Environment

Prescribed Burn Planned On Santa Fe National Forest Coyote Ranger District

by

SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest hope to take advantage of conditions next week to conduct a prescribed burn on the Coyote Ranger District. The 5,041-acre French Mesa treatment area is located approximately 10 miles north of Gallina.  

Hand ignitions may begin as early as Monday, May 23, but that window is dependent on favorable conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts. Once ignitions have started, crews hope to treat up to 150 acres per day

Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource Read More

Video Game Tournament At Planetarium May 24

by

Free Super Smash Bros. video game tournament at the Los Alamos Nature Center May 24. Courtesy/PEEC.

PEEC News:

The Los Alamos Teen Center and Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) are hosting a video game tournament at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 24.

Video games will be projected on a 10’ x 20’ screen in the planetarium dome at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road. This event is free and open to the public and no registration is required.

For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460. Read More

County Halts Weed Spraying Due To Citizen Concerns

by

COUNTY News:

Due to concerns voiced by citizens regarding the use of herbicides as a weed management tool, the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Division has postponed indefinitely spraying in the following turf areas: 

  • Rover Park;
  • East Park;
  • Community Soccer;
  • Myrtle Green;
  • Ashley Pond;
  • Fuller Lodge;
  • Aquatic Center;
  • Western Area;
  • Urban Park;
  • Barranca Mesa; and
  • North Mesa Sports Complex.

County ordinance requires weed abatement, due to health and safety, and general appearance of the common areas in the community, and so County departments and divisions are continuing their weed Read More

Udall, Heinrich Advance Funding For National Labs, Water Projects, WIPP In Energy And Water Appropriations Bill

by

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined the Senate, in a 90-8 vote May 12 to pass the fiscal year 2017 funding bill for Los Alamos and Sandia national labs, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and several New Mexico water projects.
 
The Energy and Water Appropriations Act is critical for New Mexico and supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs nationwide. Udall helped write the legislation as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. A final version of the bill now must be worked out with the U.S.
Read More

Interior Department Expands Buy-Back Program Across Indian Country

by

DOI News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Following extensive outreach with tribal leaders and American Indian landowners, Interior Deputy Secretary Michael L. Connor announced an expanded schedule for implementing the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program) at 63 additional locations from 2018 through mid-2021.
 
Since it began making offers in December 2013, the Program has paid more than $740 million to individual landowners and restored the equivalent of nearly 1.5 million acres of land to tribal governments.
 
The expansion brings the number of locations
Read More

Environment Department Launches Review Process For Water Protection Regulations

by

NMED News:

SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Environment Department’s Ground Water Quality Bureau will host an informational public meeting 2-4 p.m., Friday to launch the review process and public dialogue for proposed revisions to water protection regulations at the Runnels Auditorium at 1190 St. Francis Dr. in Santa Fe.

The current ground and surface water protection regulations can be found at 20.6.2 of the New Mexico Administrative Code. 

The meeting will describe the forthcoming review process, highlight areas of the regulations that are under consideration for revision,

Read More

Udall On New Standards To Combat Methane Pollution

by

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON D.C. ― Thursday May 12, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rules for new and modified oil and gas wells, which limit emissions of methane, a potent heat-trapping greenhouse gas that, combined with other pollutants, has been linked to cancer, lung ailments, and other public health problems:
 
“Natural gas waste has cost New Mexico taxpayers and oil and gas producers millions of dollars — while contributing to a methane hot spot the size of
Read More

Taos Author Speaks At Los Alamos Nature Center May 17

by

Author and hiker Cindy Brown takes in the view from Chimney Rock. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

Hear from author Cindy Brown about hiking in Northern New Mexico at the Los Alamos Nature Center Tuesday, May 17. Courtesy/PEEC

Come get ready for spring hiking! Writer Cindy Brown will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road.

Brown is the author of the Taos Hiking Guide, published last summer, and has been the hiking columnist for The Taos News for the last five years. With the coming of spring, it is time to think about getting outside on the trails Read More

Los Alamos Is Latest EM Field Office To Transition To Energy.Gov

by

EM Los Alamos Field Office Manager Douglas E. Hintze

DOE News:

The EM Los Alamos Field Office today introduced a new user-friendly website with a sleek, simple design that delivers timely information about the legacy cleanup activities underway at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Previously, EM’s Los Alamos cleanup efforts were featured on the laboratory’s website. Now, the EM field office, just over a year old, has launched its own website with the goal of increasing transparency by providing more resources that stakeholders, residents, media, and other members Read More