A. Requirements for all applications. Applications for agricultural leases may be filed for state trust lands shown on the state land office departmental tract books as either open acreage or land under lease at the time an application is submitted. The commissioner shall reject any application to lease state trust lands, whether held under an existing lease or not under lease at the time application is made, if the commissioner determines that the award of a lease to the applicant would not be in the best interests of the trust.

1. (1) A single application shall not be accepted for lands held under more than one existing lease or for both open acreage and lands held by an existing lease.
2. (2) All agricultural lease applications shall be made under oath on forms prescribed by the commissioner.

3. (3) All agricultural lease applications for open acreage or competitive bid shall include a sworn appraisal of the land applied for, and all improvements located thereon, made by a disinterested party who has personal knowledge and ability to provide a true and accurate assessment of the value of the land and the improvements. An existing lessee applying for a new lease on trust land which the lessee currently leases, in lieu of an appraisal of the improvements, shall submit a listing of all improvements located on the land, but need not submit an appraisal of the land.

   1. (a) All appraisals of improvements made for the purposes of this rule shall be made on the basis of replacement cost less a deduction for the total loss in value arising from the physical deterioration or functional obsolescence of the improvements, and a value shall be listed separately for each improvement.
   2. (b) The inclusion of unauthorized improvements on any appraisal or listing of improvements submitted to the commissioner for any purpose shall not be interpreted as approval of those improvements by the commissioner. Improvements shall be approved only as provided under 19.2.8.17 NMAC “agricultural improvements” below.

B. Application requirements for open acreage. In addition to the requirements set forth in Subsection A above, agricultural lease applications for open acreage shall be accompanied by:

1. (1) the lease application filing fee as set forth in the schedule of fees;
2. (2) the deposit of a sum equal to the first year's offered rental, which shall in no case be less than the minimum rent in the schedule of fees, or if fewer than 12 months remain in the period between the date of lease application and the following September 30th, the deposit of an amount equal to the first year's offered rental reduced on a pro rata basis by month; and,
3. (3) the deposit of a sum equal to the appraised value of the authorized improvements on the land applied for or a bill of sale or waiver of payment signed by the holder of the right to compensation for such improvements.

C. Simultaneous applications for open acreage. Upon receipt of simultaneous applications for open acreage, the lease shall be awarded to the applicant offering the highest annual rental or, at the commissioner's discretion, the applications may be rejected; and

1. (1) the applicants permitted to submit confidential sealed lease bids on forms and pursuant to procedures prescribed by the commissioner with the lease awarded to the applicant who by the date and time specified by the commissioner submits the highest sealed bid, if to anyone; or
2. (2) the open acreage leased by advertised, competitive bid to the bidder offering the highest annual rental, if to anyone.

D. Application requirements for renewal. In addition to the requirements set forth in Subsection A above, agricultural lease applications for a new lease on lands held by the applicant under an existing lease shall:

1. (1) be accompanied by the lease application filing fee as set forth in the schedule of fees;
2. (2) be accompanied by the first year's offered rental, which shall in no case be less than the minimum rent in the schedule of fees; and
3. (3) be filed with the commissioner on or before August 1st of the year in which the existing lease is to expire; the failure to submit the application on or before August 1st shall result in the forfeiture of the lessee's right to obtain the lease by matching the highest annual rental offered by other applicants to lease the same land.

E. Application requirements for competitive bids. In addition to the requirements set forth in Subsection A above, agricultural lease applications to lease lands leased to another under an existing lease shall be made for the entire acreage under lease. Such applications shall be made on or before September 1st in the year in which the existing lease is to expire, and shall be accompanied by:

1. (1) the lease application filing fee as set forth in the schedule of fees;
2. (2) the deposit of a sum equal to the first year's offered rental which shall in no case be less than the minimum rent in the schedule of fees; and
3. (3) the deposit by money order, cashier's check or certified check of a sum equal to the appraised value of the authorized improvements on the land applied for, or a bill of sale or waiver of payment signed by the holder of the right to compensation for such improvements.

I. Non-conforming applications. Any lease application which does not comply with the requirements of this Section 19.2.8.9 NMAC shall be subject to rejection.

1. (1) If the rejected application is to renew a lease, and such application is not corrected in time, the applicant shall fail to retain the right to match a competitive bid set out in Section 19-7-49 NMSA 1978.

2. (2) In the commissioner’s discretion, but only in cases where there is no competitive bid, the commissioner may, pursuant to Section 19-7-4 NMSA 1978, grant additional time to correct minor errors or omissions in an application.

   [3/11/1981, 1/20/1984, 9/30/1985, 12/1/1992, 6/29/1996; 19.2.8.9 NMAC - Rn, 19 NMAC 3 SLO 8.9, 9/30/2002; A, 4/15/2010; A, 6/30/2016; A, 6/11/2019]