State Land Office contenders look past oil and gas
Two candidates for land commissioner tout ideas for renewable energy, recreation during forum
The model pump jack in front of the State Land Office is a good hint at what the agency is mostly about.
So, what will a conservationist do if elected to run an office that earns the vast majority of its revenue from leasing state lands for oil and gas production?
Two of the three Democrats running for land commissioner outlined plans at a forum Monday for diversifying how the State Land Office earns its money, starting with more renewable energy and outdoor recreation.
Typically a low-key office, the agency is responsible for 9 million surface acres and 13 million subsurface acres of state trust land. Leasing that land generates a sizable portion of the funding for the state’s public education system.
Both state Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard and New Mexico Wildlife Federation Executive Director Garrett VeneKlasen argued for turning the land agency into one that is less centered on extractive industries.
The two differed little on policy. Both support expanding renewable energy production and back raising royalty rates on oil and gas production, for example.
VeneKlasen, though, gave particular emphasis to outdoor rec-
reation. The Santa Fe resident previously ran an ecotourism company and argued the land office should make it easier to use trust lands for recreation and attract more visitors, from birders to backpackers.
“I want to bring the world to New Mexico,” VeneKlasen told a group at the Performance Space at La Tienda in Eldorado.
Garcia Richard, a teacher from Los Alamos, emphasized plans for increasing renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal power generated on state trust land. And she said the State Land Office should incentivize sustainable land use when issuing leases for grazing, which the legislator argued could help save money in the long run.
She said her interest in animal protection sets her apart. In the Legislature, she has backed a prohibition on coyote killing contests and supports banning trapping on state land.
Garcia Richard noted that she would be the first teacher elected to run the State Land Office, which would be a benefit for public education.
“We’ve never had someone in the office who represents the end user, who knows what’s at stake when our dollars run short,” she said.
VeneKlasen said he would consider himself more of an environmental activist who may set himself apart by seeing the job of land commissioner as having a particular importance in a broader debate about the management of public lands in the West. A jab at President Donald Trump has become a sort of motto of his campaign: Keep your tiny little hands off our public land.
Missing from the forum was state Sen. George Muñoz of Gallup, the third candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in the June primary.
Whoever wins will likely face Republican Pat Lyons and Libertarian Michael Lucero in the general election. Incumbent Libertarian Aubrey Dunn is not seeking another term and is instead running for U.S. Senate.