Everyone is invited.