New Mexico Environment Department Reviewing Abatement Plan To Investigate Groundwater Contamination From Potash Mine Discharges
NMED News:
CARLSBAD — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is reviewing a Stage 1 Abatement Plan (Plan) to investigate and define the extent of groundwater contamination from discharges associated with potash mining.
Groundwater contamination between Laguna Grande and the Pecos River has been detected in groundwater monitoring wells. As a result, NMED required Mosaic Potash Carlsbad to submit the Plan to characterize the nature and extent of groundwater contamination from mine discharges between Laguna Grande and the Pecos River.
Mosaic Potash Carlsbad operates a potash mine Read More
Daily Postcard: Herons Return To The Jemez
Posts From The Road: Chihuly In the Desert
Blue Birch Reeds: Blue Birch Reeds and Scorpion Tails is an installation consisting of dozens of reeds, which stand tall amongst a garden of barrel cactus at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Ariz. The brilliant blues and cobalts are seen in natural daylight in this photo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Red Reeds: The Red Reeds exhibit was photographed at dusk not long after the artificial lights began illuminating the reeds. Framed with Yucca spires in the foreground similar in shape and design to Chihuly’s glasswork. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer Read More
Earth Care, Area Leaders Info Session On Environmental Injustice In Santa Fe’s Southside Communities Tuesday
New Mexico Environmental Law Center News:
Earth Care and community leaders have led a challenge to air quality permits issued to polluting companies on Santa Fe’s Southside area, which is a densely populated area of predominantly low-income/immigrant people of color.
A coalition of local residents and families called the Santa Fe Southside Environmental Justice Coalition has appealed NMED’s decision, which resulted in an Environmental Improvement Board hearing in February.
As community members await the results of their appeal, they are informing community members and community Read More
NPS: Consider Hiking Cerro Grande Trail
Saddle part way up the Cerro Grande Trail. Courtesy/NPS
NPS News:
Looking for a place to hike this weekend? Looking for a different trail in Bandelier National Monument if you have already hiked the Pueblo Loop Trail?
A great choice is Cerro Grande, which takes you to the highest point in the park (10,199 feet). Cerro Grande Trailhead is right on N.M. 4 near the junction with FS 289 and has a nice big paved parking lot parallel to the highway. Even so, this parking lot can fill on beautiful spring weekends.
There aren’t archeological sites on this Cerro Grande Trail but there are gorgeous long distance Read More
LANL News Roundup For Week Of April 11, 2022
Spooky Action at a Distance? Not a Chance!:
Quantum mechanics has a way of taking your mind to places it just doesn’t want to go. Famously hard to understand and impossible to intuit, concepts such as quantum entanglement and superposition really make sense only when viewed through a mathematical lens. Plain language most often leads you down dead ends or false paths that end miles away from reality, with carelessly chosen words propagating misunderstandings at the speed of the internet. Read the full article in Real Clear Science. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Read More
Vet Voice Foundation: DOI Resuming Oil & Gas Lease Sales
Vet Voice Foundation News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior announced Thursday it is resuming onshore oil and gas lease sales.
In response to the announcement, Vet Voice Foundation CEO Janessa Goldbeck released the following statement:
“There’s a right way to manage leasing on our public lands and there’s a wrong way. Today is an example of doing things the right way.
“Over the past several years, Vet Voice Foundation has raised alarms about the federal government’s antiquated, broken system for issuing leases for fossil fuel extraction on our public lands. By design, Read More
Daily Postcard: Gathering For Easter Sunrise At Overlook
Daily Postcard: Early this morning just as the sun begins to rise, community members gather at Overlook Park for an Easter Service led by pastors James Byerly of La Vista Church of the Nazarene, Marshall Cook of White Rock Baptist Church and Deb Worley of White Rock Presbyterian Church. Photo by Jenn Bartram/ladailypost.com Read More
Biden-Harris Administration: $38 Million From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law To Protect Aquatic Species & Habitats
Secretary Deb Haaland
DOI News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced Thursday that 40 fish passage projects in 23 states and Puerto Rico will receive a total of nearly $38 million in fiscal year 2022 funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
With a total of $200 million in investments in the National Fish Passage Program over the next five years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bolster efforts to address outdated, unsafe or obsolete dams, culverts, levees and other barriers fragmenting our nation’s rivers and streams, which will help Read More
Manhattan Project National Historical Park Hosting Volunteer Recruitment Event At Fuller Lodge Monday April 18
NPS News:
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking volunteers interested in working at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center at 475 20th St. in Los Alamos.
To learn more or sign up as a volunteer, join NPS personnel at 5 p.m. Monday, April 18 in the Nambe Room at Fuller Lodge.
Pizza and refreshments will be served.
About the Manhattan Project National Historical Park:
Formally established in November 2015 via a Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Energy and the National Park Service to preserve portions of three World War II sites where Read More
Pink Moon Glowing Early Today Over White Rock
The Pink Moon is glowing, as seen at about 4:30 a.m. today through the cherry blossoms of a tree at a residence in White Rock. What is a ‘Pink Moon’? The moon orbits Earth every 29 days, which is why there’s a full moon approximately once a month. April’s full moon is called the ‘Pink Moon’ because April sees the emergence of pink wildflowers in North America. However, to be clear, the moon won’t be pink — the ‘Pink Moon’ moniker is entirely misleading. It will actually glow more orange. There are other names for April’s full moon, from the ‘Sprouting Grass Moon’ and the ‘Growing Moon’ to the ‘Fish Moon’ Read More
PEEC Gears Up For Earth Day With Family Friendly Planetarium Movie Night April 16
This trash compactor named WALL-E, romances a sleek, high-tech android is the family friendly Oscar-winning CGI-animated film, 4:40-6 p.m. today in the planetarium at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Join the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) for a screening of the Oscar-winning CGI-animated film, WALL-E, 4:40-6 p.m. today, April 16 in the planetarium at the Los Alamos Nature Center.
Set on a wasteland Earth circa 2800, where the last robot on the planet, a centuries-old trash compactor named WALL-E, romances a sleek, high-tech android.
Prior to the Read More
All SFNF Ranger Districts At HIGH Fire Danger
SANTA FE – Important Information from the Santa Fe National Forest. Easter weekend is always a big one for recreation on the #santafenf. If you plan to visit us, please be aware of HIGH fire danger and fire operations on the Hermits Peak Fire (Pecos/Las Vegas District).
Forest visitors planning to spend Easter weekend on the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) are reminded to take precautions by following One Less Spark guidelines and Smokey Bear’s Campfire Safety rules.
All ranger districts on the SFNF are at HIGH fire danger as New Mexico and Arizona shifted to wildland fire Preparedness Level Read More
New Mexico Department Of Homeland Security Emphasizes Safety For New Mexico Residents Displaced By Recent Fires
DHSEM News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) impresses upon New Mexicans displaced by the McBride and Nogal Fires in Lincoln County to stay away from burned out areas until it is safe to return.
New Mexico State Police (NMSP) and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department have set up 8 checkpoints around the Ruidoso area and 1 checkpoint near Nogal Canyon on NM37. In addition, NMSP and the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office are managing 3 checkpoints near the Hermit’s Peak Fire 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Residents are not permitted Read More
Daily Postcard: Butterfly Rests Among Cherry Blossoms
Daily Postcard: A butterfly is spotted among cherry blossoms recently on Barranca Mesa. Photo by Selvi Viswanathan Read More
Expect Hunting & Fishing Season Checkpoints Statewide
NMGF News:
The Department of Game and Fish (NMGF) will conduct checkpoints throughout the state during hunting and fishing seasons, in hunting and angling areas, to collect harvest data and to detect wildlife law violations.
The 2022-2023 hunting and fishing season began April 1. All hunters and anglers are required to purchase a new license before hunting and fishing. Guides and outfitters are also reminded that new registration is required.
The general turkey season begins April 15.
For more information, please consult the Department’s Hunting Rules and Information Booklet.
Hunters Read More
Summer Family Evenings Return To Nature Center!
Summer Family Evenings will return fully in-person every Wednesday, June through July, as well as one in August at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road. Courtesy photo
COMMUNITY News:
Who wants to pet a baby goat? Thanks to the generosity of Del Norte LOV Foundation, Summer Family Evenings will return fully in-person every Wednesday in June and July (and one in August) to the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road.
Del Norte Credit Union and now the Del Norte LOV Foundation have sponsored this popular series of events every summer since 2015.
Summer Family Evenings happen at 6 p.m. Read More
New Mexico Adopts New Oil & Gas Emission Rules
Cabinet Secretary James Kenney
NMED News:
SANTA FE — After two and half years of collaborative public and stakeholder engagement, the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) adopted new air quality rules that will eliminate hundreds of millions of pounds of harmful emissions annually from oil and gas operations in New Mexico.
The new rule will improve air quality for New Mexicans by establishing innovative and actionable regulations to curb the formation of ground-level ozone.
“Today marks the fulfillment of a promise I made to New Mexicans – to create strong, enforceable regulations in Read More
Los Alamos Garden Club Hosts Rose Workshop Saturday
The Los Alamos Garden Club is hosting its annual Rose Pruning Workshop Saturday, April 16. Courtesy/LAGC
LAGC News:
The public is invited to join the Los Alamos Garden Club (LAGC) for its annual Rose Pruning Workshop 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16.
The workshop will be held at the Fuller Lodge Memorial Rose Garden and led by Del Jimenez, NMSU Agriculture Extension Specialist.
For anyone interested in learning how to properly prune roses, this is an excellent opportunity! Participants are advised to bring gloves and wear protective clothing. Pruning tools and a bucket also are good to bring along. Read More
Firefighters Gain Ground On The Hermits Peak Fire
Hermits Peak Fire PIO Map. Courtesy photo
SFNF News:
Update on Hermits Peak Fire.
Start Date: April 6, 2022
Acres: 7,077 acres
Location: Approx. 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NM, Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, Hermits Peak/Pecos Wilderness
Cause: Multiple spot fires spread beyond the prescribed fire project boundary
Fuels: Mixed conifer
Containment: 10 percent
Total personnel: 520
Highlights: As a result of firefighter efforts, availability of aircraft, and more favorable weather conditions, the Hermits Peak Fire experienced noticeably smaller growth on Wednesday. Communities Read More
