State purchases land for Cannon

Staff report

The state has purchased 600 acres adjacent to Cannon Air Force Base and given it to the Air Force, the Committee of 50 announced Wednesday in a press release.

The land, purchased from area farmers, is on the base’s western boundary and is now available to be used by Cannon to further its vital national defense mission, the release said.

The purchase and transfer of the land has been a long-term goal of the Committee of 50, which cited efforts Gov, Susana Martinez, state Sen. Stuart Ingle of Portales, former Curry County Commission Chairman Caleb Chandler and Curry County Commissioner Wendell Bostwick for helping make the transaction happen.

Although the purchase price wasn’t disclosed, the release noted the remainder of a $5 million Capital Outlay grant obtained by former Gov. Bill Richardson was used to complete transactions necessary to obtain the land.

Richardson granted the money in 2005 during efforts led by the committee to save Cannon AFB by having it removed from the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list, the release said.

According to the release, the Capital Outlay funding was a factor in removing Cannon from the base closure list. One of the arguments keeping the base open was availability of land for future growth.

in 2005, a BRAC steering committee was formed to research and build a compelling case for presentation to BRAC commissioners as to why Cannon should remain open, the release said. One of the leading arguments to keep the base open was the lack of encroachment and the availability of land for future mission growth at Cannon, according to the release.

More than $3 million of the grant was previously used to prepay a 79-year lease of the 66,000-acre Melrose Bombing Range about 25 miles west of the base.

The most recent 600-acre purchase used up most of the remaining money in the grant fund.

Director of the New Mexico Office of Military Base Planning and Support Hanson Scott’s said in a recent presentation before the Legislative Finance Committee the deed for the 600 acres was recorded Nov. 20.

Scott’s presentation said the purpose of the land gift “was to support the Air Force regarding “force protection,” (security), and flight safety.”

In Scott’s presentation, he noted that “...Of two other “primary” landowners with land under consideration, one eventually said he did not want to sell at any price, and the other family said they would sell at 6 times our appraisal value — we discontinued discussions with both.”

“The land purchases by the State of New Mexico, Curry County, and the water rights purchased by the City of Clovis will benefit Cannon and the Clovis community for many years to come,” the release said. “Committee of 50 members Stacey Martin, Lee Malloy as well as Retired USAF Col. Mike Connolly currently serve on the State of New Mexico Military Base Planning Commission. The Military Base Planning Commission works with military installations across New Mexico to strengthen the installation missions and to work with the military and State officials to retain and expand military missions within the State of New Mexico.”