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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
N.M. Supreme Court Halts White Peak Swaps
By Phil Parker
Journal Staff Writer
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order of stay to the State Land Office, effectively halting that office's dealings with private ranchers in the controversial four-part trade of land parcels in the White Peak area in the northeast part of the state.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King petitioned the high court Monday to stop the trade and undo the Land Office's swap with rancher David Stanley, who closed on the first part of the overall deal late last year.
In another order issued Tuesday, the Supreme Court gave Commissioner of Public Lands Patrick Lyons until Feb. 15 to submit his office's response.
Lyons's deal has been generating heat for months, as hunters from areas around White Peak claim he is dealing away prime hunting land that for years has been part of the state trust. Politicians, including Gov. Bill Richardson, have rallied to their side.
But Lyons maintains his swap not only consolidates state trust lands in White Peak, easing management issues, but also increases the value of the state's holdings there.
The Land Office has proposed trading about 11,000 acres of state trust land around White Peak for about 9,600 acres of private land in an effort to consolidate the checkerboard area north of Ocate into clearly defined state and private holdings.
One of the four private ranches involved in the trade is CS Cattle Ranch, which has agreed to give up about 2,600 acres for only about 166 acres in the White Peak area.
To offset that imbalance, the Land Office has offered to trade a 40-acre area in Albuquerque's Mesa del Sol development and 3,600 acres south of Española in northern Santa Fe County's Arroyo Seco area.
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