RELATED STORIES

• 2006 Voter Guide
• Jim Baca, Democrat

More Local Politics

• Red lights, cameras, action: Albuquerque program back on, but so is feud
• New Mexico hopefuls for U.S. Senate tout experience at debate
• Reports: Personal funds help some New Mexico congressional candidates

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Albuquerque Old Town
• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Candidate for land commissioner

Name: Patrick Lyons (i), Republican

Age: 53

Campaign Web site: patlyons2006.com

Occupation: Land commissioner; rancher and farmer

Family: Married to Sandy, a teacher, for 22 years. Three children: Amy (19), Kimberly (16) and Daniel (14)

Education: Clovis High School, class of 1972; New Mexico State University: bachelor's, agricultural economics; Colorado State University: Master's, agricultural economics

Please list the experience you think would make you a good land commissioner.

My love of the land stems from being a third-generation New Mexico rancher, and my college course work augmented my land management skills. In 1992, I was elected to the state senate and for 10 years represented six counties in the northeastern corner of the state. My experience taught me to respect diversity of opinion which prepared me to manage the Land Office, as we deal with a broad spectrum of people and issues.

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a felony or misdemeanor?

No.

What is the best meal you can cook from scratch?

To say I "cook" is a stretch, but I make a mean brisket.

Last book you read:

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and its all small stuff"

What is the biggest mistake you made in life and what lesson did you learn?

My greatest heartbreak was when my oldest daughter was born with multiple birth defects and my wife and I struggled to determine what we could have done differently before and during the pregnancy, and immediately following Amy's birth. My biggest mistake was not pursuing a highly individualized program of care from the beginning. Of course, we took her to a series of specialists, but I just wasn't aware of what programs were available to her and to us.

When I was elected to the senate, I learned that I could help other families who were facing the same challenges and frustration and pain by supporting increased funding for children with special health care needs and improved developmental disabilities services. As land commissioner I have increased the assets of the trust beneficiary Carrie Tingley Hospital, so it now owns more land and receives more money from the trust.

I am also working to transfer 12 acres of trust land in Albuquerque to another beneficiary, the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, so it can build a state-of-the-art facility to better serve visually handicapped and multiply impaired children.

Is New Mexico getting as much as it could out of the leases it has on state lands? If not, how would you generate more money for the state?

The title "Commissioner of Public Lands" creates confusion, as these are not public lands, but lands set aside for the benefit of specific trustees. The commissioner is bound by statute to receive compensation for any use of state trust lands, whether it be $25 for a recreational access permit or a million-dollar oil lease.

Tracts of land are put out for bid - lease, sale or exchange - and the highest bidder with the best use plan and/or the greatest earning potential is awarded the lease or sold the land.

Name two key differences between you and your opponent.

One primary difference is that I'm fiscally responsible. I have submitted a flat budget every year during my tenure and my opponent criticized me for doing so. I have streamlined spending and yet we continue to effectively and efficiently manage the agency, implement innovative programs, create new positions and provide salary increases and promotions. The Land Office spends three cents of every dollar it earns and the rest is distributed to the beneficiaries and paid into the Land Grant Permanent Fund for distribution on that end. Yes, we saw a significant increase in revenue this year due to a sharp increase in oil and gas prices, but those increases were passed along to the beneficiaries.

Secondly, my opponent has admitted he is antagonistic and alienated people who did business with him at the Land Office. On the other hand, I have improved customer service standards and have an open door policy. My sound business approach to land management has made private business and industry feel comfortable about investing in New Mexico, which generates revenue for the trust. I've led the effort to develop the wind, solar and biomass energy industries in New Mexico; I renegotiated an onerous lease so EMCORE Corp. would stay in Albuquerque and expand its facility; I acquired funding to extend University Boulevard; I jump-started development at Mesa del Sol; working with the Mayor Martin Chavez to create open space in the East Mountains; I partnered with the city of Rio Rancho to create a competitive and dynamic community; I transferred land to Albuquerque Public Schools and Rio Rancho for new school construction, and during my administration public schools and universities have earned $1.4 billion.

What is the biggest challenge facing the State Land Office and how will you address it?

In 1927, the Jones Act provided that the school land grants would include mineral estate along with the surface acreage. Today, oil and natural gas production on trust lands generate 95 percent of the school trust funds' revenue. Experts tell us that in New Mexico, crude oil will be depleted within 22 years, and natural gas in 45. Our state's founding fathers set aside school trust lands to generate revenue for public education in perpetuity - that means forever - so the challenge is to diversify our portfolio and identify resources that can generate the significant revenue needed to help finance public education. We must also reinvest in our trust lands and preserve them for future generations. I appropriated $5 million to implement rangeland, forest and riparian restoration programs, improve wildlife habitat and preserve cultural treasures.

Do you support or oppose drilling for coal bed methane in the Valle Vidal?

The State Land Office has no holdings in the Valle Vidal and the land commissioner has no authority there. The Valle Vidal is a special place in New Mexico that should be recognized as a premier recreational and scenic wild area.

Do you support oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa?

Because my Democrat predecessor Ray Powell leased 80,000 acres of trust lands on Otero Mesa, I am contractually obligated to honor those existing leases. I personally haven't leased any lands on Otero Mesa and in fact, withdrew 109,000 acres from oil and gas development in lesser prairie chicken territory in southeastern New Mexico. I do believe that given the world's unstable political climate, it is critical to secure America's energy supply by stepping up domestic production.

What plans to you have to protect or enhance public access to state lands?

Keeping in mind that trust lands are not public lands, expanding public access is a cooperative effort with partnering agencies and communities. In most cases improving public access is a win for the trust.

During my tenure, I've created open space and wilderness areas where appropriate. I traded 327 acres of trust lands with the city of Albuquerque to create open space near Carnuel and acquired city-owned, revenue generating commercial property elsewhere; I issued a right-of-way to make 15,000 acres surrounding Cooke's Peak accessible to the public; I'm working with the Bureau of Land Management and a private landowner to create a trail system across 30,000 acres of land south of Santa Fe; and I'm working with the BLM to improve the trail system along the Continental Divide where it crosses trust lands.

Last year, I signed an agreement with the Game and Fish Department to improve sporting access to trust lands. The new easement provides more opportunities for sportsmen across 8.2 million acres of state trust lands, while protecting New Mexico's resources and the interests of ranchers and other lessees.