By Hannah Grover Les Montoya, general manager of the Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative, reflected on the utility’s experience during the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire of 2022 and discussed wildfire preparedness initiatives on Thursday during a workshop discussion. The workshop was part of a series hosted by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. The Hermits Peak/Calf […]
Environment, Climate & Conservation
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, New Mexico Statewide News
Feds say there’s a ‘serious defect’ in listing the lesser prairie chicken as endangered
By Hannah Grover The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior asked a federal district court to send the listing of the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act back to the agencies as they plan to vacate the listing. Industry groups, including the Permian Basin Petroleum Association as […]
Posted in+Communities, Environment, Climate & Conservation
Hook, Line and Therapy
By Michael Hodock Doc Thompson is a trout devotee, to say the least. Like most New Mexicans, he cares about his community and tries his best to help out where he can. What’s special about Thompson is he figured out a way to combine those two passions, making a difference in the lives of people […]
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, New Mexico Statewide News
Forest Service official says agency will need help from state, community partners
By Hannah Grover U.S. Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Chris French said his agency will need assistance from state and community partners amid budget cuts and staff departures. French answered questions during a U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry this week during a hearing on the Fix Our Forests Act. The Fix Our […]
Washington Post
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, National News, New Mexico Statewide News, Syndicated
Park Service suspends air-quality monitoring at all national parks
Authors: Maxine Joselow Park Service suspends air-quality monitoring at all national parks The Trump administration has temporarily suspended an air-quality monitoring program at national parks across the country, according to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post and two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision […]
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, Estancia
Estancia’s water situation is improving, but conservation is still needed
By Hannah Grover When the Town of Estancia sent out a notice asking residents to conserve water, there was approximately 18 feet in its storage tank and about 3 feet in the Torrance County Detention Center’s storage tank. Now Mayor Nathan Dial said the town has 38 feet of water in its storage tank and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, Sandoval County
Sandoval County opens public review for 2025 Wildfire Protection Plan
Staff report Sandoval County has announced the start of the public review period for its 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), which began May 5 and will continue until May 19. The 2025 Sandoval County CWPP, an update to the 2012 plan, was prepared by Sandoval County and SWCA Environmental Consultants, with input from other […]
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, New Mexico Statewide News
Brace for a bleak water year on top of ‘nightmare’ fire weather season
by Danielle Prokop, Source New MexicoMay 2, 2025 New Mexico’s snowpacks melted a month earlier than usual, making a bad water situation worse for New Mexico’s rivers and the people and ecosystems depending on them. Climate change delivered a double-whammy on top of record low snow for New Mexico, said Andrew Mangham, a senior service […]
Posted inEast Mountains, Environment, Climate & Conservation
Home hardening techniques to protect your residence from fire
By Hannah Grover With more than half of New Mexico experiencing extreme drought conditions, officials throughout the state are concerned about this year’s fire season. Bernalillo County and its partners hosted a wildfire preparedness town hall on Thursday at the Los Vecinos Community Center in Tijeras. While the federal funding cuts and reductions in staff […]
Posted inEnvironment, Climate & Conservation, Estancia
Estancia residents asked to conserve water amid well issues
By Hannah Grover The Town of Estancia is asking residents to conserve water because the well is not producing enough to meet demands. Estancia posted a notice on social media and its website this week, alerting residents to the situation and asking them to conserve water. The Town Board of Trustees met with community members […]