This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is New Mexico's State Land Commissioner Ray Powell, describing the role and functions of the Land Office.He explains how when New Mexico became a state, 13 million acres, about 12 per cent of the surface area of New Mexico, were designated as state trust lands. Each piece of trust land is designated for a specific beneficiary (the public schools, universities, hospitals, etc) and whatever is earned on that piece of land, goes to that beneficiary.

Commissioner Powell reveals that in the last three years, state trust lands have generated a record- breaking amount of income for their beneficiaries – one billion, seven hundred million dollars ($1,700,000,000), the largest generation of funds by trust lands in the history of the Land Office. Powell notes, “That’s money that our tax payers don't have to pay in additional taxes. It amounts to about $850 per working family per year...that they don't have to pay.”

Powell also highlights recent Land Office projects. Among the exciting enterprises are the 1400 acre business park in Hobbs where the Jewell Company has a pilot project on state trust lands, using a patented algae process to produce diesel fuel, regular gasoline, and kerosene,

At Cannon Air Force Base, the Land Office, by working with that community and working with the governor, found a way to make some New Mexico trust lands available to increase the size of the base. Now, Cannon AFB can support more missions, resulting in thousands of new jobs and a lot more income. As a result, Cannon has become a “sunrise base,” instead of a “sunset base.”

Commissioner Powell discusses the removal of the River of Tires that was dumped on state trust land near Wagon Mound, and explains how White's Peak got restored to the land trust. He also describes working with the oil and gas industry, with the agricultural industry, and with the environmental community to figure out how to set guidelines to protect the Prairie Chicken, while using our natural resources in a responsible and reasonable way.