Contact: Rachael Lorenzo

rlorenzo@slo.state.nm.us.

Guwaadtzii ho’baa (hello, everyone!)!

We know that these are uncertain times and we are concerned for the health and wellbeing of everyone in the world, especially those who have contracted COVID-19, their loved ones, and those who have passed on as a result of COVID-19. At the New Mexico State Land Office, we are following the Center For Disease Control’s guidelines for social distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces often. As many of you know, many other state agencies in New Mexico are following these same guidelines and 95% of our staff are working remotely from home to follow Governor Lujan Grishams recent “stay at home” order for the entire state.

On March 21, 2020, the All Pueblo Council of Governors released a statement, requesting for the public to temporarily refrain from entering Pueblo reservations and nearby recreational areas. As the Tribal Liaison, I want to urge the public to heed the sovereign Tribes’ and Nations’ ask to not seek refuge on reservations or nearby recreational areas. There are seemingly healthy people who may be carriers of COVID-19 and may unintentionally pass it to tribal community members.

Our Indigenous elders are holders of traditional and cultural knowledge and more than ever, it is of the utmost importance to protect them the best we can, given these circumstances. Tribes across the country, not just in New Mexico, do not have all the supplies needed to address this pandemic and the increase of visitors poses additional health risks to Indigenous peoples when there are severe health disparities that are unique to Indigenous peoples, both on and off reservations. More than 70% of Indigenous peoples live away from their respective reservations or tribal land base and many of these people still rely in Indian Health Services (IHS) for healthcare.

“In Cochiti Pueblo, we have seen an overcrowding of recreationalists from outside our communities coming here and to surrounding areas to hike, and while we would otherwise welcome visitors to our lands, we are worried for the more vulnerable demographics of our community and the lack of resources to address this national health emergency. Our elders, who are invaluable traditional knowledge keepers and beloved members of our community, are particularly susceptible to this virus and we must fulfill our responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being.” – Governor Charles Naranjo, Cochiti Pueblo (from the All Pueblo Council of Governors statement)

Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard affirms the position of New Mexico’s tribal leaders, “Now, more than ever, it is vital that we respect the sovereignty of the tribal nations within our borders and support our tribal leaders as they implement distancing measures to keep members of their communities safe and healthy.”

-Rachael Lorenzo (Mescalero Apache, Laguna Pueblo)

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Recognizing that disruptions in oil and gas development logistics still exist due to the ongoing pandemic, the SLO is extending our temporary COVID extension program with the following clarifications:

• Three month COVID lease extensions are available to lessees.  When requesting the extension, lessees must describe the specific circumstance arising from COVID and how it impacts operations.
• The SLO may grant the extension after a review of whether the lease is in good standing.  The SLO will verify whether a bond is on file, whether royalties are up to date, and whether the lease is currently active.  The SLO will verify whether open spills or compliance actions exist.
• One three month extension is available.  The Commissioner may grant an additional extension, in her sole discretion, upon a showing of good cause.
• To request a COVID lease extension, please contact Kenda Montoya, via email, at kmontoya@slo.state.nm.us. 

If a special exception is approved via email, a copy of the filing fee check, along with any stipulations required per the Assistant Commissioner of Minerals, shall be scanned and emailed to the Oil & Gas Lease Manager for review.  Once approved, a hard copy of the check and submitted materials shall be mailed to the New Mexico State Land Office as follows:

New Mexico State Land Office

Attn: Kenda Montoya/Special Exception

PO Box 1148

Santa Fe, NM  87504

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2020

Contact:

Angie Poss, Assistant Commissioner of Communications

505.470.2965

aposs@slo.state.nm.us

or

Jason Espinoza, NMIDEA

505.417.4001

jespinoza.kw@gmail.com

State Land Office and NMIDEA Applaud Governor’s Signing of Economic Development Legislation

House Bill 176 will provide additional real estate options throughout New Mexico for prospective economic development projects

SANTA FE, NM—The New Mexico State Land Office and NMIDEA, a statewide economic development association, applauded Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signing of House Bill 176 into law.

Currently, the State Land Office is authorized to issue direct business leases to municipalities and counties for public purposes, such as economic development projects, for a term to not exceed 25 years. However, with the previous maximum allowable lease term for a direct lease to a municipality or county sitting at 25 years, state lands were often not an option due to difficulty in obtaining project financing with a shorter lease term, despite business interest in leasing those lands.

House Bill 176, sponsored by Representative Andrea Romero, will extend the maximum lease term to 40 years. By extending the allowable lease term, more economic development entities would consider leasing state lands and investing in buildings within city or county managed industrial or business parks.
House Bill 176 was aimed at implementing one of the recommendations of the Economic Development Innovation Task Force, as established by House Memorial 16, which passed during the 2019 Legislative Session.

“The State Land Office is well-positioned to assist communities to expand options for economic development projects, such as industrial and business parks,” Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said. “With the signing of this bill and the increase in the maximum allowable lease term for a direct lease to a municipality or county we are giving business the ability to better secure infrastructure and facility investments on state land, while also helping us raise money for the beneficiaries.”

“By extending the allowable lease term, additional real estate options will become available to communities throughout New Mexico for prospective economic development projects, which will encourage the expansion of new and existing businesses, resulting in more jobs and tax revenues.” said Raymond Mondragon, Board President, NMIDEA.

In fiscal year 2019, the State Land Office earned over $1 billion from leasing state trust lands for a wide variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, and mineral development.  These earnings support 22 land trust beneficiaries, which include public schools throughout the state, seven universities and colleges, the School for the Deaf, the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, three hospitals, correctional facilities, water conservation projects, and public building construction and repair.

NMIDEA is s statewide economic development association with membership from economic development organizations and private sector businesses across New Mexico. NMIDEA’s mission is to promote New Mexico economic growth through focused advocacy of economic development issues, providing networking, professional development, education and training opportunities for its members. For more information, please visit nmidea.com.

Contact:

Alysha Shaw, Constituent Services Director

505.827.5761

ashaw@slo.state.nm.us

State Land Office Public Meeting Notice

Input Sought on Rio Grande Bosque Ecological Restoration Project Plan

SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico State Land Office Surface Resources Division will hold a public meeting seeking input on a planned ecological restoration project on state trust land along the Rio Grande Bosque. This project is a continuation of Land Office remediation efforts aimed at replenishing over 200 acres of land along the Bosque.

The project objectives are to:

• Restore desired conditions in riparian forests and floodplains within the project area
• Remove non-native tree species within the project area and plant native willow and cottonwood
• Increase resiliency of forest and watershed to fire disturbance, disease, drought, pathogens, insects and other climate change related impacts
• Protect wildland-urban interface from fire risks
• Conduct monitoring to determine treatment effectiveness and adapt management accordingly for future treatments

Anyone interested in attending the meeting is encouraged to review the project plans in advance.

State Land Office Rio Grande Bosque Ecological Restoration Project

Meeting Details:

When: Thursday, March 12, 2020

Meeting begins at 5:15 PM

Where:

Join by web:
Meeting number: 745 724 478
https://nmstatelands.webex.com/nmstatelands/j.php?MTID=mf3b54d57009c818cfd616df01aaf2cc9
Password: 0000

Join by phone
+1-415-655-0001 US Toll
Access code: 745 724 478