December 21, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Baca-505 263-9995
Calling for “balanced, common-sense management of New Mexico’s State Lands,” former State Land Commissioner Jim Baca announced he will seek the Democratic Party nomination for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands in the June 2006 Primary election.
Baca was Commissioner of Public Lands from 1982-1985 and from 1991 to 1993. He also served President Bill Clinton as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior during Clinton’s first term. He served one term as Albuquerque’s Mayor and today he is New Mexico’s Natural Resource Trustee.
The New Mexico State Land Commissioner manages state trust lands for the beneficiary institutions in the state; primarily they are the schools and universities. The lands provide income into the State Permanent Fund which then provides an income to the schools, subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
“I recognize the importance of this trust for New Mexico’s school children, and I have dedicated my life to protecting New Mexico’s great landscapes. It’s a good combination, representing 21st Century stewardship for land and resources critical to our children’s future. I will actively seek to bring our State Constitution’s State Land provisions into the 21st Century. The state’s voters should be given the opportunity to vote on constitutional changes that will allow for designation of state trust land conservation areas, such as Whites Peak in Northern New Mexico. That area has been a long time favorite for generations of New Mexico sportsmen. It was almost traded away by the current Land Office administration until Governor Richardson and Attorney General Patricia Madrid objected the transaction.”
Baca added that the ability of the land office to work with other governmental agencies and beneficiary institutions should also be clarified with Constitutional Amendments.
“I remain a proponent of the sensible use of state lands for natural resource extraction or development. This has provided the State of New Mexico with an impressive Permanent Trust fund for our schools. I will work with the Land Office’s long time partners to ensure reasonable and timely development of our trust lands with a fair return to our schools. At the same time I will ask them to cooperate in saving our last great places in New Mexico. We can produce plenty of income for our schools and treat our lands with respect,” Baca added.
The State Permanent fund now totals about 8.5 billion dollars. During Baca’s first term as State Land Commissioner he led a successful fight to increase oil and gas royalties to a fair market return for the schools. At that time New Mexico had the lowest royalties in the Western United States. Royalties are the amount of money the oil and gas companies pay the state for taking oil and gas from state lands. Baca said, “Today’s healthy Permanent fund is due in part to the work we did in getting a fair price for our resources.”
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