Ray Powell
From the Office of Ray Powell:
ALBUQUERQUE – Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn was featured in an Albuquerque Journal June 10 story falsely claiming that previous Land Commissioners had turned a blind eye to tens of millions of dollars of stolen minerals on State Trust Lands.
Ray Powell, the former Land Commissioner and current Democratic challenger to Aubrey Dunn, issued the following statement:
“Dunn is attempting to take credit for programs implemented during my tenure as Land Commissioner. As technology became available my office was at the forefront of securing the resources that Dunn is now claiming to use to monitor these lands. While this time-lapse technology is helpful, it is a gross overstep to imply that these photos could identify trespass activity prior to his time in office or tell you whom the culprits were, which is why he is offering amnesty and not touting arrests over stolen minerals.
“Trespass can cause far more damage than just loss of mineral royalties — including severe watershed damage, habit and wildlife loss, and aquifer pollution.
“Amnesty for lawbreakers is horrible public policy because it encourages future trespass and damage to our land and water. These individuals should be held legally responsible for their actions and forced to pay for what they stole and destroyed.
“Under my watch, we held numerous trespassers accountable. In addition, we recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid royalties, held polluters financially and legally responsible for their actions and made them pay for the cleanup. The “River of Tires” near Wagon Mound, New Mexico is one example where the lessee dumped hundreds of thousands of tires on trust land. We took him to court and made him clean up and restore the site at his expense.
“Dunn has pushed for repeated measures to transfer our federal public lands to state entities, which will result in their sale to the highest bidder. In addition, generation of revenues for our public schools, universities, and hospitals have plummeted during his tenure and he is facing serious allegations of using this office for his own personal gain.
“Just as Dunn lied to voters in 2014 about my record to resolve the Dixon Apple Orchard natural tragedy, he continues to distort the truth and mislead voters. My record as Land Commissioner speaks for itself. It’s time we return transparency, civility, and ethics to the New Mexico Land Commissioner’s Office and elect a Commissioner that will truly invest in early childhood education.”
For more information on Ray Powell for Land Commissioner, visit www.RayPowell4land.com.
