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Thanks for your support in keeping everyone informed about what's going on with my family's ranch. We really do need more concerned citizens like you!

As of last Thursday (March 18) anywhere between 90 some head and 200 and some head of Diamond Bar, KIT and SS branded cattle have been rounded up and contained, depending on which FS personnel you are talking to. According to Zeno Kiehne, Editor of The Messenger newspaper headquartered in Reserve, NM, who was allowed into the contained area the cattle are being held in, there are at least 3 tight bagged cows (which means the personnel left at least 3 calves out on the ranch somewhere, where they have most likely falled prey to either coyotes or wolves which are running loose over there) and one dogie calf, who is surviving by stealing milk from whichever cows will let it. FS Range Staff employee Steve Libby, was acting like he'd really done something great, showing off 3 new calves that had been born since the containment, like he was the owner or something, Kiehne reported.

I talked to my husband, Kit Laney's brother, who is over there at this time, he said Kit is still in jail, and they "should" have a hearing tomorrow concerning his release. The bad thing is that even if he's released, he won't be allowed to go home, or even anywhere around the ranch until the cattle, rustlers and everyone is gone from there. We've heard that Bob Jones from Otero County, was able to get custody of Kit until he is allowed to return home. Kit's parents and his eldest brother all tried to get custody, but the FS wants him further out of the country than Luna.

Yesterday, March 20, two sisters of Sherry Farr (Kit's ex-wife and partner in the Diamond Bar) were allowed to go see the cattle (strange how the FS let the sisters see the cattle, but won't let the owners near them?). While they were there, they planned to take pictures of the license plates on vehicles, but there was a folding chair over each license plate, effectively blocking them from view. Recently, a license number from one of the contractor pickups was run, and it came back as belonging to a Jeep from Albuquerque. The contractor is from Espanola or El Rito. So are they using bogus license plates to mislead everyone, or what is the main purpose of this do you think?

The really unbelievable part of this is that the stories the FS is telling (yea, there are at least 2 versions going around) are completely different than Kit's story of the same incident. The officer that testified at the arraignment wasn't even there when it happened, so it's just hearsay that he testified to. How's that for our justice system?

Kit is currently being charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with a deadly weapon (get this, the deadly weapon they are referring to is a horse.......), resisting arrest and failure to comply with a court order. I'm not sure how many of those charges they'll be able to make stick, but I hope the Judge will see through the lies and dismiss them all......time will tell. One of the FS employees that was in on the incident, however, had been heard to comment that he "wanted to see Kit Laney in chains". He got his wish at Kit's arraignment, when they brought him into the courtroom in leg irons, handcuffs, the whole nine yards. To add insult to injury, they had him dressed in a green jumpsuit, green being the color of the FS uniforms........makes me just want to throw up to think about it!

What gets really good is that the MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) that was signed by Livestock Board Director, Daniel Manzanarez, (who incidentally, has the authority to pay bills and that's about all) was done behind the majority of the Livestock Board's backs. The Chairman of the Livestock Board, Bill King, told Manzanarez to sign the MOU with the FS. None of the other Board members were even aware of this until about 10 days later. The more we learn about what actually happened, it seems to point to the idea that this was actually ordered to happen by our own Governor, Bill Richardson.........it just gets better and better!

I won't be back for no telling how long, to update you on what actually happens, as our 13 year old son, Albert, and I are headed back to the ranch in the morning.

Thanks for letting me "vent" about all this stuff! You're a good group here, and I'm really glad I found this site!

My thoughts and prayers are with you guys.

I am in the midwest. All of my mothers people were farmers and cattlemen. I used to spend summers and some winters working the cattle. Pulling calves, dehorning, clamping, doctoring for pinkeye, hauling hay when its 20 below and chopping holes in the ice on the creek so they could drink.

Its a tough but good life.

Its a lot tougher when the feral government wants you gone and is willing to lie, cheat and steal to get it done.

You westerners are on the front lines on this and are bleeding first.

But it is happening around here too.

In the midwest the drive to implement the Wildlands Project centers on the rivers.....and the watersheds which feed them. For instance the Mississippi watershed encompasses half the US and is subject to eventual regulation and control to save the river.

I am a property rights fanatic. I listen to the Derry Brownfield talk show and he has been giving regular updates on this and similar situations.

Tell your family to take heart, and take care.

Best regards.

Jim