The Las Cruces City Council on Monday approved a resolution supporting a proposed land exchange between New Mexico’s State Land Office and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) aimed at consolidating management within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

The proposed swap would transfer approximately 84,000 acres of state trust land to the BLM in exchange for an equivalent market value of federal land located elsewhere in Doña Ana County. State trust lands, managed by the State Land Office, generate revenue through leases for industries such as oil, gas, renewable energy, housing, and business development. This revenue—more than $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2024—supports public schools, universities, hospitals, and other beneficiaries across New Mexico.

The state parcels targeted for transfer are primarily landlocked within the boundaries of the 496,330-acre Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which includes the Organ Mountains, Desert Peaks, Potrillo Mountains, and Doña Ana Mountains near Las Cruces. The State Land Office explained that the land swap is intended to consolidate BLM management of the monument, enhance recreational access, and prevent future development on the state parcels, which currently present management challenges due to their fragmented arrangement within the monument.

The federal lands that would be conveyed to the State Land Office are located near industrial areas in Doña Ana County, such as Las Cruces’ industrial park to the west, Santa Teresa, the county airport vicinity, and the port of entry. The BLM described these parcels as having strong potential for renewable energy leases and transmission infrastructure. Current cattle grazing leases on these lands will remain in effect after the transfer.

The resolution was adopted on a consent agenda without discussion during the council meeting. Representatives from the State Land Office and BLM previously detailed the swap during a town hall last September, noting that state land holdings within the monument consist of about 76,500 surface-and-mineral acres, plus additional surface-only and mineral-only parcels. This "checkerboard" pattern complicates unified monument management for the BLM.

Greg Bloom, assistant commissioner of mineral resources for the State Land Office, indicated that the next procedural step involves securing a resolution from the Doña Ana County Commission supporting the exchange. The BLM added that the land swap will require an environmental assessment under federal law, which includes a period of public input involving local residents, tribal entities, and municipal governments before final approval.

The land exchange reflects ongoing efforts to streamline public land administration while balancing conservation, recreational, and economic interests in the region.