Agricultural News
More Than 150,800 Acres Are Available to Lease This Year Through CLO
Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:06:01 CDT
When talk of admitting Oklahoma into the Union was circulating in the late 1800s, the western half of the soon-to-be state had already been ceded to the United States. For more than 130 years, the Commissioners of the Land Office has owned and operated 750,000 surface acres and 1.1 million mineral acres of land in the western half of the state, as the eastern half of the state is Indian Territory.
Through the Organic Act of 1890 and the Oklahoma Statehood Enabling Act of 1906, the Commissioners of the Land Office began "managing assets to support education." This year, the CLO for the State of Oklahoma is offering more than 150,800 acres, divided into more than 500 tracts of land for lease this fall.
Radio Oklahoma's own Ron Hays caught up with Anthony Ruiz, assistant director of the real estate management division for the CLO, as the fall auction schedule was just released.
"We lease those (lands) out for farming, ranching, fishing, recreation - various activities that folks enjoy," Ruiz said. "We typically lease land out in five-year terms."
He said every October, about one-fifth of the CLO's total leases expire, allowing the highest bidder to take possession of the land, usually as of Jan. 1.
"It is a pretty open and inviting environment for anyone who is interested," Ruiz said.
The earliest auction is set to take place at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 11 at the Cimarron County Fairgrounds. Each auction is located near available leases, in each region of the state, according to Ruiz.
"The funds we raise go directly to public schools," Ruiz said. "We are very fortunate that we had visionary leaders who saw value in land."
Not every state funds public education this way, Ruiz said. The state doubly benefits from leasing lands because lessees are required to maintain and care for their tracts.
"We take the care of the land in our name at the CLO very seriously," Ruiz said. "We have had phenomenal lessees throughout the years who - do a good job of taking care of the land."
Hit the LISTEN BAR below to hear Ron's conversation with Assistant Director of the Real Estate Division for the CLO Anthony Ruiz talks about fall land leasing opportunities in Oklahoma.
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