By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Hikers, climbers and neighbors who use trails on Sandia Mountain’s west face could see their access change under a land transfer proposal the Sandoval County Commission endorsed last month. Now, a newly formed coalition of residents is urging lawmakers to reject the transfer, saying it could end decades of […]
Environment, Conservation & Climate
Stories related to our ongoing coverage of environmental issues in New Mexico.
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Forestry Division shares tips for wildfire prevention
By Rodd Cayton What’s better than extinguishing a wildfire without anyone getting injured? Avoiding the fire altogether. The New Mexico Forestry Division has issued a set of tips the agency says will reduce the number of human-caused fires, which represent the vast majority of wildfire starts in the U.S. The division says a 90% reduction […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho’s tap water meets all federal safety standards, new report shows
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Rio Rancho residents can keep drinking straight from the tap — the city’s water met every federal and state safety standard in 2025 — but a paperwork slip means one well is still waiting on a minor fix that was due back in March, according to the city’s newly released […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
New Mexico Environment Department to hold hearing for Project Jupiter data center air quality permit
This story was originally published by Source NM By Joshua Bowling, Source NM The New Mexico Environment Department will hold a public hearing on the pending air quality permit application for Project Jupiter, the controversial Oracle and OpenAI data center under construction in Doña Ana County, following high public interest and complaints that residents’ names […]
Posted inPlacitas
Placitas PREP to offer tips for riding out a shelter-in-place period
By Rodd Cayton Any number of incidents could create a need for residents to shelter in place, and a Placitas group is seeking to ensure they know the best ways to do so. Placitas Resilience & Emergency Preparedness Alliance (PREP), to that end, is presenting its next community briefing on that topic. PREP President Allen […]
Posted inEstancia
New Mexico town, detention center face water shortage
By Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News — Following years of drought, the wells in Estancia, N.M., are running dry. After declaring a water emergency last week, the small town in Torrance County is hauling in water to fill its pipes. Estancia has also reduced water sales to the Torrance County Detention Facility, a federal immigration […]
Posted inJemez & Jemez Spring
Sierra de los Pinos residents head home as McCauley Springs fire holds at 43% containment
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. After six days of evacuation, residents of Sierra de los Pinos can finally sleep in their own beds again. Sandoval County and fire officials began a phased return to the community Tuesday morning, even as crews continue battling the 712-acre McCauley Springs Fire east of Battleship Rock. The fire, burning […]
Posted inSandoval County
Sandoval County deploys mist truck to zap mosquitoes before they hatch
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Sandoval County is rolling out a new weapon in its war on mosquitoes this summer — a specialized truck that shoots a bacteria-laced mist 100 feet into the air to kill larvae before they ever become adults. The Public Health Road Runner 54564 truck goes into service in July, starting […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Environment, Conservation & Climate, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg, Opinion & Analysis
Defending our public lands, from Teddy Roosevelt to Martin Heinrich
Commentary by New Mexico State Senator Carrie Hamblen — More than a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt pioneered the American conservation movement. Using the Antiquities Act of 1906, he declared vast tracts of land as national monuments, notably the El Chaco, Morro, and Gila Cliffs National Monuments in New Mexico (subsequent presidents would later add Bandelier, […]
Posted inJemez & Jemez Spring
Wildfire near Battleship Rock forces evacuations in Sandoval County’s Jemez Mountains
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Residents in two Sandoval County mountain communities must leave their homes immediately as firefighters battle a growing wildland blaze near Battleship Rock in the Jemez Mountains. Sandoval County Fire Rescue confirmed an evacuation GO order — meaning leave now — is in effect for Sierra Los Pinos and Vallecitos. The […]