The Enabling Act of 1910 and the Ferguson Act granted certain lands held by the federal government to the territory of New Mexico. Under the terms of these land grants, it was stipulated that such lands, totaling 13.4 million acres, were to be held in trust for the benefit of the public schools and other specific beneficiary institutions. The Land Commissioner is charged with generating and maximi
zing revenue from state trust lands in order to support public education and other beneficiary institutions, while simultaneously striving to protect, conserve, and maintain the lands so they may be used by future generations. To maximize revenues, the Land Commissioner generates revenues by leasing lands for grazing, agriculture, commercial use, oil and gas drilling, mining, and other surface and subsurface activities. The State Land Office generates over $500 million dollars for the state trust annually. New Mexico has over 13 million acres of mineral resources and over 9 million acres of surface resources to protect and preserve.
