Non-Local News Releases

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Serving Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri

Upcoming Events ~ August 2026

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife is getting ready for hunting season, and you can, too! We've got plenty of classes and camps coming up, and our events calendar is regularly updated with more educational opportunities!

Sand Springs Wildfire Update

Mountainair Ranger District - August 6, 2026

MAP Below 

Albuquerque, NM – August 6, 2026 — Fire resources are actively engaged in direct suppression efforts on Sand Springs Wildfire on the Mountainair Ranger District.

Yesterday afternoon a weather system created outflow winds in the fire area adding additional challenges for ground response on the estimated 30 acres. Large air tankers provided multiple retardant drops yesterday to reduce fire spread. Despite rugged terrain and hot weather, ground crews are engaging in suppression operations to establish containment lines around the accessible portions of the fire. Personnel will secure the perimeter by identifying hot spots and removing burnable fuel from fire's edge. 

Evening Update on Sand Springs Wildfire

Mountainair Ranger District – August 5, 2026

MAP below 

Albuquerque, NM – August 5, 2026 — Fire resources are actively engaged in direct suppression efforts on Sand Springs Wildfire on the Mountainair Ranger District. Ground crews have been challenged by steep mountain terrain and rolling burning material. Fire became active during mid-day conditions with spread to inaccessible terrain. Fire growth is estimated at 30 acres. Air resources were utilized to support suppression efforts.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the fire areas.

Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that "If you fly, we can't!" 

Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountain Wilderness: Sand Springs Fire (Update)

SANTA FE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management today opened a 30-day public scoping period to receive public input on 15 oil and gas parcels totaling 4,054 acres that may be included in a February 2027 lease sale in New Mexico and Oklahoma. The scoping period ends Sept. 4, 2026.

Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders.

High concentration of illness-causing microcystins detected

(Quemado, NM, August 5, 2026) — The Gila National Forest has issued a public health and safety area closure of Quemado Lake due to a harmful algal bloom. The area closure prohibits public access to the Quemado Lake parking lot, boat dock, dam area, Quemado Lake Fishing Trail #144, Lakeshore Access Trail #1441, Juniper-Lake Access Trail #1442, and Cove-Lake Access Trail #1443 and Quemado Lake itself.

The Surface Water Quality Bureau of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has detected very high levels of microcystins in their water samples from Quemado Lake, indicating a potential for acute poisoning and short- or long-term effects to humans or animals. To protect the public, the NMED has issued a danger advisory and recommended closing the area. The water is unsafe for drinking, swimming, wading, boating, paddling, water skiing, or fishing, and dogs should not be allowed to play in the water. NMED will continue to sample water quality and provide updated guidance as conditions develop.

New Report and Update on Wildfires
within the Mountainair Ranger District

Sand Springs Fire and Box Fire

Albuquerque, NM – August 5, 2026 — Fire crews are actively engaged in suppression efforts on wildfires within the Mountainair Ranger District that resulted from lightning strikes.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the fire areas.

Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that "If you fly, we can't!" 

Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountain Wilderness: Sand Springs Fire (Update)

Five NMCF grantees are serving 580 children through cultural awareness and education this year — connecting Indigenous youth and New Mexican children to language, tradition, and identity:

Oo-Oo-Nah Art & Cultural Center (Taos Pueblo) — Indigenous arts and cultural programming

MAS Comunidad: Peñasco Theater (Northern NM/Taos) — youth arts, performance, and cultural expression

Pueblo de Abiquiu Library & Cultural Center (Rio Arriba) — community-rooted programming

Ojo Sarco Community Center and Library — rural library and cultural programming in northern NM

Gila Valley Library (Grant/Catron County) — Science Saturdays and heritage programming in the southwest

As AmeriCorps grants are frozen and federal education funding is cut, programs like these face an increasingly uncertain landscape. Cultural continuity is inseparable from child wellbeing — and these organizations would not exist without private support.

Meet the 2026-2027 grantees