KRWG Public Media is covering contested races around the region ahead of the November 3rd election. KRWGs Abigail Salas spoke with Juan de Jesus Sanchez, the democratic candidate for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands.
Abigail Salas:
What in your background has prepared you for this office?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. Yeah, so I grew up around my family's ranch that we actually leased state trust lands. So early in my childhood, I remember working and playing on state trust lands. So, it kind of goes back really far. But I grew up around that. I ended up going and doing some professional work, working for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a natural resource specialist and Ranger. as well as with the New Mexico Acequia Commission as a technical consultant and most recently as the political director and then deputy campaign manager for Senator Martin Heinrich. As I mentioned earlier, I kind of grew up around state trust land, grazing, ranching. I'm a hunter. Public lands are really kind of core to who I am and what I'm trying to bring is that professional and lived experience and bringing those together so that our lands are managed with both professional and lived experience.
Abigail Salas:
And what do you see as the top issues facing state trust land?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
Yeah, so you know the most important thing like constitutionally in statute that the land office has to do is continue to make sure that we are bringing in revenue to help pay for education. So, we have to find a balance though so, it's a balance of being able to bring in revenue and make sure that we have money going into our permanent land grant fund that pays for education, but also make sure that land is taken care of for future generations because land is not one of those things that we can mistreat and then, you know, future generations can use. So, finding the balance between bringing in the revenue but also taking care of the land, holding everyone who uses our land accountable, that's the balance that needs to be addressed whenever you're running for a position like this. And that's what I plan to do because we can't just be thinking in the short term, we can't be thinking of what's best for us in five years, we need to be thinking far beyond that.
Abigail Salas:
And how do you propose to best address those issues?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
Yeah, so the way that we can really focus in on that long-term health of the land is by doing a lot more restoration and stewardship of the land while we are also bringing in the revenue. So, one of the ways that I plan to do this is by opening up a new office of outdoor rec and stewardship within the Office of the State Land Office. And what that office will do essentially is focus in on areas that we can really find to be able to do restoration projects, stewardship projects to make sure our grasslands are taken care of, our forests are taken care of, and that we're doing that kind of work. And then the other thing is just making sure that for the folks that are using our land, whether it be for oil and gas, renewable energy, recreation, they're being held to the highest standards. And one of those ways that I plan to do that as well, specifically with oil and gas, is by implementing the bonding rule that current Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia-Richard is starting to put in place. And that's pretty much making sure that oil and gas has essentially an insurance to be able to make sure that if they're not around and they leave a mess, we have the money to go in and clean up after them without having to tap into taxpayer funding. So, there's a lot of different ways that we can focus on this, but it's holding folks who use our land accountable and making sure that we are creating spaces that can be protected, restored, and be there for habitat.
Abigail Salas:
With gas and oil prices fluctuating, how do you plan to protect this funding?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
One of the, as I mentioned earlier, a little bit about the bonding that's important, but being able to make sure that we are like so right now about 95% of the funds that come into the from the land office to the permanent land grant fund come from oil and gas. So, we need to do is diversify. Right now, oil is obviously very expensive, so there's more money. Oil and gas very expensive, so there's more money coming into the fund. But we need to diversify so that whenever it is not booming and maybe it's busting, the industry is not doing as well, we have more stable sources of income that can continue to be brought in. So renewable energy is one of those main issues that we need to continue to expand upon. That's solar, wind, that's transmission also, there's opportunities for geothermal. It's also the outdoor rec. I mentioned earlier about outdoor rec and stewardship. We can find creative ways to encourage people to go outside but also bring in revenue through that as well. So, it's diversification and it's making sure that we have stable forms of income that are also coming in while also ensuring that we are bringing in funding from oil and gas at the level that we need to.
Abigail Salas:
And if elected, how will you navigate data center infrastructure on state trust land?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
Yeah, the infrastructure, that's a great question because data centers aren't just the actual data, right? It's not just the actual data center. There's the energy, there's transmission, there's all these different types of things. So, my stance right now is that I'm planning on supporting a moratorium until the legislature has put in place strong, stricter guardrails. I've spoken a little bit about the guardrails that I would like to see, but it's essentially making sure that we are taking care of our water. We're making sure that our that the energy is not going to be affecting those in the area. The energy needs to be at least 50% renewable energy as well. making sure that New Mexicans are getting the jobs that would be created with these. And most importantly, that the communities involved, there's community input, and communities have a say in what's going on in their backyard. That's the most important part is making sure all these guardrails are taken care of, and I'm in support of a moratorium until the legislature has put in those guardrails.
Abigail Salas:
What else do you think is important for the voters to know?
Juan de Jesus Sanchez:
Yeah, I think it's really important that this is a time that we need to be looking at finding ways to protect our land long term. And those are areas like sacred areas. Those are areas like headwaters of our rivers. Right now, some of our lands are under attack. from this presidential administration. I think about places like Chaco Canyon where they're trying to remove protection. I think about the headwaters of the Pecos River where that the administration is trying to put in place mining in a place that there has been spills historically. The land office is hugely important in being able to protect areas that are in that area but also being able to ensure that if those protections are taken back, we have areas that are protected that are state trust lands that are parallel. And if there's any development needed in places like, say, Chaco Canyon or the headwaters of the Pecos River, they need to go through state trust land very much of the time. I will make sure I do not cooperate to make sure that those projects and make it a lot harder for them to be able to do those projects. So right now, it's really about making sure that we have someone who's going to be in there, be willing to stand up to this administration, stand up to our land and stand up to the places that are sacred and special to New Mexicans.
