(Updated) Ray Powell Criticizes Land Commissioner Pat Lyons on White Peak Land Swap

Ray Powell talks about the land swap practices of the current Land Commissioner at his campaign kickoff last weekend

Updates: Governor Bill Richardson issued a statement criticizing the land deal. Also, Alexa at SFReeper has more on the press conference and proposed land swap.
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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons appeared at today's Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) meeting and reported on what's known as the White Peak land swap. The land office is preparing to trade a parcel of land made up of prime, public hunting habitat with an abundance of elk, deer, turkey and bear, as well as expansive water resources, for privately owned land that is mostly scrubland along a desolate highway. There has been no public input on the deal, and no serious analysis of the long-term impact of the trade has been performed.

In response, several statewide sportsmen groups held a press conference today raising serious concerns about large land trades in the White Peak area (near the Mora / Colfax County line in northern New Mexico). The State Land Office has put one parcel of the land out to bid with a closing deadline set for Tuesday at 5:00 PM.  If no-one else bids on the land, the Stanley Ranch will get it without paying any cash to the State Land Office. Instead, the ranch owners will swap 3,300 acres of land they own nearby.

Ray Powell, former New Mexico Land Commissioner and current Democratic candidate for the job, weighed in on the controversy in a statement released this afternoon.

“The White Peak land exchange has not been an open process and people have not been invited to participate in what is best for the trust and New Mexico. I’m glad to see sportsmen's groups highlighting this issue and working to make people aware of this type of transaction at the land office,” said Ray Powell.

“As I travel around the state I have been working hard to alert people to the need to be engaged and aware of land transfers being proposed by the current administration at the land office," Powell continued. "As a former Land Commissioner, I can tell you, the White Peak land exchange is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. What we know is this: this is not a “like for like” exchange. We need to know what is being traded for what. Is the trust trading away good wildlife habitat and public hunting grounds for questionable pasture lands?”

“This trade seems to be similar to what we saw in Las Cruces,” said Powell, referring to a controversial land transfer in Las Cruces in 2006 where Land Commissioner Lyons transferred thousands of acres to a developer after shutting down the open bid process. It turned out that this developer contributed thousands of dollars to Lyons’ re-election campaign, leading to accusations of 'pay-to-play.' "And, like what we saw in Las Cruces, this was done without involving the community,” said Powell.

According to Powell, “Sunshine, transparency, and public involvement is the best antidote to these seriously flawed proposals.”

Powell is running for Land Commissioner on a platform of reform in the State Land Office, creating economic development and conserving and protecting New Mexico's valuable public lands. As Commissioner, Powell pledges to protect and carefully manage state trust lands." After eight years of controversies and distractions", Powell says, "it’s time to restore trust in the State Land Office."

A New Mexico native, Powell is from Albuquerque and lives in the North Valley with his wife, Jean. Powell served as Land Commissioner from 1993-2002, and was recognized for running one of the best land management agencies in the country. Ray is a veterinarian and currently works as a regional director for the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research Education and Conservation in Santa Fe.

Ray is facing Santa Fe County Commissioners Harry Montoya and Mike Anaya and Public Regulatory Commission Chairman Sandy Jones. The Democratic Primary election is June 1, 2010.