NMFD Newsletter | February 6, 2026

News from New Mexico's Forests

Did you get any snow? Despite the recent accumulation over various portions of the state, Snowtel shows we've still a long way to go when it comes to building up our snowpack. Those red dots on the chart? They mean less than 50% of median precipitation based on previous years — half as much as usual.

Since lack of precipitation and fire potential go hand in hand, this month's issue puts a spotlight on forest treatments. They're a line of defense against wildfire, but what else do forest treatments accomplish? Read on for "hot work" safety tips, our Landowner Resource Guide, and more. 

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From the Field


 From the Field, travel from Jemez to Zuni and across centuries as we address a counterintuitive notion: Can too many trees be a bad thing? Brush piles, stumps, a carpet of wood chips: forest treatments can be shocking, especially when we've grown accustomed to chock-full, untouched forests. But why are they necessary? >Hear from tree ring researcher Dr. Tom Swetnam and forester and author Mary Stuever about how dense forests can do more harm than good — and how we can remedy them.

Read the story

Work calls for all of us. 

And sometimes the work has to happen outside. Sparks from welding, grinding or cutting can have disastrous results if those sparks catch grass on a hot, dry, windy day.

And since the work doesn't stop, here's some tips on how to perform "hot work" safely.

Welding, cutting and grinding can throw sparks up to 35 feet — more than enough to ignite dry grass and brush. Before you strike an arc or spin up that angle grinder, take a few minutes to prepare: 

  1. Check conditions: Avoid hot work during Red Flag warnings or periods of high wind. 

  2. Clear the area: Remove vegetation and flammable materials within the 35-foot radius of working space.

  3. Have water ready: Keep a charged hose or extinguisher within reach.

  4. Post a fire watch: Monitor for smoldering materials during work and for at least 60 minutes afterward.

Learn more In the Community

Curious about what exactly the Forestry Division does? Our Landowner Resources Guide is your one-stop shop for the suite of programs, forest health info, and technical and financial assistance we offer. Want to create better wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire hazards, learn more about forest health, or work with industry? We can help. 📍Turkey Mountains

It's a wrap on the Turkey Mountains Forest and Watershed Restoration Act (FAWRA) project! Altogether, this project treated 4,500 acres west of Wagon Mound since 2020, restoring watershed health and reintroducing fire to the landscape. 

📍Southern Taos County

The joint McGaffey Forest and Rio Grande del Rancho Watershed Restoration Projectgot going west of Pot Creek. Over decades and across 30,000 acres, this collaborative project will thin forests, remove invasive mistletoe, restore watersheds, harvest wood, create local jobs and build a fuel break in this critical area.

Carbon Stewardship Program

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 and mulching to seeding and restoration.

We're accepting applications now! Learn more and apply.

The Broadcast: News and Notes 2026-2027 Wildfire Risk Reduction Program |New Mexico Counties

Community Wildfire Protection Plans should be updated every five years by counties and communities. New Mexico Counties' 2026-2027 Wildfire Risk Reduction Program helps communities throughout New Mexico reduce their wildland fire risk on non-federal lands.

Grant funding categories include:

  • CWPP updates up to $30,000/project 
  • Education and outreach activities up to $20,000/project
  • Hazardous fuels reduction projects up to $100,000/project

Visit the NM Counties website for application due dates (Feb 27, March 27) for projects to be completed from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Economic efficiency of fuel treatments in Western U.S. forests | International Journal of Wildland Fire

Reducing fuels in U.S. forests offers multiple benefits – but it also costs taxpayer dollars. A cost-benefit analysis zooms in on 25 outcomes from recent treatments. A highlight: There are long-term savings opportunities when we invest in wildfire resilience. 

Sales tax revenue from outdoor gear might become the next funding stream for wildfire prevention | KUNC

Could money from ski, snowboard and sporting goods sales be used to help protect Colorado communities from increasingly devastating wildfires?

Interior to Launch U.S. Wildland Fire Service | U.S. Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior announced the official establishment the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. This historic move aims to unify wildland fire management programs across the department's bureaus and offices.

'Delays, lowballs, outright denials': How the LA wildfires have exposed the U.S.'s broken insurance industry | The Guardian

Insurance practices in an age of climate volatility raise troubling questions about home ownership and housing affordability – the bedrock of the American middle class

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Wildfire Potential Outlook: Feb. 2026 | National Interagency Fire Center 

Moderate or severe drought persists across the state. Warmer and drier-than-normal conditions may result in a slight increase in fire activity as those impacts accrue. Keep an eye out in eastern and northeastern NM, where the fine fuels of grasses can spread wildfire potential.  <Events and Upcoming 🗓️ Native Plant Society of New Mexico | Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.

Christ Lutheran Church, 1701 Arroyo Chamiso Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87505

Join the Santa Fe Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico for their monthly meeting and a lecture by Ellis Margolis, USGS, entitled "A Success Story: Fire ecology and management in the Santa Fe fireshed." 🗓️ Think Trees Urban Tree Care Conference | Feb. 10-11

Embassy Suites by Hilton, 1000 Woodward Pl. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Celebrate 40 years of Think Trees with the latest research, trends and best practices in the arboriculture industry. For speakers, agenda and registration, visit Think Trees.

🗓️ Webinar: Policy Update to Fix Our Forests Act | Feb 12, 1 p.m.

Click here for more information and to register. 

The Forest Stewards Guild and SW Fire Science Consortium talk FOFA: what's included in the current act, how it's changed since early 2025, expert recommendations, and what we can expect to happen next.

🗓️ High Rolls Wildfire Defense Grant Meeting | Feb 21, 5 p.m.

High Rolls Fire Station, 39 Old Railroad Dr., High Rolls, NM 88325

Landowners: learn from the Otero Working Group about potential programs for technical or financial assistance to reduce wildfire risk in your community.

Job Opportunities with NMFD   Division crews on assignment in Oregon 2024.

Apply by clicking on links above or clicking here and searching by "EMNRD." 

The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department - Forestry Division retains lead responsibility for wildland fire management on all non-federal, non-Tribal and non-municipal lands. The Division promotes healthy, sustainable forests and watersheds in New Mexico for the benefit of current and future generations.

Our mailing address is:

1220 S St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87505

The Forestry Division's monthly newsletter is made possible, in part, with funding from the Bureau of Land Management.