State land expands USAF bomber training

SANTA FE (KRQE) - In 2005, things looked bleak for Cannon Air Force Base .

The base was slated for closure meaning potentially thousands of jobs lost or moved elsewhere.

Now the base has a new mission and on Wednesday Gov. Susana Martinez said the state is supporting that mission by leasing 11,000 acres of public land near Melrose to the Air Force.

The land will go to expanding the 66,000-acre Melrose Bombing Range, a critical training site used by not only the Air Force but also the Department of Defense and other military groups.

Melrose bombing range is the primary range for Cannon's 27th Special Operations Wing .

The lease was officially signed in Santa Fe by Martinez, State Land Commissioner Ray Powell and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Terry Yonkers. Under the agreement, the land office leases the land to the state for 74 years and the state assigns the lease to the Air Force.

The deal brings in $2.7 million with around $2 million of that going to the Interstate Stream Commission.  The remainder goes to New Mexico's public schools.

Martinez, Powell and Yonkers called the deal a win-win.

"This is the life-blood of the USAF, training ranges and airspace, so an additional 11,000 acres is a big deal in terms of area to train in and maneuver in," said Yonkers.

Yonkers says the Air Force still has to come up with a master plan for the new space, but there's an expectation that the expansion will create engineering and construction jobs.

Martinez is excited about that prospect and the fact that the deal allows for more of an investment in state schools.

"The leasing of this land is very important because we're investing the money where it counts," she said.

The land was previously used as a water easement and for short-term grazing and was only bringing in about $10,000 a year.

Because the state is leasing and not outright selling, the land, it will regain ownership in 2086 assuming all outstanding environmental issues are addressed.