Environment

Forest Personnel Seek Volunteers For Trail Cleanup

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 23, 2018
SFNF News:
 
SANTA FE ― The public is invited to volunteer alongside USDA Forest Service personnel to a hike up the Arroyo Toro Route to Window Rock, and help clean up the trail, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.
 
There is a briefing at the Arroyo Toro Route at 10 a.m., 11.5 miles north of Española on US Highway 84. The point of contact is referenced below for exact briefing location. Volunteers will then hike to the trail.
 
The hike will be an eight mile round trip. Volunteers must wear long pants and sturdy closed toe shoes. Bring a day pack with water and sunscreen. Light snacks
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NMHU Revitalizes Campus With Public Art

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 22, 2018
William Goodman’s Arabesque sculpture adjacent to Burris Hall on the Highlands University campus is part of a new public art installation. Courtesy Margaret McKinney/NMHU
 
NMHU News:
 
New Mexico Highlands is revitalizing its main campus through public artwork, thanks to the state’s Art in Public Places Program.
 
Ten artworks ranging from soaring outdoor sculptures to stoneware pottery and a series of bird paintings are being installed throughout the university.
 
“We wanted a variety of diverse artistic aesthetics,” said David Lobdell, chair of the Visual and
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Reps. Lujan Grisham And Luján Demand Air Force Secretary Address Cannon AFB Water Contamination

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2018

U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) and Ben Ray Luján (NM-03) sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, after New Mexico’s Environment Department (NMED) issued a warning that water from several wells on and off the Cannon Air Force Base (AFB) have been contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

These chemicals are found in foam used for firefighting and are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

The Department Read More

SFNF: Hunters, Know Before You Go

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2018

SFNF officials are encouraging hunters to be well prepared before entering into the forest. Courtesy/SFNF

SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Santa Fe National Forest (Forest) officials encourage hunters to be well prepared before entering into the forest and to operate safely.

People require rescue almost every year because they weren’t prepared to enter into the forest and wilderness areas.

“Hunters got lost in two separate instances in the Santa Fe National Forest within the past few days,” said Diane Prather, Forest staff officer and Search and Rescue Coordinator. “Luckily each hunter was found to Read More

Cannon AFB Reveals Groundwater Contamination

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2018
NMED News:
 
CLOVIS ― The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) have been informed by Cannon Air Force Base that Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), chemicals associated with fire-fighting foams – used by Cannon Air Force Base personnel – have been detected in groundwater on and off base.
 
PFAS are emerging chemicals that may be associated with an increased risk of cancer and other health ailments. They are also known to be environmentally persistent,
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BLM Announces Sagebrush Treatments In San Juan And Rio Arriba Counties Beginning Oct. 26

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2018
BLM News:
 
FARMINGTON ― Beginning Oct. 26, the Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District, will treat up to approximately 9,803 acres of sagebrush.
 
Treatments will occur on BLM, state and private lands within San Juan and Rio Arriba counties in northwestern New Mexico where sagebrush densities have surpassed historic, naturally-occurring levels.
 
The objective of the treatments is to improve plant species diversity, which will benefit wildlife, rangeland and watershed health by reducing the density of sagebrush. This
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Late-Season Archery Elk Licenses Available Oct. 31

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2018
NMGF News:
 
SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Game & Fish Department announces that 275 first-come, first-served late season bull elk archery hunting licenses will go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 31.
 
The licenses will be available on the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish website.
 
Available licenses include: Game Management Unit 12, Nov. 17-21, 25 licenses; Unit 34, Dec. 15-19, 200 licenses; and Unit 37, Dec. 1-5, 50 licenses. Special restrictions for elk harvested in Unit 34 can be found on page 85 of the current New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information booklet.
 
The first
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PEEC Hosts Wilderness First Aid Course Nov. 3 & 4

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2018

Earn Wilderness First Aid certifications at a two-day course 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3-4 at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

The Pajarito Environmental Education Center is hosting a two-day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

The class 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. Participants will receive their WFA certification, which is good for two years. Register now at peecnature.org or by visiting or calling the Los Alamos Nature Center at 505.662.0460.

Jeff DeBellis from SOLO Wilderness Medical School will teach this class. Participants will receive Read More

SFNF: Borrego Mesa Prescribed Burn Oct. 22

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2018
SFNF News:
 
SANTA FE ― If favorable conditions allow, to include acceptable fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts, fire managers on the Espanola Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) may begin a broadcast burn on the Borrego Mesa fuelwood unit as early as Monday, Oct. 22.
 
Up to 200 acres on the Borrego Mesa fuelwood unit may be treated with a focus on heavier slash left by wood cutting to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire.   
 
The area is approximately five miles East of Cordova, and five miles South of Truchas. Smoke
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EM’s Office Of River Protection Energizes Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Analytical Laboratory

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2018
The Analytical Laboratory will analyze samples of vitrified low-activity waste to ensure it meets regulatory requirements and standards. Courtesy photo
 
An electrician tests control panel switches in Hanford’s Analytical Laboratory. The laboratory is the first of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization’s four primary facilities to be fully energized. Courtesy photo
 
DOE News:

RICHLAND, Wash. ― EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) safely finished energizing the Analytical Laboratory at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) recently, making it the Read More

Arctic Ice Sets Speed Limit For Major Ocean Current

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2018
A large pool of meltwater over sea ice in the Beaufort Sea. Courtesy NASA/Operation IceBridge
 
The evolution of sea ice over the Beaufort Gyre: In springtime, as ice thaws and melts into the sea, the gyre is exposed to the Arctic winds. Courtesy of the researchers
 
AGU News:
 
The Beaufort Gyre is an enormous, 600-mile-wide pool of swirling cold, fresh water in the Arctic Ocean, just north of Alaska and Canada. In the winter, this current is covered by a thick cap of ice. Each summer, as the ice melts away, the exposed gyre gathers up sea ice and river runoff, and draws it down to create
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USDA Offers Secure, Convenient Online Biz Options

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2018
 USDA News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― Farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers in New Mexico have new online options to access U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.
 
Through USDA’s new streamlined process producers can now register, track and manage their applications for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and 2017 Wildfires Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP) on the secure and convenient https://www.farmers.gov/sign-in.
 
“You can conduct business with USDA from the comfort of your home, office, or mobile device,” said Michael S. White, U.S.
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LANL: Arctic Greening Thaws Permafrost, Boosts Runoff

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2018

NGEE-Arctic researchers from Los Alamos, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Oak Ridge National Laboratory dig deep snow pits in tall shrub patches to understand the warming effect of snow-shrub interactions on underlying permafrost. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

  • Study finds shrubs trap snow, creating permanently thawed zones that destroy permafrost and create pathways for increased water and carbon flow

A new collaborative study has investigated Arctic shrub-snow interactions to obtain a better understanding of the far north’s tundra and vast permafrost system. Incorporating extensive in Read More

PEEC And Reel Deal Present Documentary ‘Free Solo’

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2018

The community is invited to join PEEC and the Reel Deal Theater for a special showing of ‘Free Solo’ at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

The Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Reel Deal Theater present a special showing of the acclaimed documentary “Free Solo” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1.

This stunning film follows climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream of climbing El Capitan … without a rope. Pajarito Brewpub will serve beer and wine at this event and the ticket sales will serve as a fundraiser for PEEC.

Tickets are available for purchase now at Read More

Purgatory Starts Making Snow – Opening Day Nov. 17

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2018
Purgatory Resort fires up its snow making system. Courtesy/Purgatory Resort/Josh Hamill
 
SKI News:
 
DURANGO, Colo. ― Thanks to the cold front that came through, bringing temperatures into the teens at the mountain, Purgatory fired up its snow making system at 10 p.m., Sunday night and made snow for a solid 12 hours.
 
These efforts come on the heels of last week’s natural snowfall. Last week’s storm brought a foot of snow to the mountain, which is still holding at the mid-mountain level and higher.
 
Before making snow, Purgatory’s mountain team started track packing,
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