Daily Postcard: Deer Nibbles Seeds In Western Area
Daily Postcard: A deer is spotted nibbling seeds Saturday morning in Western Area. Photo by Julie Smith Read More
PEER: The Thin Green Line Patrolling National Parks Is In Danger Of Snapping …
PEER News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The number of rangers protecting the national parks and their visitors is steadily shrinking even as new parks are added and the number of park visitors balloons to new records, according to figures posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
Aggravating its diminishing resources, the National Park Service’s (NPS) law enforcement program is adrift because it does not possess any real planning capacity, budgetary stability or overall leadership.
Figures released by NPS to PEER indicate that the number of permanent law enforcement Read More
Celebrate New Mexico Heritage Preservation Month: Walking Tour Of Ancestral Pueblo Site
SFNF News:Udall At 2017 National Tribal Energy Summit
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall delivers remarks Tuesday at the Department of Energy Tribal Energy Office’s 2017 National Tribal Energy Summit. Courtesy photoDaily Postcard: Sunrise At Saint Peters Dome
Daily Postcard: Sunrise at Saint Peters Dome on the eastern edge of the Jemez Mountains. Photo by Jaret McDonald
Saint Peters Dome
Saint Peters Dome is the highest of the small group of 8,000-foot peaks on the eastern edge of the Jemez Mountains rising above Cochit Lake, Cochiti Pueblo and the Rio Grande River. It serves as the foundation for a watchtower from which forest management can keep an eye out for fires in the eastern portions of the Jemez Mountains.
This peak as well as the rest of the Jemez Mountains were once part of a massive supervolcano that collapsed around a million years ago, which Read More
Daily Postcard: Purple Flowers On Barranca Mesa
Daily Postcard: Purple flowers bloom on Barranca Mesa. Photo by Corrina Hughes Read More
Amateur Naturalist: Arrival Of Spring Along Ranch School Trail
A whiptail lizard warming itself in the sunshine. Photo by Robert Dryja
By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos
The winter snows in Acid Canyon have largely melted away by mid-March. Only a few patches of ice remain the bottom of the canyon in its narrowest section and where it remains shaded throughout the day. he Ranch School trail going down Acid Canyon similarly is largely free of snow.
Mountain lover and Kinnikinnick are evergreen plants growing along the trail and no longer have snow around them. Their leaves are as green as at the start of winter. However the grass that had been green Read More
First Bear Festival May 13
New Mexico’s First Bear Festival May 13 at Los Alamos Nature Center. Photo by wildlife biologist Daryl RatajczakPEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) and the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation (LEWF), New Mexico’s first Bear Festival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13 at the Los Alamos Nature Center. There will even be a scent dog demonstration to show the abilities of a dog’s nose. A bear’s nose is about seven times better than a Bloodhound’s nose, allowing bears to smell about 2,100 times better than humans!
Last summer, black bears made headlines in Los Read More
Retired LANL Scientists: Attacks On Science, EPA Are Foolhardy, Dangerous
By retired LANL scientists: Chris Barnes, Ph.D.; Fairley Barnes, Ph.D.; James Bradbury, Ph.D.; James Cost, Ph.D.; Margaret Cox, Ph.D.; Larry Deaven, Ph.D.; Terry Foxx; Mikkel Johnson, Ph.D. and Laboratory Fellow; Charles F. (Chick) Keller, Ph.D.; Arvid S. Lundy; F.J. (Jeff) Martin; Caroline (Cas) Mason, Ph.D.; Rodney (Rod) Mason, Ph.D.; Donald A. Neeper, Ph.D.; Cheryl Rofer; Marvin VanDilla, Ph.D.; David Watkins, Ph.D. and Mike Williams, Ph.D.
On April 22, New Mexicans across the state stood up for scientific integrity in the face of attacks on the role of science in our daily lives. Read More
Daily Postcard: Creatures Emerge In Warm Weather
Daily Postcard: Insects are emerging around town with the onset of warmer weather. Photo by Corrina Hughes Read More
Bandelier Announces 2016 Economic Benefits: $12.5 Million Locally; $35 Billion Nationwide
Ancestral Pueblo cavate in Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument. Courtesy/NPS
Ancestral Pueblo village of Tyuonyi in Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument. Courtesy/NPSThe National Park Service (NPS) had a big year in 2016. Besides being the Centennial of its establishment, parks nationwide broke records for visitation, with more people than ever going to these places that are often called America’s jewels. Having started with Yellowstone, there are now 417 areas, with at least one in every state.
A recent study brought to light the economic
Daily Postcard: Sunset Over North Mesa
Daily Postcard: A sunset colors the sky Monday over North Mesa. Photo by Corrina Hughes Read More
PEEC: Start Off May With A Bird Walk Saturday
Enjoy nature and learn about local birds from bird watcher Joe Fitzgibbon. Courtesy/PEECUdall On Interior And Environment Funding In Bipartisan Budget Agreement
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, released the following statement on the finalized bipartisan budget agreement to fund the government through September.
“This bill is a strong, bipartisan agreement, and I thank lawmakers and staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work to achieve a workable compromise. The deal funds key priorities for New Mexico and the nation, while preventing some of the president’s disastrous
Conditions Look Good For Virgin Mesa Prescribed Burn
SFNF News:
SANTA FE – Fire managers on the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest hope to conduct the previously announced Virgin Mesa prescribed burn this week if conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts, remain favorable.
The plan is to use hand and aerial ignitions Wednesday to treat a 600-acre unit at the southern end of Virgin Mesa.
Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. These fires mimic natural fires by reducing forest fuels, recycling nutrients Read More
Daily Postcard: Yellow Butterfly In Pajarito Acres
Daily Postcard: This yellow butterfly was spotted resting near a rain capture device at a Pajarito Acres home in White Rock. Photo by Carl Newton Read More
DOE Awards Technical Assistance Contract For Los Alamos Field Office To S&K Logistics LLC
DOE EM News:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management – Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) awarded a Requirements Contract, utilizing Fixed Price and Time and Materials Task Orders, to S&K Logistics LLC, a certified small business of St. Ignatius, Montana, to provide technical and business support services.
The contract will have a maximum value of $17.4 million over five years.
S&K will provide support in the following areas: records management, project controls, training, safeguards and security, safety, quality assurance, property management, community Read More
County Seeks Business Recycler Of The Year Nominees
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County Environmental Services is calling for nominations for the 2017 Business Recycler of the Year Award.
The contest is open to Los Alamos County businesses of all sizes, including nonprofit, for profit, schools and government entities. Send nominations to solidwaste@lacnm.us.
Provide:
- Business name;
- Point of contact;
- Phone number; and
- Brief description, including
- Impact on the community;
- Innovative policies; and
- Commitment to recycling or sustainability.
Note: the information provided will be used for the evaluation and voting process.
The nomination Read More
Bear Mauling Doesn’t Deter VCNP Trail Run
PEER News:
Washington, D.C. — Just months after a female runner was mauled by a black bear during a race through a national park, that same park has approved a new trail race through bear country, according to documents posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
Despite admitting adverse impacts on wildlife and danger to participants, the park gave summary approval for a new race concluding that any problems would be “minimal.”
In June 2016 during a half-marathon through Valles Caldera National Preserve, a woman runner in her 50s scared a black bear cub Read More
PEEC: Lions And Hikers And Bears, Oh My!
Black bears are frequently seen in the local mountain community and it is important to know how to safely live and hike among these large mammals. Courtesy photo