Forest Service Announces $248M In Rural Schools Payments To Support Counties, Schools, & Wildfire Preparedness
SFNF News:
WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Forest Service Tuesday announced it will be issuing $248 million in Secure Rural Schools payments for 2025, delivering critical funding to eligible states and counties with National Forest System lands. These payments help sustain public schools, maintain local roads, strengthen wildfire preparedness, and support other essential services in rural communities.
“Secure Rural Schools payments reflect our strong partnership with the counties and communities that surround national forests,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “These funds Read More
Daily Postcard: Sphinx Moth Sips Lilac Nectar
Daily Postcard: Sphinx moth sips nectar from lilacs Tuesday in White Rock. Photo by Katy Korkos Read More
Experience New Mexico’s Landscapes Like Never Before At Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium
The community is invited to watch a special film program that reveals the state’s dramatic landscapes from a pilot’s-eye view, April 25, in the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) invites the community to take to the skies without ever leaving their seat! From 11 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 25, the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium will host New Mexico from the Air, a special film program that reveals the state’s dramatic landscapes from a pilot’s-eye view.
This unique planetarium experience showcases sweeping Read More
Commissioner Garcia Richard, Department Of Defense, N.M. Land Conservancy Partner On 2nd Largest Land Conservation Agreement In State History
STATE News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has announced that she has partnered with the United States Department of Defense and the New Mexico Land Conservancy for the second time to protect an additional 60,000 acres of state trust land covering portions of Socorro and Torrance Counties in the White Sands region known as Turkey Ridge from future large developments.
The State Land Office received $3.2 million to benefit public education and other institutions under the agreement.
In January 2025, Commissioner Garcia Richard, the Department of Defense, Read More
Wildlife Department Announces Fish Art Contest Winners
NMDW News:
SANTA FE — Some of New Mexico’s most talented youth artists took part in the first-ever Art of Conservation New Mexico Fish Art Contest, with winners announced last week by the New Mexico Department of Wildlife.
The contest included divisions for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. The top-three finishers in each division will proceed to the National Fish Art Contest, sponsored by Wildlife Forever. Other categories included the Invader Crusader Award, for artwork featuring a native and invasive aquatic species found in the student’s local area; the Mighty Minnow Award, Read More
New Mexico Approves First Air Quality Fee Increase In Decades
Environment Secretary James Kenney
NMED News:
“New Mexico has not raised any air quality permit fees since 2009, despite seeing an over 2,000 percent increase in oil and gas-related general construction permits and a 126 percent increase in total permitting actions since 2012.” –Environment Secretary James Kenney
SANTA FE — New Mexico’s Environmental Improvement Board — the state’s independent board that reviews and approves environmental rules — on Monday approved a proposal brought by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to increase air quality permitting fees for the first Read More
Daily Postcard: First Black-Chinned Hummingbird Of Season
Daily Postcard: The first Black-chinned Hummingbird of the season is spotted sipping water from a feeder on Monday at a farm in the beautiful Española Valley. Photo by Liddie Martinez Read More
Get Growing: Build A Mini-Indoor Greenhouse At Los Luceros Workshop April 25
NMDCA News:
Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area (NRGNHA) offers a hands-on workshop held at Los Luceros Historic Site from 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Saturday, April 25, for building a mini-indoor greenhouse to grow plants for remedios, or remedies.
In this workshop, learn how to build a small indoor mini greenhouse designed specifically for growing traditional remedios, or remedies, herbs at home. Even without outdoor space or garden beds, families have long found ways to nurture healing plants year-round.
The workshop is $50 per person, and proceeds benefit Los Luceros Historic Site. Register Read More
Daily Postcard: Double Rainbow Colors Sky Over White Rock
Daily Postcard: A double rainbow colors sky on April 7 over White Rock. The secondary rainbow is caused by a second reflection inside the droplet, and this “re-reflected” light exits the drop at a different angle – 50° instead of 42°. This is why the secondary rainbow appears above the primary rainbow. The secondary rainbow will have the order of the colors reversed, with red on the bottom and violet on the top. Source: NASA. Photo by Dave Lannen
Another view of a double rainbow coloring the sky on April 7 over White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen
Another view of a double rainbow coloring the sky on Read More
Celebrate 2026 Earth Day Festival At Nature Center April 18
PEEC News:
The community is invited to explore, play, learn, and celebrate at the 2026 Earth Day Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road.
This annual event will offer engaging activities, fun entertainment, and delicious food.
To learn more, click Earth Day Festival.
PEEC To Host Spring Wildlife Tracking Program With Certified Specialist Ann Hunkins May 1
Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) will offer Discovering Wildlife Through Tracks and Signs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, May 1, 2026, beginning at the Los Alamos Nature Center.
This immersive, field‐based program invites participants to explore the Spring landscape through the perspective of a wildlife tracker, uncovering the subtle clues and stories left behind by animals active in the warming season.
Led by Certified Wildlife Tracker Ann Hunkins, the outing introduces participants to far more than footprints. Attendees will learn to recognize Read More
SFCC To Host Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic For Dogs
New Mexico Environment Department Watch Alert: 153 Enforcement Actions Initiated; 69 Resolved In March 2026
NMED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is highlighting the ongoing success of its Enforcement Watch initiative, a transparency-focused program that provides the public with consistent and timely information about the Department’s enforcement actions across environmental protection, public health, and worker safety programs.
By making enforcement data accessible, Enforcement Watch reinforces NMED’s commitment to New Mexico residents for accountability and regulatory compliance statewide.
Launched in May 2023, Enforcement Watch shares monthly Read More
PSLA Launches Digital Hub For Area Outdoor & Trails
From Places & Spaces Los Alamos:
Did you know that our area trail systems are managed by six different jurisdictions? Places & Spaces Los Alamos (PSLA) is proud to announce the launch of the Pajarito Trails Series (PTS) website – www.pajaritotrails.us, a first-of-its-kind digital portal designed to serve as the “front door” for all six of our area’s great trail systems.
While the Pajarito Plateau and Eastern Jemez Mountains boast hundreds of miles of trails managed by six different jurisdictions, navigating the outdoor events and activities has historically been a challenge for Read More
Daily Postcard: Vibrant Springtime Flowers
Daily Postcard: Vibrant springtime flowers blooming on Friday in Velarde. Photo by Johnnie Martinez Read More
Luján, Heinrich, Leger Fernández Call On Forest Service Opposing Carson National Forest Uranium Drilling Proposal, Demanding Full Environmental Review To Protect Chama Watershed
STATE News:
SANTA FE — On April 9, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, wrote to Carson National Forest Supervisor James Duran expressing strong opposition to a proposal to conduct uranium drilling within the Carson National Forest.
The lawmakers also urged the Forest Service to require a full Environmental Read More
Judas Tree Blooms On Its Trunk In White Rock
A Judas Tree blooms on its trunk recently on Rover Boulevard in White Rock. Photo by Shari Mills 
Daily Postcard: Double Rainbow Spotted At Overlook Park
Daily Postcard: A double rainbow spotted Tuesday from Overlook Park in White Rock. Photo by Terry Jones Read More
PEEC Awarded Outdoor Equity Fund Grant To Expand Outdoor Access For Northern New Mexico Youth
Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is proud to be named a recipient of the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF). Through this grant, PEEC will support both in-school and out-of-school programming for K–12 students across five counties, including Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties, increasing access to meaningful outdoor learning experiences for youth. These programs connect young people to the outdoors through accessible, hands-on, place-based learning experiences that support academic learning, social-emotional Read More
All Prescribed Fire Projects Declared Out; No Heat Detected
Forest Service completed critical fall and winter fuels reduction work across the forest. Courtesy photo
SFNF News:
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe National Forest has completed its fall 2025 and winter 2026 prescribed fire operations, calling out all prescribed fires after an infrared flight confirmed no remaining heat. Personnel will continue to patrol burn units as part of standard postfire procedures.
To confirm that all prescribed fire units were out, fire managers ordered a fixed wing aircraft equipped with a military grade infrared camera capable of detecting heat sources as small as a dinner Read More