SANTA FE, NM – On Monday, May 6th 2019, Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard joined officials from McKinley County and the city of Gallup for the signing of a Joint Planning Agreement (JPA). The signing kicked off National Economic Development Week at the McKinley County Courthouse. Former Land Commissioner Ray Powell signed a similar JPA with the city and county on February 7, 2013, which remained in place during his administration but was recently inactive during the Dunn administration. The agreement is meant to foster enhanced collaboration between the city, county, and the Land Office in the process of marketing 177,000 acres of state trust land for economic development purposes. 700 acres are within or immediately adjacent to the city of Gallup.
“This agreement is a win, win, win – the county wins, the city wins, and the beneficiaries of state land trust win. This really allows us to partner with local entities to leverage economic development and seek business opportunities,” Commissioner Garcia Richard said. “We are looking to sign similar partnerships across the state so that we are meeting our obligation to responsibly use state trust land to raise money for New Mexico schools, hospitals, and colleges.”