Only one bid was received for the second of four land auctions by the state land commissioner in the popular Whites Peak hunting area of northeastern New Mexico.

The bid was from Mike Hobbs, general manager of the UU Bar Ranch.

In the 1990s, the state attorney general took UU Bar owners to court after they closed a ranch road that provided access to state trust lands on the east side of Whites Peak.

The auctions are part of a proposed exchange of private lands for state trust lands around Whites Peak. If the bids are accepted, the buyers — all of whom own private lands around Whites Peak — will trade some of their property for state trust land in a deal worked out with Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons over the last couple of years.

Lyons said the exchange will consolidate state trust lands around Whites Peak and help resolve ongoing conflicts between private landowners and hunters. Some locals say the public wasn't given an opportunity to comment on the proposed land exchange, which they say will take away favorite hunting spots used for generations.

The State Land Office says the trust land auctions were advertised in some newspapers, livestock owners with grazing leases were alerted, and the state Game Commission was informed.

Others say Whites Peak is one case where extra public involvement is warranted, given the amount of state trust lands involved and the importance of the area to locals.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Gov. Bill Richardson both say the exchange needs more public vetting. "We don't need secret deals," said Udall, who as state attorney general filed a lawsuit against the UU Bar to keep open a road to state trust lands near Whites Peak.

Udall agrees with Lyons that trespass and poaching are problems on the Whites Peak lands but still thinks the deal needs more scrutiny. Udall said he's seen land exchanges proposed at the federal level run into trouble when the public was not informed and involved in the process. "The reason people are upset (about Whites Peak) is they don't understand what is happening and how the exchange might affect them," Udall said.

Tod Stevenson, head of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, also believes trespass is a problem around Whites Peak because of the checkerboard mix of private and public landownership. A trade could ease some of the management problems, he said. Still, "the governor has said his agency and boards share the concern that when looking at this large of a land exchange, it would be preferable to have some type of public input into this," Stevenson said. "Clearly that is my agency's position as well."

Lyons maintains the exchange will create better hunting, better access for the public and make it easier for the state to manage the area. It also is his final opportunity to finally do something about Whites Peak. His prior efforts to swap land there and to get state funding to buy private lands around the peak have failed. Lyons, a Republican who is finishing his second term as the state land commissioner, can't run for election to another consecutive term.

David Stanley, owner of the Stanley Ranch near Whites Peak, was the sole bidder on 7,000 acres of state trust land around the peak. If the deal goes through, he'll trade 3,300 acres of his private holdings for it. One of his private parcels will provide a new access route from the southeast side of Whites Peak to trust lands.

Two other exchanges involve the CS Ranch and William Galloway. The auction for those trust lands haven't been advertised yet.

Revenues from grazing leases, energy development, land sales and other activities on state trust land benefit public schools and other entities in the state.

Contact Staci Matlock at 986-3055 or smatlock@sfnewmexican.com.

WHITES PEAK LAND EXCHANGE

CS Cattle Ranch: Offering 2,600 acres at $13,480,000 value, for 166 acres of state trust land at $734,000 value
Not advertised yet

Stanley Ranch: Offering 3,336 acres at $6,413,000 value, for 7,205 acres of state trust land at $6,356,000 value
Bid completed; David Stanley only bid

UU Bar Ranch: Offering 3,610 acres at $2,383,000 value, for 3,431 acres of state trust land at $2,381,100 value
Bid completed; UU Bar only bid

William Galloway: Offering 109 acres at $951,500 value, for 160 acres of state trust land at $840,000 value
Not advertised yet

Total acres of private land: 9,656
Total appraised value: $23,227,500
Total acres of trust land: 10,963
Total appraised value: $10,311,100