This category will feature news releases from out-of-area government agencies and representatives, as well as events that are not taking place in the four-county area of Grant, Catron, Hidalgo or Luna. For those events please visit Local News Releases.

Wildfire Preparedness is Year-Round Spring is a time for action

SANTA FE – With the weather warming, the start of spring winds, and Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week at the end of the month, now is the time for residents in the New Mexico to take proactive steps against destructive wildfire. From the bosque to the mountains, individuals and communities shouldn’t feel helpless; they can learn how to take action to protect their families, properties, and communities.    

What are some ways you can help your community prepare for all hazards and become more resilient to wildfire?  

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House Republican Members Send Letter To State Land Commissioner

HOUSE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS SEND LETTER TO STATE LAND COMMISSIONER STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARDS OPPOSING OIL AND NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT LEASE MORATORIUM

SANTA FE, NM— Four Republican members of the New Mexico House of Representatives who sit on the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee today sent a letter to State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard expressing their strong opposition to a recent announcement that the State Land Office was placing an indefinite hold on new lease sales of the state’s “best tracts” of trust land for oil and natural gas development.  This moratorium on new lease sales, according to Commissioner Garcia Richards, is due to the failure of the Legislature to enact HB 48 during the recent session that would have increased the state’s oil and natural gas royalty rate from 20 percent to 25 percent.   State Representatives Jim Townsend (R- Artesia), Larry Scott (R-Hobbs),  Rod Montoya (R-Farmington), and Jared Hembree (R-Roswell) called this lease sale moratorium unacceptable as the commissioner is placing her personal political agenda ahead of the needs of schools, hospitals, universities and other public institutions who receive a portion of the revenues generated by these lease sales.  

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NMSU regents vote to launch new presidential search

In its regular meeting Monday, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents voted unanimously to launch a new search for the university system’s next president. The move follows a national search.

“After careful consideration, I do not believe that any of the current finalists fully meet the needs of New Mexico State University at this critical juncture,” said Ammu Devasthali, who has chaired the Board of Regents throughout the search process. “Finding the right leader is paramount. While the presented candidates possess impressive qualifications and are assets to their respective institutions, we have yet to see the next leader of our university.”

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Baptist Disaster Relief Seeking Hay Donations for Texas Fire Area

New Mexico Baptist Disaster Relief is seeking donations of hay and other supplies for ranchers in the Texas panhandle. Recent fires that burned more than one million acres ravaged grasslands critical for cattle through the summer months.

NMBDR is also accepting donations of cattle and wildlife feed, salt blocks, and fencing supplies. Any monetary donations received will be used to purchase additional hay, supplies and transportation.

Ed Greene, NMBDR director, reports that NMBDR has fire cleanup and recovery crews on the ground in the panhandle and are seeing the devastation firsthand. “A million acres is almost an incomprehensible number,” Greene said. “And, its loss is a hard hit to the livelihood of a lot of Texas families.”

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March 1, 2024, Water Supply Outlook Report for New Mexico

The latest Water Supply Outlook Report is now available. 

From the Summary:

March 1 snowpack conditions again favored the southern and western New Mexico forecast basins, extending west into Arizona. Snow accumulation, particularly in the early part of February, resulted in above normal to normal Snow Water Equivalent measured in the Lower Rio Grande, Pecos, Rio Chama-Upper Rio Grande, and Canadian basins as of the most recent survey cycle. The most extensive mountains feeding the northern headwaters of the Rio Grande and San Juan basins in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado still hold below to well below normal Snow Water Equivalent, with conditions much improved over the last month. As of March 1, the well above normal snowpack conditions in the Zuni and Gila San Francisco basins were overwhelmed by drier conditions further north, leaving statewide Snow Water Equivalent totals at approximately 94% of the reference period normal for New Mexico after a brief period of above normal snowpack conditions early in the month. This is a significant statewide improvement since last month, with every major forecast basin aside from the Lower Rio Grande seeing dramatic snowpack gains from a series of notable February snowstorms. 

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$11.2 Million in FY24 Funding for 20 N.M. Local Projects in Final Agriculture Appropriations Bill

Heinrich Successfully Secures Full Funding for WIC, Delivers $11.2 Million in FY24 Funding for 20 N.M. Local Projects in Final Agriculture Appropriations Bill 

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, announced that the Agriculture Appropriations bill he authored and led bipartisan negotiations has been signed into law by President Biden.  

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I-10 to have overnight driving right lane closures this week mileposts 127-129

ROAD ADVISORY:

LANE CLOSURE - mile marker 127 to 129, west of Las Cruces

The New Mexico Department of Transportation District One office will have overnight lane closures in place on I-10 from milepost 129 to 127 (Corralitos) in the driving right lane due to road maintenance, barrier wall will be place. This closure will be in place Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. being completed by Thursday, March 14, 2024.

$42 Million For NM Service Members, Veterans, & Military Installations

Heinrich Secures $42 Million For New Mexico’s Service Members, Veterans, & Military Installations

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on  Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, announced he has secured $42,210,000 in investments for New Mexico’s service members, veterans, and military installations with the Senate’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Fiscal bill. 

This legislation was passed alongside five other bipartisan appropriations bills, including the Agriculture bill; the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill; the Commerce, Justice, and Science bill; the Interior and Environment bill; and the Energy and Water Development bill. The bills now head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.  

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