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April 26, 2016

Dr. Toni Hopper Pendergrass, President


Board Members:
Kenneth W. Hare, Chairman
John Thompson, Vice Chairman
R. Shane Chance, Secretary
Evelyn B. Benny, Member
Bryon Manning, Member
Dr. Joseph Pope, Member
Matthew Tso, Member
San Juan College
4601 College Boulevard
Farmington, New Mexico 87402
Re: San Juan College Herbarium and Curator and the fiscal year 2017 budget
Dear Dr. Pendergrass and Honorable Board Members:
It has come to our attention that San Juan College is considering a substantial reduction
in the budget for the Colleges Herbarium and Curator position. NMOGA understands
that budgets are tight for everyone due to the current oil and gas economy. However, as
a representative organization for the oil and gas industry in New Mexico, NMOGA also
recognizes the important role the Herbarium plays in the permitting and development of
energy resources. Therefore, a reduction in the operating budget for the Colleges
Herbarium is very disconcerting to NMOGA.
The San Juan College Herbarium and its current curator serves the oil and gas industry
in a number of very important ways. The most critical is providing scientific information
and identification on federally listed plant species, as well as BLM and the US Forest
Service Species of Concern. Oil and gas permitting and production can often be limited

P.O. Box 1864 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 (505) 982-2568

or delayed by a listed plant species and/or the presence of plant species habitat. The
San Juan College Herbarium has played an important scientific role in species
identification and analysis, determination of realistic mitigation measures and the
implementation of agency-approved mitigations.
Case in point is Western Refinings recently permitted and constructed Lybrook West
Pipeline. This project was permitted by the BLM, Farmington Filed Office under strict
mitigation measures. The mitigation measures called for cactus removal, storage and
relocation under the supervision of a qualified horticulturalist. These measures were
carried out by San Juan College staff in collaboration with the Herbarium Curator. This
project would have been significantly delayed without the assistance of the San Juan
College staff and the Herbarium Curator.
The Colleges Herbarium and Curator is currently assisting Rancho Santa Ana Botanical
Garden to complete a DNA analysis of one BLM Species of Concern that has proven
especially problematic to the industry in development of the Mancos Shale Play. This
DNA analysis will greatly assist in providing proper management for this species while
allowing development of important energy reserves. The awareness that this study is
needed came from the San Juan College Herbarium staff.
Given the role San Juan Colleges Herbarium plays in the permitting of energy projects,
NMOGA would like San Juan College to consider a 2-year reprieve in the proposed
reduction of the Colleges Herbarium. This will give the School of Science, Math and
Engineering time to secure future grant funding for the Herbarium and its curator.

Sincerely,

Steve Henke, President

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