NM utilities explain plans to turn off power in high fire risk, a new reality facing New Mexicans 鈥�
People across the state should increasingly prepare to lose power the next time high winds and dry conditions combine to raise wildfire risk in their communities.
That was the message big and small electrical providers from all corners of New Mexico told the state鈥檚 utility regulator during a day-long hearing Thursday in Santa Fe. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission held its first of four workshops, stemming out of the historic 2022 wildfire season, focused primarily on 鈥減ublic safety power shutoffs.鈥�
Citing increased fire risk and also the specter of bankruptcy from class-action lawsuits, investor-owned utilities and small cooperatives said shutting off power when conditions require it is a crucial way to protect utilities and, therefore, ratepayers from huge expenses related to wildfires.
PNM, the state鈥檚 biggest electrical provider, did its first-ever power shutoff April 17 in Las Vegas, citing high winds and ongoing drought. The power shutoff affected about 2,300 customers and occurred during a particularly windy day in the Northern New Mexico town of about 12,000 people.
PRC commissioners about the toll of recent wildfires, their criteria for future shutoffs and also how they鈥檙e approaching communicating with local governments and the public.
鈥淭hese disasters not only cause massive losses for people and businesses, but for utilities as well,鈥� PRC chair Gabriel Aguilera said in his opening remarks. 鈥淲e鈥檝e increasingly seen utilities facing lawsuits with insurance companies covering only a fraction of the damages, or in some cases, none at all.鈥�
Speakers presented on behalf of small cooperatives in Mora, San Miguel and Taos Counties, as well as investor-owned utilities like PNM and SPS.
PNM is currently facing a lawsuit from hundreds of victims of the McBride Fire in Ruidoso in 2022. A tree falling into one of PNM鈥檚 utility lines caused that fire, though the parties disagree on whether it was a result of the utility鈥檚 negligence.
Singleton Schreiber, one of the nation鈥檚 biggest law firms bringing wildfire lawsuits, alleges the utility and its contractor negligently allowed the tree to be tall enough and close enough to the power line to cause a fire on a windy day.
PNM has denied any liability, citing public reports that said a 鈥渢ree spanning approximately 50 feet tall that was outside of our right-of-way had contacted a powerline due to unanticipated wind gusts of over 90 miles per hour,鈥� spokesperson Eric Chavez has said.
Before the McBride Fire lawsuit, the Jemez Mountain Electrical Cooperative ultimately had to pay $25 million for its role in the 2011 Las Conchas Fire. It sought rate hikes to cover the cost and also could only get between
It鈥檚 not just small cooperatives that face existential lawsuits for wildfires: Major utility PG&E filed for bankruptcy after being implicated in a series of fires in California in 2017 and 2018, ultimately being ordered to pay a .
The Legislature this year considered, but ultimately didn鈥檛 pass, to electrical cooperatives to $2 million, so long as the PRC approved a wildfire mitigation plan the utility provided in advance.
Cutting off power to prevent a wildfire carries its own costs. In Las Vegas, some families with elderly or sick relatives who relied on electric medical equipment had to scramble to find alternate power sources. And during the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, long power outages meant many people in rural areas lost stores of food in their garage freezers.
Henri Hammond-Paul, Santa Fe鈥檚 director of community health and safety, said at the meeting that utilities need to communicate with local officials and the public as much as possible, including warnings well in advance of a shutoff. He noted that the cost of closing Santa Fe schools, in particular, due to a pre-emptive power shutoff could mean 16,000 students going without lunch.
鈥淚 understand that there is a lot of liability on utilities. There is a different type of liability and risk for cities, because even if we鈥檙e not the ones who are going to be sued, necessarily, for an incident, we are accountable and we are seen as responsible,鈥� he said.
The PRC workshop was only to spur dialogue on the multi-faceted issue of the power shutoffs, members said, though Aguilera suggested the commission was considering crafting a rule that could require standards, public notice timelines and, 鈥渁t a high level, minimum requirements鈥� for utilities before they shut power off.
Watch the six-hour special PRC meeting . The next three workshops are scheduled for July 17, Sept. 15 and Oct. 23.
Luj谩n asks for focus on firearm smuggling at the border 鈥�
Sen. Ben Ray Luj谩n and 13 of his fellow Democratic legislators are pushing the Trump administration to more aggressively pursue firearm smuggling.
Attorney General Pam Bondi the bust of a five-state drug trafficking organization earlier this week. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration more than 4 million fentanyl pills and $4.4 million in cash, as well as methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and weapons.
Luj谩n, D-N.M., and his colleagues want the administration to continue a focus on drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, by bolstering interagency coordination and expanding border crossing inspections to stop American firearms from traveling south to Mexico. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Gabe Vasquez, both from New Mexico, have signed onto the letter.
鈥淧ut simply, if we do not stop the flow of American-made guns across the southern border to Mexico, we cannot stop the flow of fentanyl into our country over that same border,鈥� the letter reads.
In a time characterized by partisan division, the call appears to align with the Republican Trump administration鈥檚 goals. When President Donald Trump signed an expansion on tariff exemptions for Mexico in February, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the two leaders agreed to work together to stop the flow of fentanyl from Mexico and guns from the U.S., .
In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated eight Latin American cartels and gangs Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The letter points out the new designations could be used to sanction or fine people providing firearms to the criminal organizations: 鈥渋t is unlawful to knowingly provide material support or resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization and those who do so can be fined or imprisoned for up to 20 years,鈥� the letter reads.
The members of Congress urged Bondi and Rubio, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, to increase interagency cooperation to dismantle smuggling rings that facilitate weapons trafficking; expand border crossing inspections; increase law enforcement efforts against straw purchasers and firearm dealers; and strengthen intelligence-sharing with Mexican authorities.
Albuquerque Public Schools board passes largest budget to date despite enrollment decline - Noah Alcala Bach,
The Albuquerque Public Schools is set to spend more than ever despite an enrollment decline of more than 20,000 students over the past decade after its budget for the upcoming school year was approved Wednesday.
The district鈥檚 Board of Education approved a for the upcoming school year on a unanimous vote, marking a roughly $104 million increase from the previous year and topping the $2.16 billion approved for the 2023-24 school year, which previously held the record for APS鈥� largest budget.
鈥淚 really have to give credit to our budget team, primarily for getting this work done at the same time as schools were planning, and I think it鈥檚 one of the first times I鈥檝e seen that really work in conjunction,鈥� APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said during Wednesday鈥檚 board meeting. 鈥淚 think this might be the earliest we鈥檝e ever submitted a budget to the Public Education Department.鈥�
The budget now goes to the PED for approval.
Operational costs, which cover day-to-day needs such as teacher and faculty salaries, supplies and the costs to operate schools, accounted for $1.08 billion 鈥� nearly half the budget. Capital outlay, covering construction and building maintenance costs, is allocated some $660 million, the second-highest expense in the budget.
鈥淛ust like for families, inflation has also hit school districts,鈥� Mandi Torrez, education reform director for the self-described nonpartisan think tank , told the Journal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad thing when budgets see a growth to meet those needs, because the last thing anyone wants to see are essential student services like counseling or special education support being cut to make up that difference.鈥�
The cost per pupil is jumping from around $32,000 during the 2024-25 school year to $35,000 for the upcoming year as the district faces a and projects student enrollment below 65,000. But that deficit is covered by reserve funds, according to the district.
鈥淭he budget has continued, as it has in recent years, to be bloated. They鈥檙e still not delivering the outcomes that students need, the quality of education, which is the primary objective of the existence of Albuquerque Public Schools,鈥� Patrick Brenner, of the Libertarian think tank Southwest Public Policy Institute, said. 鈥淪tudents continue to leave, enrollment is down, they鈥檙e educating less students for more than ever before.鈥�
While APS since the pandemic, the trend isn鈥檛 out of line with districts across the country. Since the pandemic, enrollment in U.S. public schools has gone from 50.8 million in 2019 to 49.6 million in 2025.
鈥淥ne question to ask is if student enrollment is declining, are districts in turn decreasing their administration numbers?鈥� Torrez said. 鈥淪o getting as many dollars down to the classroom level, where daily instruction takes place, should be a priority.鈥�
Inspector General鈥檚 COVID bonus report sparks renewed political clash - Justin Garcia,
City Councilor Dan Lewis has once again called for a federal investigation into Albuquerque鈥檚 use of COVID-19 relief funds.
The request is nearly the same as one Lewis made in January. But this time, the recipient is different. Lewis asked recently appointed U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison to investigate the city five months after the that some $300,000 in federal COVID-19 relief money was used for questionable bonuses, something the mayor鈥檚 office has disputed.
Lewis said he renewed his call since the office had new leadership. Alexander Uballez, the former U.S. Attorney now running for mayor, stepped down after Donald Trump鈥檚 election. The president then appointed Ellison, a former assistant U.S. attorney for New Mexico in Las Cruces, to lead the office.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very clear that our Inspector General found some very problematic conclusions from her investigations,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淏ecause these are federal funds, and because the U.S. attorney would normally investigate things like this, I think it鈥檚 appropriate for them to take a look at it.鈥�
Mayor Tim Keller鈥檚 administration has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the Inspector General as 鈥渓ittle more than an opinion writer.鈥�
鈥淭his Inspector General lost credibility long ago. Her own oversight board 鈥� made up of legal and accounting experts 鈥� has repeatedly flagged her for misrepresentation, lack of peer review, audit violations, and clear bias. At this point, she is little more than an opinion writer who has dragged her office into the depths of rumor and factless interpretation,鈥� Dan Mayfield, spokesperson for the city, told the Journal in an emailed statement.
When reached by phone, Inspector General Melissa Santistevan said her office would not respond to the comments from the mayor鈥檚 office.
The money in question was a portion of the federal funds Albuquerque received from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. ARPA was a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill meant to accelerate the country鈥檚 recovery from the pandemic and subsequent recession.
Specifically, the OIG raised concerns about child care stabilization grants, which provided financial assistance to child care providers to alleviate unforeseen expenses related to the pandemic and stabilize their operations.
The OIG鈥檚 report was completed in October. It concluded that the city鈥檚 Family and Community Services Department issued $280,000 worth of bonuses to 27 employees between 2021 and 2023. The report found at least 10 recipients, including top managers, received nearly $20,000 each.
However, the same report was , which had appointees from the mayor and City Council. The Accountability in Government Oversight Committee said the OIG 鈥渓acked sufficient jurisdiction under the city鈥檚 Inspector General ordinance to investigate one or more of the allegations鈥� but did not explicitly recommend disciplinary action.
A U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office spokesperson confirmed that they had received Lewis鈥� complaint. However, they said the office could not confirm whether they had launched an investigation.
As Albuquerque awaits, NM National Guard readies to launch Operation Zia Shield 鈥� Dan Boyd,
With just a few weeks before more than 70 New Mexico National Guard members hit the streets of Albuquerque, top law enforcement officials involved in planning the unusual deployment insisted it will not be military occupation of the state鈥檚 largest city.
During a Wednesday news conference at the National Guard headquarters in Santa Fe, Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina expressed confidence about the operation that鈥檚 expected to fully begin around Memorial Day weekend.
鈥淭here is no intent of a military presence in Albuquerque,鈥� said Medina, who reiterated the National Guard members deployed on the mission, officially called Operation Zia Shield, will not carry guns, wear fatigues or be authorized to make arrests.
In all, 71 members of the National Guard will be deployed as part of the mission, which was authorized last month by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham upon a request from Medina. In, the police chief said it would free up Albuquerque Police Department officers to fight crime. Medina has said the guard members would do auxiliary duties for APD 鈥� like direct traffic and secure perimeters 鈥� so not as many officers will have to.
Of the guard members being deployed, 53 are from the Albuquerque area, said New Mexico National Guard Adjutant General Miguel Aguilar.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our community,鈥� Aguilar said during Wednesday鈥檚 news conference. 鈥淲e鈥檙e from this community.鈥�
But some local residents remain concerned about, especially in Albuquerque鈥檚 International District along East Central that has seen high rates of open air drug use and homelessness in recent years.
Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, who represents a legislative district that encompasses the area, said in a recent interview that not all area residents were on board with the plan.
鈥淚鈥檝e got concerned constituents,鈥� Stewart told the Journal. 鈥淚 hope what the governor and the mayor are trying to do works.鈥�
The National Guard deployment has drawn, while also generating criticism from prominent New Mexico Republicans like state GOP chairwoman Amy Barela, who said Lujan Grisham was 鈥済iving cover to a Democrat-run city entrenched in crime.鈥�
However, APD officials have cited statistics showing a drop in Albuquerque鈥檚 homicide rate so far this year compared to 2024.
The arrival of National Guard troops could help sustain that trend by freeing up police officers from routine tasks, Medina said Wednesday.
鈥淚鈥檓 at the point of my career that I鈥檓 not afraid to stick my neck out and try something outside the box,鈥� Medina said.
In preparation for the deployment, the National Guard members who volunteered for the assignment have undergone extensive training in recent weeks. Some of that training includes self-defense tactics and responsible use of force, said New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler, whose agency assisted with the training.
鈥淲e want to make sure the guardsmen have the ability to protect themselves,鈥� Weisler said.
While they will not carry firearms, the deployed National Guard troops will carry pepper spray for self-protection, just as police aides do, Medina said. He also said they would carry Narcan, which can be used to reverse an overdose of fentanyl or other opioids.
During a Wednesday crisis intervention training session that was open to reporters, National Guard members sat in a conference room responding to questions from a psychologist about ways to interact with individuals dealing with mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.
Several of the National Guard members present for the training said they signed up for the mission out of a sense of community duty.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to help the community and that鈥檚 why I volunteered,鈥� said Staff Sgt. Alfonso Deocampo of Bosque Farms.
Meanwhile, Aguilar said the New Mexico National Guard would still have the capacity to respond to any wildfires, flooding or other natural disasters that might occur in the coming months. He also said the Albuquerque operation would not interfere with plans to send National Guard troops on overseas humanitarian missions.
Iron Fire now 10 percent contained, and reduced by almost 100 acres thanks to rain 鈥� Daniel Monta帽o, 九色网 News
Firefighters received help in battling the Iron Fire currently burning in the Gila National Forest thanks to rainy weather over the last few days.
As of this morning, the fire is 10% contained and has been reduced in size by almost 100 acres, to 822 acres total, according to a.
Hotshot crews have successfully mapped and checked the fire perimeter and are working to mop up hotspots to reduce potential spread.
Temperatures in the area are forecast to rise in the coming days which could complicate firefighting efforts, and engines remain engaged, and are finalizing a contingency plan should conditions worsen.
The snow lake area remains closed, including the boat launch and trailhead and Dipping Vat Campgrounds.
The fire was sparked on Sunday close to noon, and by that evening had grown to more than 900 acres fueled by strong winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.
New Mexico lays out timeline for rebuilding behavioral health system 鈥�
New Mexico鈥檚 top adult mental health services official on Wednesday laid out a timeline for rebuilding the state鈥檚 systems for addressing mental health challenges, including substance use disorder.
At a public health conference in Albuquerque, Health Care Authority Behavioral Health Services Division Director Nick Boukas detailed how mental health treatment will change as a result of New Mexico enacting , known as the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act.
Boukas said his division will work with the to divide the state into behavioral health regions and 鈥渋nvestment zones,鈥� each of which will identify five behavioral health priorities over the next four years.
The priorities will come from feedback from local communities, including local public health councils, local behavioral health collaboratives and advocates, Boukas said.
鈥淲e want you at that table so that we can make it better,鈥� Boukas told the crowd gathered at the conference. 鈥淲e know that one size does not fit all.鈥�
Boukas鈥� comments came during the Community Collaborative Forum hosted by the , at which hundreds of people 鈥� including state agency heads, state lawmakers and public health researchers 鈥� met in person and online to debrief this year鈥檚 legislative session and prepare for potential federal funding cuts.
In the recent legislative session, New Mexico allocated $4 million for health councils in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales gave the event鈥檚 keynote address during which he said the funds mark the biggest ever investment of state funds in health councils.
Health councils鈥� advocates have in recent years to receive funding from state lawmakers. Morales said when he was still a , he remembers 鈥渘ot all health councils were able to survive鈥� funding cuts the Legislature enacted.
鈥淚 believe in preventative measures,鈥� Morales said. 鈥淲e can talk about all of the back-end issues that we deal with 鈥� crime, homelessness, substance abuse 鈥� but if we continue to invest like we just did, this $4 million, you work on it on the front end, the investment pays off in multiple ways.鈥�
According to a timeline Boukas presented at the forum, last week AOC began providing HCA with monthly updates on the regional plans.
On Monday, HCA Kristie Brooks, a former federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration official, as the state鈥檚 director of behavioral health transformation and innovation. Boukas said she will help him implement SB3.
鈥淪he understands rural communities, tribal communities, behavioral health and how we make all that work together,鈥� he said.
By June 1, the Behavioral Health Services Division will provide AOC with behavioral health standards and service evaluation guidelines, according to the timeline, and by the end of this year, the state鈥檚 Medicaid program will establish a group of licensing boards to help streamline mental health providers鈥� credentialing.
Planning meetings will be public
SB3 repealed the old Behavioral Health Collaborative, which will be replaced with the new Behavioral Health Executive Committee, who will be responsible for implementing the new law, Boukas said.
The executive committee will include the Health Care Authority cabinet secretary, the Behavioral Health Services Division director, the Medicaid program director, the AOC and the Legislative Finance Committee, he said, noting that AOC is vetting three behavioral health experts to also work on the committee, and their appointments will be announced soon.
The committee will hold meetings open to the public in Santa Fe and online every quarter, and report back to the LFC, Boukas said.
The Behavioral Health Trust Fund created in will start paying out in July 2026.
The money must be equitably shared between each region鈥檚 priorities; may be used for projects up to four years in length; may be used to cover people without health insurance; and up to 5% of it can be for emergencies like mental health services during disasters like wildfires, Boukas said.
By June 30, 2027, the executive committee will find a responsible government entity in each region to write progress reports on gaps in care and services provided, and hand them over to LFC, according to Boukas鈥� timeline.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a blank check that鈥檚 going to go out the door,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to make sure we鈥檙e turning these into measurable outcomes.鈥�
Also on June 30, 2027, the state鈥檚 Medicaid program is expected to establish a universal behavioral health provider enrollment and credentialing process for Medicaid, according to the timeline.
Then on July 1, 2027, HCA will analyze gaps in behavioral health care to inform the regional plans, and then repeat the analysis every two years thereafter, the timeline states.
Boukas said he expects many regions to have the same top three priorities already found in health councils鈥� community health improvement plans: access to care, behavioral health and substance use disorder.
When Boukas asked the crowd if he was missing anything, someone shouted out, 鈥淗ousing!鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 in here too,鈥� he responded. 鈥淏ut we want you to tell us where we need that housing, and what type of housing. So we need you at this table, we want you at this table.鈥�
New Mexico health department reports measles spread to fifth county 鈥�
New Mexico health officials on Wednesday reported the first measles case in Curry County, afflicting an infant, and warned of possible exposures last week at a social services office and Walmart.
Additionally, three more measles cases emerged in Lea County, bringing New Mexico鈥檚 case total to 71.
Health officials have now diagnosed: Chaves, Curry, Do帽a Ana, Eddy and Lea.
鈥淪eeing measles in a new county underscores the need to remain vigilant and get vaccinated,鈥� NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said in a statement. 鈥淚t also serves as a reminder the measles outbreak in New Mexico isn鈥檛 over. We urge New Mexicans to make sure their vaccination records are up to date.鈥�
Between Feb.1 and May 3, 23,706 New Mexicans received a vaccine, nearly double the 2024 rate of 12,985 during the same time frame. Two doses of the vaccine can provide 97% protection against measles infection, according to the .
Measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through contact with droplets from an infected person talking, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can take one to three weeks to appear, and people can spread measles before showing a fever, red eyes, cough, headache or the spotty red rash.
Health officials said people at the following locations may be exposed to measles:
- April 30, from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at the WIC Agency, 1216 Cameo St. in Clovis.
- April 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Walmart, 3728 N. Prince Street in Clovis.
- May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Firehouse Subs, 3734 N. Grimes Street., Suite. A in Hobbs.
- May 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bob鈥檚 Thriftway, 904 Avenue D in Lovington.
The current United States measles outbreak is the worst in 30 years, with cases reported in 30 of the 50 states and in Canada and Mexico.
Across New Mexico, school nurses say they remain on alert for measles cases, while working to build trust with parents about vaccinations.
After the outbreak first began in mid-February, one of the first things Desiree Smith, a school nurse in Portales for the past 15 years, did was reach out to parents of unvaccinated children.
鈥淲e wanted to let them know the process if their child was exposed, or has the measles,鈥� Smith said, noting that the latest guidance from NMDOH is for unvaccinated children to not attend school for 21 days from the last exposure. She said depending on the district, plans would need to be in place for remote learning during that period.
鈥淲e did have a couple of parents who had their children vaccinated after I explained the dangers of measles, obviously, the exposure time and time away from the classroom,鈥� she said.
School nurses in New Mexico are responsible for reviewing students鈥� vaccine records, which are required by state law to be up to date. New Mexico, unlike other states, does not allow for 鈥減ersonal or philosophical exemptions,鈥� but does allow for religious or medical exemptions, which must be updated every year.
Smith, who is also the director of the New Mexico School Nurse Association, said educational health providers are both potential first responders to an outbreak and play a crucial role in addressing the falling vaccine rates furthering spread.
鈥淪ince COVID we have had we have seen a lot more vaccine hesitancy,鈥� Smith said.
According to NMDOH data, New Mexico exemption rates are rising. Taos County has the highest exemption percentage at 3.35%, followed by De Baca County at 2.96% of students and Harding C
Smith said she and other school nurses received guidance from the state health department in February to reach out to parents with exemptions, and alert them about the measles outbreak. Smith, who also sits on the board of the National Association of School Nurses, said the larger goal is to keep kids healthy enough for school.
鈥淎s school nurses, we just want what is best for the children, we鈥檙e trying to make sure they are safe, healthy and ready to learn and that time out of the classroom is minimized as much as possible,鈥� she said. 鈥淰accination is one of the best ways to do that.鈥�
The NMDOH Measles guidance page can be accessed
State grants $2.3 million for New Mexico recreation, conservation projects 鈥�
On Thursday, the New Mexico Economic Development Department awarded more than $2.3 million to 15 outdoors projects, including a mountain bike jump park in Santa Rosa, restoration of Gila trails burned by wildfire and a children鈥檚 garden in Santa Fe.
The projects span 14 counties and promote outdoor access and conservation stewardship, Outdoor Recreation Division Director Karina Armijo said in a statement to Source NM.
鈥淭he Trails+ Grant program is increasing safe and inclusive outdoor access, especially in rural and historically underserved communities,鈥� Armijo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 boosting local economies and is a long-term investment in quality of life for all New Mexicans.鈥�
In total, the Outdoor Recreation Division has spent more than $28.7 million from the Trails Grant+ fund on 221 projects since the program started in 2020.
Elias Quinn, a mountain biker and member of Los Senderos de Guadalupe, told Source NM the nearly $100,000 grant will be used to plan and design a mountain bike park and trail system in an underserved part of the state.
鈥淚 just felt like there was a missed opportunity for Santa Rosa, just off Interstate 40, lots of people are stopping at the lakes,鈥� he told Source NM. 鈥淚 felt like a bike park could help attract more tourists.鈥�
脌ngel Pe帽a, executive director for Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project in Las Cruces, told Source NM his group will use the $75,000 state grant to restore trails and start a community education program in the La Mancha Wetlands. The nonprofit has owned the four-acre area, which has water in pools year-round, for several years.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing what we can on a shoestring budget, and this is really the first real investment we鈥檝e been able to secure for the specific project,鈥� Pe帽a said. 鈥淭he state is truly investing in its local community down here.鈥�
The grant will also help develop a resource management plan, Pe帽a said, and then aid trail crews to start building new paths for youth hiking programs.
A new round of Trails+ Grant funding will open later this year on July 1, for $11.6 million in funding available. The state agency has more information about applications on its webpage at www.NMOutside.com.