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Monday will decide if mediation is possible
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Written by Tony Rayl
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Thursday, 24 April 2008
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Monday's gathering
in Wray of the principal parties involved in the
Pioneer Irrigation Company and Laird Ditch
litigation is a further extension of the
pre-mediation meeting held April 14 in Denver.
Colorado State Water Engineer Dick Wolfe told
the Pioneer that Monday's meeting still is part of
the pre-mediation process. He said the actual
mediation process would take several months.
Wolfe initially proposed the get-together held
two Mondays ago in the Division of Wildlife
headquarters in Denver. Parties from both sides
discussed possible mediation and agreed to meet
again in Wray on April 28.
Judge John Tracy, a retired water judge from the
Arkansas River Basin, will moderate the gathering.
Wolfe said what he is hoping to achieve Monday
is Judge Tracy will help the principals to go
through the process of deciding if there is any hope
for a solution.
If so, the complainants would file a motion
seeking to postpone June's hearing before the
Colorado Ground Water Commission, which will take
place in Wray and could last three weeks, and give
mediation a try.
Wolfe said the mediation would take several
months and multiple meetings, particularly if a
potential buyout of the Pioneer and Laird owners'
senior surface water rights is one of the options.
The state engineer stressed that even if June's
hearing is postponed and the parties turn to
mediation, in the end they still might not find a
solution and the litigation would return to the
Ground Water Commission.
Monday's meeting begins at 9 a.m. and will be
held at the Wray Ambulance Building, 304 W. Third
Ave. Wolfe said it is intended for the parties
directly involved in the case. He said it will not
really be open to the general public, saying
confidentiality is going to be needed if any
progress is going to be made.
However, Wolfe said he still wants the process
open and transparent, so there might be an
explanation of what is going to take place for
anyone who shows up, before only the principal
parties will be asked to stay. He also said he hoped
there would be a decision and public statement by
the end of the day. |
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