Posted on 05/10/2017 6:33:24 PM PDT by Monorprise
SANTA FE, NM – An executive order signed today by President Trump instructing the Department of the Interior to review designations of national monuments could hinder a proposed land exchange between the New Mexico State Land Office (SLO) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that would consolidate state and federal holdings within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, creating one of the most preeminent recreational spots in the United States. Trump’s order instructs Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to examine designations dating back to 1996 to determine whether they were within the scope of a century-old law that allows presidents to set aside federal lands without congressional approval. State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn today said his agency and the BLM have been negotiating an agreement to initiate a land exchange which would transfer about 41,000 acres of state-owned surface and mineral estate within the monument to the BLM. In turn, the SLO had selected approximately 78,000 acres of federal surface and mineral estate in Chaves, Colfax, Guadalupe, Lincoln, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, and Torrance Counties which are more favorable for economic development. Commissioner Dunn expressed concern that a delay of 60 days or more from the current time table will push the closing date past the end of his first term and possibly put the exchange in the hands of another land commissioner who may not support the trade. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at nmstatelands.org ...
Dun is trading 41,000 acres of State owned land for almost twice as much Federal BLM land.
The truble is Trump's order is slowing things down, but that there is a good idea, if New Mexico can incease its land holdings legaly by swaping land in this way why not double down and do 2 to 3 times more land? It wont take too many more swaps before new mexico owns most of its own land again.
Area 51 —FINE.
I don’t understand why the Feds need something like 85% of Nevada.
Just “CUZ”...?
It’s ridiculous.
May be wrong here, but the value of the land the Feds wanted, may have bee the reason for the concession of more acreage.
Well, there’s federal land, and there’s federal land. I don’t mind National Forest if it’s run the way it was intended, multi-use and open for all. Then there’s the econazi model, close roads, deny use to all but eco-tourists, and designate as a national monument to evade laws requiring multi-use. I’m glad Trump is fixing that.
According to Dunn, we can make more money on the Federal land hes trading for than we ever made on the land hes trading away.
The point is the theory, Dunn make this arrangement during the Obama administration. If we could just get Trump in on the deal we might be able to get a lot more than twice as much land from the feds.
This could be a backdoor way to reclaim the western territories that a friendly administration might take advantage of instead of hoping congress will surrender the land.
I’m all for it.
I’m not in favor of the federal government holding so much land.
For decades I have advocated for the federal government turning the land over to the states.
That may not be as reasoned as I have always thought considering the federal government did fight a war over it before there were states in some instances, and the fact it did compensate Mexico for the land many moons ago.
I have been on many Federal lands mostly military. Most of them when you go deep down range have some of the most spectacular scenery in America outside National Parks.
>>Area 51 —FINE.
>>
>>I don’t understand why the Feds need something like 85% of >>Nevada.
>>
>>Just “CUZ”...?
>>
>>It’s ridiculous.
Yes it is ridiculous
“Commissioner Dunn expressed concern that a delay of 60 days or more from the current time table will push the closing date past the end of his first term and possibly put the exchange in the hands of another land commissioner who may not support the trade. ...”
Seems like this is analogous to not letting Obola appoint a SCOTUS Justice. If this is indeed a good deal, the new Land Commissioner will see it the same way.
I do hope the best course of action is followed here.
Some of these things do fall through the cracks when activity on other things is high.
Lets hope this doesn’t.
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