Non-Local News Releases

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are welcoming $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor to support disaster-relief jobs and training services in communities affected by the South Fork and Salt Fires.

This federal funding is provided through the Major Disaster Declaration President Joe Biden issued — at the urging of the N.M. Delegation — for Lincoln County, Otero County, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce their risk of infection. To protect yourself from West Nile virus infection:

Use an approved insect repellent every time you go outside and follow the instructions on the label. Among the EPA-approved repellents are those that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol.

Wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

SANTA FE – In New Mexico, wildfire conditions are generally receding by the month of August, but this year is different. The National Interagency Fire Center's Predictive Services outlook says that we can expect an increase in fire potential into the month of October. The reasons why may be familiar – warmer and drier conditions brought on by climate change, and a relatively calm 2023 fire season in which very little vegetation burned.

Considering this, it's important to remember the main reason wildfires start — human activity. Humans – like you and us – make simple mistakes that can have devastating consequences. Nationally, humans cause nearly 90% of all fires in the United States. In New Mexico since 2019, humans have caused 70% percent of all fires, burning one million acres and costing $52.6 million dollars.

MDMA-assisted therapy could help address the mental and behavioral crisis, especially among American veterans

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), alongside 17 of their Senate colleagues, urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner to rely on scientific evidence and data as the FDA considers approval of MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). MDMA-AT could help address the mental and behavioral crisis, especially among American veterans.

"Existing treatments and medicines for PTSD, the last of which FDA approved nearly 25 years ago, have not decreased the frequency of suicide within the veteran community. As a nation, we cannot allow our veterans to continue to suffer in silence and must identify treatments proven to drastically decrease the adverse effects of PTSD," Heinrich and Luján to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.

SANTA FE – Wildland firefighters from the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department's
Forestry Division are now in Oregon to help combat the numerous wildfires raging across the state.

"Sadly, Oregon is currently overwhelmed by wildfire demands, and we're grateful to be in a position to offer our support," said State Forester Laura McCarthy. "Our ability to assist is a testament to the capacity that we've built in our wildfire response programs over the past year."

August 5, 2024

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Albuquerque, New Mexico – Emera Inc. (“Emera”) (TSX:EMA), an international energy and services company, today announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its wholly owned operating company, New Mexico Gas Company, Inc. (“NMGC”), to Bernhard Capital Partners (“BCP”), a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm, for an aggregate transaction value of $1.252 billion USD, including the assumption of approximately $500 million USD of debt and subject to customary closing adjustments.

“This transaction strengthens Emera’s balance sheet, supports our ambitious capital plan and reinforces our strategic decision to optimize our portfolio and reallocate capital to our highest growth markets to drive long-term value for our shareholders,” says Scott Balfour, President and CEO, Emera Inc. “New Mexico Gas is a strong regulated utility with a customer-focused team. We’re proud of the work we have done together over the past eight years to drive customer growth and enable nearly $800 million USD in strategic capital investments to expand and maintain a safe, reliable system that will serve New Mexicans for decades to come.”

Outdoor Equity Fund and Trails+ Grant open with over $12M in combined funding

SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Economic Development Department's Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) Director Karina Armijo announced the opening of both the Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) and the Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant. Both grant programs opened for applications on July 1, 2024.

ORD has invested over $20 million in expanding outdoor access through these programs to date. These grants are now supported by the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, a dedicated source of state recurring funding that prioritizes land and water stewardship, forest and watershed health, outdoor recreation and infrastructure, agriculture and working lands, historic preservation, and wildlife species protection.

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (Department) has scheduled a public meeting with the Habitat Stamp Citizen Advisory Committee. The Citizen Advisory Committee will prioritize project opportunities at this meeting. Members of the public are invited to attend this hybrid public meeting. An agenda will be posted on the Habitat Stamp webpage prior to the meeting.

• Thursday August 15, 2024, Santa Fe, 9 a.m.
  • Attend in person at 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, NM, 87507
  • Register in advance to attend virtually