Jim Baca
New Mexico Natural Resources Trustee Jim Baca is retiring from the post on Dec. 31, and Gov. Bill Richardson has announced that Environment Secretary Ron Curry will service as interim trustee.
Baca, a former land commissioner and Albuquerque mayor, spent more than 20 years in public service after leaving a job as a reporter and anchor at KOAT-TV in Albuquerque.
He currently publishes the blog Only in New Mexico, and told NMPolitics.net he and his wife plan to do some cruising in South America next spring.
Meanwhile, Richardson said Curry’s appointment will save taxpayers money because a full-time trustee will not be appointed until state revenues improve.
“I want to thank Jim Baca for his invaluable service to the State of New Mexico. He is a true champion of environmental protection,” Richardson said. “Jim has worked closely with Secretary Curry and I know this transition will be a smooth one.”
Baca called Richardson “the biggest supporter of New Mexico landscapes and water supplies in our state’s history.”
“I feel the work of the trustee’s office will be in good hands with Ron Curry. The office has an extremely professional and knowledgeable staff and they have accomplished much in the last seven years,” Baca said.
The Natural Resources Trustee implements the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program. The goal of the program is to restore, replace or acquire the equivalent of natural resources injured by release of oil or hazardous substance. The Office of Natural Resources Trustee investigates and prioritizes NRDAR cases to maximize program effectiveness, performs natural resource damage assessments, negotiates settlements and develops and oversees the implementation of natural resource restoration projects.
The Trustee’s Office has received over $8 million from responsible parties for restoration of natural resources that were injured by release of hazardous substances. That money has been used to restore close to 2,000 acres of wildlife habitat and 4,000 acre feet of groundwater.
St. Cyr is a contributing writer for this site and a reporter at 770KKOB.com. He can be reached at peter.stcyr@gmail.com.