Commentary: The New Mexico State Game Commission approved an easement agreement between the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico State Land Office for hunting access on State Trust Lands. The easement is for next year’s hunting season, and the Game Department will pay $1 million for access. The previous easement was only $200,000, which equates to just two cents per acre. The additional $800,000 will benefit New Mexico’s public education – which is the primary beneficiary, receiving approximately 95% of the money collected by the Land Office.
NEA-New Mexico President Betty Patterson said, “I congratulate both the State Game Commission and Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn for making the right decision for New Mexico public school students. Adding funding to the public schools should be a priority for all New Mexico policymakers.”
NEA-New Mexico Executive Director Charles Bowyer added, “Earnings from New Mexico Trust Lands are a major contributor to the funding of our public schools. This new funding should not be supplanted by the legislature when it meets in January. The hard work of Commissioner Dunn in securing this deal in the face of some unwarranted political opposition should be honored. The Governor and the Legislature can best do this by making sure this is a true increase in public school funding.”