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Our Land

An aerial view of a burned area in colorado.

Building Public Trust in the Forest Service

9.22.23 – In the third and final segment of their conversation, Our Land Senior Producer…

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A group of people sitting around a table in an interview.

New Fire Protocols

9.22.23 – In the second of a three-part conversation, Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus…

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A forest service logo with a mountain in the background.

2022’s Historic Fire Season

9.22.23 – This week on New Mexico in Focus, Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus…

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An image of a river with mountains in the background.

NM’s Water Challenges Are ‘Significant’

9.8.23 – Our Land’s Laura Paskus spoke with New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission Director Hannah…

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An aerial view of a lake in the desert.

Is a Settlement on the Rio Grande Coming Soon?

8.4.23 – After the relatively wet years of the 1980s and ‘90s, New Mexico’s reservoirs…

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A person is digging a hole in the ground.

New Mexico Journalists Detail Long-Lasting Dangers of Cluster Bombs

7.21.23 – In July, the Biden administration publicly announced its decision to send cluster bombs…

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Two women sitting in chairs in front of a sunset.

Writing as Healing

6.16.23 – In Michelle Otero’s latest book, Vessels: A Memoir of Borders, she tackles a…

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A view of a marshy area with mountains in the background.

Flooded with Life: Albuquerque’s Oxbow

6.9.23 – This spring, the Rio Grande is ripping along, flush with snowmelt and boosted…

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Stay up to date with everything happening in New Mexico.

Laura Paskus conducting an interview with Julia Bernal in the studio

Rivers Through the Lens of Pueblo Feminism

November 19, 2021 –Environment reporter Laura Paskus speaks with activist Julia Bernal about water conservation.…

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The Rio Grande with the Sandia Mountains behind it. Three Sandhill Cranes walk in the water.

Already ‘baked in,’ NM’s water challenges loom large on the political landscape

Laura Paskus New Mexico officials know that continued warming is drying out the state’s rivers,…

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East Mountains looking over the city of Albuquerque

Balancing Water and Development in the East Mountains

November 5, 2021 – In 2017, the Our Land team visited the Petrie family in…

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The Avangrid Office Building

Avangrid’s Track Record in Maine

October 29, 2021 –New Mexicans are facing some potentially big changes when it comes to…

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William deBuys sits for an interview with Laura Paskus

NM Author William deBuys on Earth Care – and hope

October 22, 2021 –In his latest book, “The Trail to Kanjiroba: Rediscovering Earth in an Age of…

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People walking on a trail

Together for Brothers

October 15, 2021 – New Mexicans love to get outside and hit the hiking or…

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Dry cracking brown dirt ground

NM Ag Secretary Discusses Drought and Adaptation

September 24, 2021 – It’s been another challenging year for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers, who…

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A group of firefighters with headlamps coordinate with each other next to a forest fire.

Fighting More Than Fire

Facing bigger blazes, longer hours and low pay, wildland firefighters ask Congress and federal agencies…

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An overhead shot of the Rio Grande dried up.

Drought, Extreme Weather, and NM’s Hotter Climate

August 13, 2021 – On this month’s episode of Our Land, correspondent Laura Paskus and…

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A black and white photo of a faucet gushing water into a sink.

Groundwater War: Reporters on the Challenges of Covering PFAS

New Mexico isn’t the only state trying to compel the U.S. military to clean up…

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A person chainsaws a tree body in the middle of a forest.

Community-Based Forest Management in Northern New Mexico

July 9, 2021 – This month on Our Land, Correspondent Laura Paskus visits the Carson…

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Two people in outdoor safety gear watch and discuss something off-frame.

Forests Under Siege

June 11, 2021 – This month marks the ten-year anniversary of the 2011 Las Conchas Fire, which burned 156,000…

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A pipette dips into a vial of algae.

The Return of Blue-Green Algae Blooms

May 14, 2021 – On this month’s episode of Our Land, we look back to…

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Overhead view of a dried up body of water, flanked by trees.

Look Up on Earth Day

April 23, 2021 – As the world celebrates Earth Day, environment correspondent Laura Paskus reflects…

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Elephant Butte during the day.

The Rio Grande’s Drier Future

April 9, 2021 – As the climate warms, arid regions like New Mexico will continue…

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Aerial view of trees and snowy ground.

Reconciling with the past through place and story

February 12, 2021 – Snap open a map and read the place names listed across…

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A platform sits in a shady area of a rocky structure.

Cochiti Pueblo Opposes Bandelier Bill

January 8, 2021 – Public lands in New Mexico hold different meanings for different people,…

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A bottle pours out a stream of water in front of a yellow-orange sky.

New Mexico’s Military Legacy & PFAS Contamination

December 25, 2020 – One of the other top stories of 2020 for us here…

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Resources mentioned during the show: 

U.S. Forest Service’s National Prescribed Fire Resource Mobilization Strategy 

U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy 

U.S. Forest Service investigation of the Cerro Pelado Fire 

FEMA’s Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office 

Santa Fe National Forest 

“The Federal Government Accidentally Burned Down Their Houses, Then Made It Hard to Come Home” By Patrick Lohman with Source NM for ProPublica 

Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Landscape Restoration 

How to learn more about wildfires when they’re happening: 

For fire locations and details about individual fires: InciWeb  

New Mexico Fire Information: NM Fire Info & NM Fire Info on Facebook 

National Interagency Fire Center – Fire News 

If the fire is burning on U.S. Forest Service land, search the name of the forest to find updates. Many of the forests, such as the Santa Fe National Forest, also have active Facebook pages. 

NOAA Fire Weather information and alerts (to see things like red flag warnings for your area) 

Fire and Smoke Map  

New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method (for determining if smoky conditions in your area are unhealthy) 

How to learn more about protecting your home and community: 

Community Wildfire Protection Plans in NM (includes guidelines and information on creating one, as well as links to plans for communities across the state)  

Ready, Set, Go! Your Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide (New Mexico) (for information on protecting your home, being ready to evacuate, and making a personal wildfire plan for your home) 

En sus Marcas, Listos, Fuera! Su Guia de Accion (Spanish) 

Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network 

NM State Foresty, Fire Prevention Programs 

NM State Forestry: Protecting your home from wildfire 

NM State Forestry: Creating Wildfire-Defensible Zones 

Living with Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner (English)  

Firewise USA: Residents Reducing Wildfire Risks (National Fire Protection Association) 

State of New Mexico Prescribed Burn Certification Program 

Past Our Land shows related to New Mexico wildfire: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX-Gj22wAC46YnLfxBPo5ek7CxXB4_eOE