land grants

New Mexico has a new first: a permanent fund dedicated to water and land conservation across the state. Lawmakers in the House passed SB 9 late on Sunday night. It now heads to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk for a signature.

The push away from fossil fuels and towards electric vehicles and home appliances is a challenge for rural New Mexico, which lacks the basic infrastructure and cash for these innovations.

Historically, residents of Northern New Mexico’s Carson National forest have used the land for all kinds of things––from commercial logging to gathering herbs. They graze cattle there and channel its water into acequias. This past summer, the U.S. Forest Service finalized its management plans for Carson, which would expand wilderness and set clear conservation goals for the next 15 years. But, some residents who depend on the natural resources there fear they might lose access to places they’ve hunted and gathered for hundreds of years.

The U.S. Forest Service is now implementing a new plan that would completely change how the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico is managed by prioritizing sustainability, watershed health, and curbing land usage. But, officials with Rio Arriba County are asking Congress to put a stop to it––claiming the plan violates the rights of their citizens.

As New Mexico’s largest wildfire continues to burn, residents are trying to focus on rebuilding. The federal government has pledged help for those who lost property or jobs due to the fire. But residents living on land grants distributed by Spanish rulers centuries ago may not qualify for that aid.

The New Mexico Legislature failed to pass a bill legalizing recreational cannabis before the 2021 session ended on March 20. Now Gov. Michelle Lujan…

Tuesday 8/11, 8a: We continue our look at the history of women's suffrage in New Mexico and the ultimate ratification of the 19th Amendment, including an…

The Healthy Soil Act was signed into law earlier this year and it created a grant of $175,000 for farmers and ranchers to maintain soil health by doing…

KUNM Call In Show 5/12 8a: The U.S. Forest Service is rewriting its plans for all the national forests in New Mexico including the Carson National Forest…