By Cornelia de Bruin
The Taos News - February 9, 2006

Former Commissioner of Public Lands Ray Powell wants another shot at his old job.

Powell served two four-year terms in 1994 and 1998 after first being appointed by former Gov. Bruce King to complete an unexpired term in May 1993. Term limits ruled out his seeking a third successive term. But he's thrown his hat back into the ring.

Powell, a native New Mexican, worked on environmental health and natural resource issues in Gov. King's office before filling the term vacated by Jim Baca.

"I'm very comfortable that I know the issues and know the people dealing with them," he said.

Experience has taught him that involving residents at the beginning of a process and "having as much sunlight as possible" results in a better resolution to problems.

Powell recently became involved in a gravel and sand mining operation in Velarde.

The excavation done during a 10-year period created a 170-foot high wall that residents feared might erode toward them. Velarde residents also complained about noise, dust and the effects on their views of the land they lived near.

Powell started a community partnership program during his tenure at the land office, which worked with communities regarding use of the state's trust lands adjoining their communities.

"I made the promise that we visit with them first when we had a proposal and that we would take proposals from them," he said. "The Velarde situation is a perfect example ... Richard Cook did a gravel pit on his private land, he encroached on state trust land, I sued him and I stopped him. I was in the process of making him clean the mess up."

Powell said that when he left his second term, his successor Patrick Lyons, the state's present commissioner of public lands, "dropped the effort and Cook began mining gravel on the state trust land."

"The community is very resentful and they're dealing with the pollution, the traffic and everything else," Powell said. "It looks like West Virginia."

Of wider interest is the future of Northern New Mexico's Valle Vidal - an area Powell described as one of the state's "very unique and special places" he said are critical in terms of quality of life, watershed and species protection.

"When people on their way to Taos see a place like Velarde or the Valle Vidal wrecked, what it says to them is we New Mexicans don't respect our home. It diminishes not only Velarde, but Taos as well."

In the case of the Velarde gravel operation, Powell agrees with the need for gravel pits, but added they can be placed in such a way that they don't damage a community.

The job Powell wants is a position with "a lot of autonomy:" One involving the sale, lease or trade of state land "virtually without anybody's approval." Because of its breadth and scope, Powell said maintaining open communication with residents is key - and "not being done now."

Powell said, it is also important to have a vision for the future - a vision that includes wise use of nonrenewable and renewable resources. He was instrumental in starting the wind-generated power facility now in operation in eastern New Mexico and said " ... geothermal, solar and other renewable energy sources that leave a light footprint on the land," produce revenue for our school kids and real opportunities for our citizens.

"It was mind-boggling to me that you could use the land, but not care for the land," he said. "It's like never changing the oil in your vehicle or going for preventable health care."

Powell said he has strong support in the Springer-Wagon Mound area, in addition to his stout name-recognition from former terms, because he worked with them on "White's Peak issues, sportsmen's issues and a lot of other things."

For more information, call 505-507-0697 or contact raybpowell@msn.com.