El Rito students upset by felled trees on campus

Posted at: 10/26/2009 11:02 AM | Updated at: 10/26/2009 1:13 PM
By: The Associated Press

EL RITO, N.M. (AP) - Northern New Mexico College is rethinking plans for more than $1 million in construction at its El Rito campus in Rio Arriba County after complaints about a decision to cut down 16 mature trees.

There have been two heated discussions about the controversy - one before the board of regents Oct. 15 and another at a community meeting last week.

The trees, including at least 11 Fremont cottonwoods, some more than 50 feet tall, were toppled earlier this month. The college is improving its water system and building a pedestrian plaza on the 100-year-old campus about 60 miles north of Santa Fe.

About $512,000 would be spent on connecting the college water system to the El Rito community and another $500,000 would go toward the plaza project.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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