Rapid spring snowmelt could mean a droughtful summer– KUNM news
April met New Mexico with well below-average rainfall, which has made for a warm, dry spring here in the state.
Unfortunately, this has caused rapid snowmelt from the west, leading to earlier than normal run off and reduced streamflow.
The combinations of early snowmelt and warm weather is a recipe for drought, and it is currently looking like the SouthWest will be hit hard.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Extreme and Exceptional Drought coverage increased from 20% of the region on March 18 of this year, to 27% on May 15. The worst drought conditions are in New Mexico and Arizona.
Monsoon season is yet to come, but could make a huge difference for the state's water needs.
The Southwest Drought and Wildfire Summer Outlook Webinar on June 3 will provide more information on conditions, outlooks, and potential impacts. Register here.
New round of NM burn bans imposed amid drought, wildfire risk– Patrick Lohmann, Source NM
Six New Mexico counties and the Mescalero Apache Reservation imposed new fire restrictions Monday, citing high wildfire risk in various parts of the state.
In total, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division, 23 towns, counties, tribal or other jurisdictions across the state have imposed some level of fire restriction due to high fire risk. The division has a map here showing much of the state under some type of burn ban, including federal and state forests.
“In the face of significant wildfire potential, we need every New Mexican to take active steps to reduce the likelihood of an accidental wildfire start,” State Forester Laura McCarthy said in a statement. “These restrictions are needed because of current wildfire threats and the rising probability of dangerous wildfires as temperatures warm through May and June.”
In addition to the 23 jurisdictions that have imposed bans, McCarthy on Monday evening announced restrictions on state forest lands within 18 New Mexico counties: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Roosevelt, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance and Valencia.
Forecasters predicted earlier this month that southeastern New Mexico, including the Gila National Forest, would experience above-normal wildfire risk in May that would grow to cover the eastern two thirds of New Mexico by June. A national drought update issued Tuesday said a warm, dry spring had led to intensification of drought conditions in the Intermountain West region, with the worst conditions in New Mexico and Arizona.
So far this year, 377 wildfires in New Mexico have burned more than 33,500 acres, though the vast majority of those fires burned less than an acre. The biggest wildfire this year, so far, the Mogote Hill Fire, burned a little more than 21,000 acres near Wagon Mound in mid-March.
Of the 377 fires, 275 were human-caused, 26 were naturally caused and causes of the remaining 76 are still being determined, according to the Southwest Coordination Center.
The fire restrictions are in place as most of the state experiences some form of drought. According to the Office of the State Engineer, all but 3.8% of New Mexico is in drought, with 41% in extreme drought and 7.5% in exceptional drought.
Stage I fire restrictions generally prohibit building a fire in an area other than a developed campsite or picnic area, along with smoking outside of a vehicle or building. State II restrictions also prohibit discharging a firearm, operating an internal combustion engine, welding or using explosives.
Nowhere in New Mexico is currently under the most severe fire restriction, in which entire areas are closed to the public to prevent wildfires.
Read more about the county- or town-level fire restrictions on the New Mexico Forestry website.
NM Dem U.S. Sen. Luján co-sponsors DOGE BROS Act– Source NM
Several Congressional Democrats on Tuesday, including U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), announced a new bill aimed at countering what they describe as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s “continued efforts to improperly access” individuals’ “personally identifiable information,” such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and Social Security numbers.
The Defending Our Government’s Electronic data: Bolstering Responsible Oversight & Safeguards (DOGE BROS) Act would increase five penalties for violation of federal privacy laws.
As Source reported this week, the New Mexico Health Care Authority recently informed the contractor who manages payments on its behalf that it did not consent to such information being shared with the federal government, which requested the data. The United States Department of Agriculture, earlier this month, wrote a letter to all U.S. states asking them to provide the “names, dates of birth, personal addresses used, and Social Security numbers” of anyone who is receiving or has applied to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).
“From day one, Elon Musk’s DOGE has taken a wrecking ball to the federal government and critical services for the American people, all while carelessly pursuing their sensitive personal data,” Luján said in a statement. “Congress must do more to protect that information and keep it out of the wrong hands.”
Specifically, the law proposes the following penalty increases for improper disclosure:
- identifiable information in any agency record from its current penalty of up to $5,000 to up to $30,000
- information obtained from a computer in any U.S. agency or department without proper authorization from $250,000 up to $750,000
- any Social Security or Medicare data would increase from $10,000 to $25,000
- tax return information, which now carries a penalty up to $5,000, would increase up to $25,000
- census data, now with a penalty up to $5,000, would increase up to $25,000
Lead sponsor U.S. Sen. Mark Warren (D-V.A.) said in a statement, “As unvetted and unqualified DOGE employees continue to recklessly access the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans, it’s important that we take steps to better protect this data. For too long, our privacy laws have sat outdated, barely serving as a deterrent for improper handling or potential release of information. This legislation would enforce that privacy must be a priority when handling the data of the American public.”
Other sponsors — all Democrats — include: U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-V.A.), Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-M.D.), Adam Schiff (D-C.A.), and Peter Welch (D-V.T.)
ABQ City Council passes record budget, and argues over employee pay — Daniel Montaño, KUNM
Albuquerque’s City Council passed a record $1.5-billion budget Monday night, but the approval came with plenty of disagreement, especially when it came to city employees' pay.
Councilors debated for two hours over differing amendments that cut money from different departments to invest in others, but one of the most controversial parts of the conversation surrounded the annual city employee Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA.
There were 3 different amendments that adjusted the COLA, including one from Councilor Klarissa Peña that would have raised it to a total of 3%. She worked with the Mayor’s Office to identify a way to provide the funds for the larger adjustment.
Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, however, said the plan cut too much money from departments and programs prioritized by other councillors.
“That’s easy picking for the administration to develop a proposal because they didn’t have it in the original budget,” she said, “but we have added those things in because they’re important to us and to our constituents.”
Ultimately Peña’s amendment failed, and instead the council passed another amendment that only increased the COLA by an additional half a percent, to a total pay raise of 2.5% for non-union city employees. That amendment was sponsored by Councilor Renee Grout, who said if it was fiscally feasible, she would have liked to provide a much larger raise.
“I wish that I could give everybody a 5% increase, but being fiscally responsible we don’t have that money,” Grout said. “It’s important that we take care of our employees, but we also take care of the assets the city has.”
Councillor Nichole Rogers shot back that she thinks city employees are the most important asset for the city.
“You know all of the things we’re talking about cutting, I understand they’re important, but to me our employees are more important. This is hard for me. I just have to say that,” Rogers said. “This is hard, and I think we could have done better if we all would have worked together, but we didn’t. So that’s our fault.”
The top funded department in the final budget is the Albuquerque Police Department, which has a total budget just short of $274 million, followed by Albuquerque Fire Rescue at almost $129 million, and then the Group Self-insurance Fund, which supports the health and well-being of city employees, at about $101 million.
Support for this Coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg foundation.
This story has been corrected to reflect the final COLA pay raise of 2.5%
New Technology and Innovation Office to support state’s growth in targeted industries — Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
State officials say a new Technology and Innovation Office within New Mexico’s Economic Development Department is expected to advance economic growth in the state and provide funding for startup companies.
House Bill 20, sponsored by Rep. Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque) during the most recent legislative session, establishes the Technology and Innovation Office, as well as the Research, Development and Deployment Fund with more than $90 million appropriated to support early tech businesses; match funds for research and development; support recruitment and retention; and boost New Mexico’s quantum technologies sector.
“There is a lot going on in this state. We have some of the best talent and technology coming out of the labs and our universities,” Dixon told Source NM. “I would say that one of the most important things we can do is make sure that the companies that start here are able to stay here.”
According to a news release from the EDD, the department’s new division will “absorb the existing Office of Strategy, Science and Technology” and the office’s director, Nora Meyers Sackett, will continue in her role.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill on April 9 and it goes into effect on July 1.
“New Mexico’s trajectory in the fields of science and technology is clear, and this landmark investment accelerates that,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “With our deep bench in innovation, we’re creating momentum that will drive prosperity well into the future.”
HB20 also establishes the Technology and Innovation Network Advisory Board, representing New Mexico’s national labs, universities, the private sector and several other economic areas, and will help administer the Research, Development and Deployment Fund.
Dixon noted that in a 2021 report, the Economic Development Department identified nine target industries to help diversify the state’s economy, including aerospace; biosciences; cybersecurity; film and television; outdoor recreation; sustainable and value-added agriculture; intelligent manufacturing; global trade; and sustainable and green energy. She added that these sectors offer “high-growth” and “high-paying” jobs for a wide range of New Mexicans.
“New Mexico is uniquely positioned in a number of these high growth science and technology sectors,” Dixon said. “This is the time when the state needs to commit to supporting these industries and really getting them off the ground and having an entity in state government that supports and works with these industries to make sure that they have the tools that they need.”
Bernalillo County to launch environmental internships — NM.News Staff
Bernalillo County Commissioners are moving forward with a pilot program to create environmental and natural resources internships for young adults.
Sponsored by Commission Chair Eric Olivas, the program aims to address challenges young adults face when entering the workforce, such as lack of experience and limited access to opportunities. The county also has high vacancies in these areas, which the program seeks to fill.
“We have found that many young adults face significant challenges when entering the workforce due to lack of practical experience, limited access to career-building opportunities and difficulty transitioning from education to stable employment,” Olivas said.
The program will provide training, hands-on experience, professional skills and mentorship, with an initial investment of $250,000. It will be administered by the county’s Human Resource Department, placing participants in relevant departments to learn essential skills.
The final adoption will be considered at the May 27 commission meeting.