Environment

SFNF Revises Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Closure Order To Open Pecos Canyon Corridor, More Of Pecos Wilderness

Map of temporary area and road closure for Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Post-Fire Impacts. Courtesy/SFNF

SFNF News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) today reduced the size of the temporary area and road closure for the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Fire, reopening an additional 214,000 acres that were closed to public access under the previous closure order.

The reopened areas include the Pecos Canyon corridor and the Pecos Wilderness west of Skyline Trail 251.

Most of the popular campgrounds, dispersed camping sites and trails along the Pecos River corridor are reopening in time Read More

Valles Caldera National Preserve Initiates General Management Plan And Launches Planning Web Page

VCNP News:

JEMEZ SPRINGS — Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) is initiating the development of a General Management Plan, which will establish a blueprint for future operations, visitor use and protection of park resources and values.

“We are thrilled to embark on this major and long-awaited planning effort as it will help us realize our vision of making Valles Caldera a premier national park destination that is welcoming to all,” park superintendent, Jorge Silva-Bañuelos said.

The General Management Plan will address all four statutory requirements for national park units, including Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Issues Opinion On Right To Use Public Water Flowing Over Private Property

Justice Michael E. Vigil

AOC News:

SANTA FE — People have a constitutional right to walk or wade on the streambed of water flowing over privately owned land in New Mexico when they fish or engage in other recreation, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in an opinion issued Thursday.

“We hold that the public has the right to recreate and fish in public waters and that this right includes the privilege to do such acts as are reasonably necessary to effect the enjoyment of such right,” the Court concluded in a unanimous opinion read by Justice Michael E. Vigil.

The opinion provided the legal reasoning for Read More

County Shares Details On Labor Pains And Rains

COUNTY News:

Employees with the Los Alamos County Parks Department are requesting the public’s patience.

The year’s extremely wet monsoon season has brought welcomed drought relief, while simultaneously creating an explosion of vegetation throughout the county. This of course means additional challenges for a department that is already feeling pinched due to staff shortages.  

The Los Alamos County Parks team has been busy mowing and trimming the remarkable growth from the rains this season. Unfortunately, vegetation management is only one of the many tasks for this team. This dynamic Read More

SFNF Lifts Cerro Pelado Fire Burned Area Closure

SFNF News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) rescinded the revised closure order at 6 a.m. today for the Cerro Pelado Fire burned area on the Jemez Ranger District.

However, the Jemez National Recreation Area flood risk closure, signed June 24, remains in effect.

With the termination of the Cerro Pelado burned area closure, the public can now access Forest Service lands, roads and trails within an area roughly defined by Forest Roads (FR) 10 and 10H on the west, then moving south along FR 271DB, 271, 271F and 266 to the boundary with Jemez Pueblo, then east t FR 132, north on FR 132, 282 and Read More

PEEC: Learn All About Creepy Crawlies Sept. 4

Be sure to grab your New Mexico Outdoor Pass from the nature center and head to Los Luceros Historic site this Sunday for a day of insect-filled fun! Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

Created by Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) and Los Luceros Historic Site, the New Mexico Outdoor Pass (NMOP) is a FREE booklet included with FREE community events for families where everyone gets rewarded for spending time outside. Participate in this activity and get a stamp for your New Mexico Outdoor Pass booklet. Fill your book with stamps and you’ll be rewarded with prizes.

Join us for an NMOP special Read More

Santa Fe National Forest Offices Closed For Labor Day

SFNF News:

All Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 5, in observance of the federal Labor Day holiday. Offices will resume regular business hours Tuesday, Sept. 6.

SFNF officials anticipate a significant increase in visitors to the forest as people enjoy the outdoors and all the wonders the SFNF has to offer. If you plan to visit the forest, know before you go and plan ahead. Monsoons remain a possibility. Check the weather forecast and be prepared for seasonal fluctuations in temperature and the potential for flash flooding.

In advance of the three-day holiday Read More

Calf Canyon Fire: Community Meeting Provides Opportunity For Public Voices

Map of the Calf Canyon Fire. Courtesy/SFNF 

SFNF News:

The U.S. Forest Service and Mora County hosted a community meeting Aug. 30 in Mora with more than  150 members of the public and representatives from more than 10 different agencies.

Community members were able to ask questions and voice concerns about wildfire and flooding impacts related to the burned area. Agency representatives presented information about available services such as debris removal, covering uninsured or underinsured losses, emergency watershed protection including aerial seeding and point protection, agricultural Read More

Op-Ed: Los Alamos Trails Deserve A Higher Standard

View of the washed out Perimeter Trail. Courtesy/Chris Collard

View of the washed out Woodland Trail. The trough shape of this trail traps water and forces it to run along the trail bed, cutting deeper and causing more damage with each rain storm. Fixing this kind of damage with hand tools will take many hours and many volunteers. Courtesy/Chris Collard

By CHRIS COLLARD
President
Tuff Riders Mountain Bike Club

I enjoyed Stephanie Nakhleh’s excellent letter on maintaining our trail systems and I wanted to echo her sentiments about the current state of things.

As president of the Tuff Riders Mountain Read More

Ten Wild Horses Brought To Mesalands College For ‘Mustang Turnaround’ Training Program

Mesalands News:

Ten wild horses from the Carson National Forest just arrived at Mesalands College.

They are part of the training program “Mustang Turnaround”, that focuses on the rehabilitation of horses so that they can be adopted and utilized. This is the second school year of the program’s existence, and the number of horses has doubled! 

Megan Print, an Animal Caretaker at the Carson National Forest, spoke about the importance of the Mustang Turnaround. “The forest is only able to hold 50-100 horses, but right now there are around 250. Too many horses on the land will cause damage to the range Read More

Unitarian Church To Host Community Iris Swap Saturday

Courtesy photo

Unitarian Church News:

  • What: Community Iris Swap
  • When: Saturday Sept. 3, 2022, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Where: Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, 1738 N. Sage St., Patio

Mask optional. Everyone must sign in with contact information.

Now that the irises have finished blooming and have had all summer to grow and store up energy for next year’s blooms, it’s time to divide them.

Dig out some of the rhizomes and clip the leaves down to ~6-8”. Use permanent marker to write down the variety of the iris on a leaf (if you know it), or just the color. 

Participation is free.

For more information, please text Read More

DFA Brings Top Leadership Across State Agencies To New Mexico Municipal League Conference

DFA News:

SANTA FE — Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) leads the coordination effort, which will bring multiple state agencies to the New Mexico Municipal League Conference 9-10:15 a.m., Wednesday.

DFA will be joined by the Economic Development Department (EDD), Environment Department (NMED), and New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA), to panel “Filling the Funding Gap”, a presentation on federal funding, ways to think outside the capital outlay box, and how to seek and utilize all funding opportunities.

Attendees will be addressed by the following staff and their respective Read More

NNSA Announces Public Meetings For LANL Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement

NNSA News:

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will conduct two online public scoping meetings in September to provide information about and receive public input on the scope and alternatives that should be considered in the Draft Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

NNSA identified and assessed alternatives for continued operation of LANL:

  • (1) No-Action Alternative: Continue Current Operations;
  • (2) Modernizing Current Operations Alternative; and
  • (3) Expanded Operations Alternative,
Read More
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