Happy Arbor Month! Celebrating the vital role trees play.
Our partner Tree New Mexico has planted 10,000+ trees in ABQ and recently branched southward to Silver City and T or C, planting 1,000 trees in 2 years where tree canopy is as low as 3%.
Learn more and join planting days! Visit treenm.org
Why mess with perfection?
It’s easy to mistake a dense forest for a healthy forest — but that’s not always the case. In this month’s From the Field, we dive into forest treatments: turning this 🌲🌲🌲🌲 to this 🌲 🌱 🦌 🌲
📰: www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/wp-conte...
Save the date!
Hear updates on issues impacting communities following the HPCC. Topics include: home hardening and insurance, regrowth in our forests, updates on groundwater contaminants, power line safety and more.
Join for this community day of rebuilding and connection.
Moths, mistletoe, fire mitigation and more: Crews are working overtime on the Carson National Forest to restore overgrown, pest-impacted forest.
KRQE checked in on progress on the ground - check it out!
Moths, mistletoe, fire mitigation and more: Crews are working overtime on the Carson National Forest to restore overgrown, pest-impacted forest.
KRQE checked in on progress - check it out!
📹: krqe.com/news/new-mexico/carson-national-forest-restoration-efforts-continue-following-moth-infections
#FireFriday: Are burn scars melting snowpack faster?
Snow may finally fall across our mountains this weekend. Where it meets burn scars, it may melt off faster.
Read the research: wildfiretoday.com/burn-scars-in-western-us-snow-regions-to-further-strain-water-supplies-research-shows.
Work smarter, not hotter?
As windy weather sticks around, it’s a reminder to stay safe when working outdoors.
Get a fire prevention tip each month — subscribe to our newsletter! Link in bio.
#hottip
Ahead of a windy week, take extra precautions — especially in grassy areas, where already seeing increased fire behavior.
Most fires are human caused, meaning they’re preventable: Check weather, work smart, keep your vehicle in good shape.
Happy #FireFriday!
Top priorities in a wildfire: keep people safe. This Incident Within an Incident course prepped trainees for a medical emergency or injury during a wildfire.
Get ready for the 2026 fire season: full training schedule at emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/training. Well done, firefighters!
Got a post-fire project? Consider our new Carbon Stewardship Program!
This is the first cost-share program in the state to offer direct payments for post-fire recovery, from contour felling to seeding and restoration.
Apply now! Visit emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/forest-and-watershed-health-office
Preparing for wildfire takes a village.
In this month’s The Spark, dive into Community Wildfire Protection Plans, your area's resource to identify risks and plan action steps.
🔥 Get the Spark: facnm.org
Thanks to partners Forest Stewards Guild, @nmfwri.bsky.social and BLM New Mexico!
352 Fire - Final Update:
70% contained, 2,674 acres. State Road 469 re-opened, evacuations lifted.
This will be the final notification unless there are significant changes.
nmfireinfo.com/2026/02/10/3...
Wildfire Notification: 352 Fire (Quay County)
Estimated 1,000 acres, zero percent contained, north of San Jon. Cause is under investigation.
For complete info: nmfireinfo.com/2026/02/09/wildfire-notification-352-fire-quay-county/
Is there such a thing as too many trees?
Read about it in our Feb. newsletter! Plus:
• Our first-ever direct payment program for post-fire projects
• The launch of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service
• Job opportunities, hot work tips and events
All this and more: mailchi.mp/state/what-w...
Division responded to the 25-acre Wet Weather Fire near Magdalena — one of many in a pretty big uptick in fire starts statewide, including a 500-acre grass fire west of Santa Rosa. Eastern NM is at the highest risk: tie up chains, hold off burning, keep grasses mowed!
Visit nmfireino.com for updates
From AI-powered cameras to satellites, drones and BurnBots, technology is reshaping the world of wildfire
We recently partnered with Pano AI and PNM on 11 wildfire detection cameras in high-risk areas.
Read the latest #WildfireWednesday from Fire Adapted NM on wildfire tech: facnm.org/news
The Fix Our Forests Act: What does it all mean?
Hop onto this webinar to learn more about the biggest piece of wildfire legislation in recent history: its line items, experts’ recommendations, and what’s changed since its inception.
Thanks to Forest Stewards Guild and SW Fire Science Consortium!
Happy #FireFriday! Our Mimbres Fire Crew returned from successfully burning 50 acres of piles with the @forestservice.bsky.social Cibola National Forest. In total, the Hop Patterson Prescribed Fire will treat over 700 acres of broadcast and pile burns.
Well done, Mimbres crew! 🤝
Got that wood stove roaring finally? ❄️
Fire doesn't end when flames die down: You have to dispose of wood ash safely, too. In December, the Hough Fire outside Portales burned 40 acres of grassland. Its origins? Improperly disposed hot ash.
Keep the fire in the stove — use these steps to stay safe:
Got that wood stove roaring finally? ❄️
Fire doesn't end when flames die down: You have to dispose of ash safely, too.
In December, the Hough Fire outside Portales burned 40 acres. Its origins? Improperly disposed hot ash.
Keep the fire in the wood stove — follow these steps to stay safe 🔥
It's never too late for a visit to Smokey Bear Historical Park! This little fox's late-night, self-guided tour was captured on the wildlife cam 🦊
Tiny beetle, big impact.
Bark beetles are a native, natural check on forest density. But in warm winters and drought, trees are weakening and beetles are proliferating. In our overstocked forests, their impacts are dramatic.
Watch the @koat7.bsky.social story: youtube.com/watch?v=9QTx7cnLXCo
In southern Taos County, the collaborative McGaffey Forest and Watershed Restoration Project will join Carson National Forest to:
• Restore watersheds
• Provide wood and jobs
• Remove invasives and reduce pest stress
• Reduce wildfire threat
📰: fs.usda.gov/r03/carson
Warm winter, low snowpack and drought raise wildfire risk in eastern NM this spring.
You can reduce that risk:
• Mow grasses
• Make a fuel break b/w vegetation and your home
• Park cars over pavement/dirt, not grass
• Tie up vehicle chains
• Use spark arrestors
Story at @abqjournal.bsky.social
What does life look like after high school? How 'bout working:
• Outdoors
• On a crew
• To protect your forests and community
@GEARUPNewMexico showed high schoolers about a career in wildland firefighting -- check out their video!
📽: youtube.com/watch?v=vTgph-XZPxo
Bark beetle tree mortality more than doubled for the second year as winters warm.
The good news: Thinning forests helps trees better access soil moisture and repel pests. It's also a priority mitigation strategy for another rising danger: wildfire.
Read the full story at @abqjournal.bsky.social
Sometimes, big things come in small packages: Embers are responsible for 80% of homes burning in a wildfire.
Good news: Protecting your homes is largely in your control. Check out this month's The Spark for small steps with a huge impact.
Thx Forest Stewards Guild, @nmfwri.bsky.social and BLM NM!
Want some cozy reading this snowy Friday? Our first monthly newsletter just dropped! It's packed with stories, tips and photos from the field.
Visit tinyurl.com/ytpw6aus to check it out. Want 'em delivered to your inbox? Sign up at tinyurl.com/24nbcy59.
From Sept. to Dec., this project just north of Silver City has:
• Thinned 947 of 1,222 acres
• Returned densely overgrown pinon-juniper to savannah woodlands
• Reduced both competition stress and wildfire risk to the surrounding communities.
And how 'bout that view?
Wildland firefighters can get $450K from the federal government for smoke-related cancers under the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act passed in December.
The bill is hailed as a "critical victory" for firefighters.
Read more at wildfiretoday.com.
