POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN A TIME OF PUBLIC UNCERTAINTY

Like several other western states, New Mexico was granted State Trust Lands, which the NM State Land Office administers for the benefit of public institutions. The mission of the NMSLO is two-fold: To provide revenue for our beneficiaries, and preserve the land for future generations. Revenue streams include surface, subsurface, and commercial leasing, as well as royalties from resource development. The great majority of the revenue today derives from royalties on oil and gas production, particularly with the prolific production enabled by hydraulic fracturing. The NMSLO is not a regulatory agency, but a landlord. As such, the NMSLO works cooperatively with stakeholders to maintain its dual mission in a responsible manner. The NMSLO is thus in a unique position to meet the geologic policy and communications challenges geared toward informing the public as to the benefit of resource development, while demonstrating the environmental stewardship, and even environmental advantages, that such resource development can provide. The NMSLO has embarked on a concerted communications effort to educate the public, public interest groups, and the industry, as to the benefits of a balanced and comprehensive policy of resource development in the State of New Mexico. Such communications include a quantitative assessment of the benefit to public institutions, and demonstration of the cooperative efforts with industry to maintain stewardship of the land.