What is the State Land Office?

The State Land Office has one of the biggest jobs in the state of New Mexico.  New Mexican’s elect one commissioner to manage 13 million acres of state trust land.   The land commissioner’s job is to maximize the revenue from state land to fund education.

 

Congress gave these lands “in trust” to support education over 150 years ago. The lands create revenue for the state by energy production, agriculture, and economic development.

 

The Ferguson Act of 1898 made additional land grants to the territory and broadened the purposes for which income from trust lands could be used to include: universities, hospitals, correctional facilities, public buildings and water projects.

 

The land commissioner also serves as an ex-officio member of the state investment council which oversees the multi-billion dollar Land Grant Permanent Fund. The council invests monies earned from non-renewable resources extracted from state trust lands.

 

Last year the state land office distributed $527 million to beneficiaries. That money goes to our schools and school children.

 

State trust lands are located in every county in New Mexico except Los Alamos. Each acre is designated to one of the 21 beneficiaries.

 

Beneficiaries

Public Schools

University of New Mexico

UNM Saline Lands

New Mexico State University

New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology

Eastern New Mexico University

Western New Mexico University

New Mexico Highlands University

Northern New Mexico College

New Mexico Military Institute

New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

New Mexico School for the Deaf

Carrie Tingley Hospital

Miners' Hospital of New Mexico

Las Vegas Medical Center

New Mexico Boy's School

Penitentiary of New Mexico

Charitable, Penal & Reform

Water Reservoirs

Rio Grande Improvements

Capitol Buildings

State Parks Division