Archive for Mountainair
Cibola National Forest Enacts Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
USDA Forest Service Press Release
Albuquerque, June 17, 2010 – The Cibola National Forest, including the Mt. Taylor, Sandia and Mountainair Ranger Districts will implement Stage 1 fire restrictions starting Friday, June 18 at 8:00am. Cibola National Forest Supervisor Nancy Rose explained, “With the recent increase in temperatures, higher winds, continued dry conditions that are drying vegetation, the potential for Wildland fires has increased and we feel it is necessary to take these precautions.”
As always, fireworks are prohibited on all national forest system lands.
Beginning 8:00 am, Friday, June 18, 2010, the following restrictions apply to the Mt. Taylor, Sandia and Mountainair Ranger Districts.
Open Campfire Restrictions:
- Campfires, charcoal grills and stove fires are prohibited on national forest lands except in Forest Service developed camp and picnic grounds where grills are provided.
Restrictions:
- Pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns and heaters meeting safety specifications are allowed. Please contact the Cibola National Forest for more details regarding where fires are allowed.
- Smoking is allowed within an enclosed vehicle or building; a developed recreation site; or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter and free of all flammable material.
Please call for more information, Mark Chavez, Cibola National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 505-346-3900, or one of the following district offices:
- Mt. Taylor Ranger District, 505- 287-8833
- Sandia Ranger District, 505-281-3304
- Mountainair Ranger District, 505-847-2990
Additional fire information for the Southwest Area is available at http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/index.htm.
With Mud Season Just Over, Fire Season Approaches
by John Weckerle
We’ve all seen the stories in the newspapers recently reminding us that fire season is upon us. With high winds and relatively little recent moisture, conditions favorable to wildfire are already upon many of us. We wish to add our voice to the chorus, as it were, and urge all our readers to take adequate precautions, and learn what they can to protect themselves against loss of life and property. Your editor’s firm, WeckTech, provides web services to a number of local/regional organizations that provide information and, in some cases, financial support to efforts such as thinning and defensible space projects that may mean the difference between disaster and avoidance thereof:
- The East Mountain Interagency Fire Protection Association
- Claunch-Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District
- East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District
- Edgwood Soil and Water Conservation District
- Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District
We encourage you to contact these organizations and learn about the help and information they can provide.
Public Service Announcement – Mountainair School Health Advisory Committee Meeting
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find that the local School Health Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. For more information, see the Mountainair Announcements article.
Public Service Announcement: Mountainair Ranger District Travel Management Environmental Assessment Ready for Public Review
from Mark M. Chavez, Public Affairs Officer/Web Manager, Cibola National Forest & Grasslands
Mountainair, NM – March 4th, 2010 – The Mountainair Ranger District, Cibola National Forest, is hosting three Open Houses March 9th, 10th and 11th to provide an opportunity for public review and comment regarding the proposals described in the Environmental Assessment for Travel Management on the Mountainair Ranger District. The meeting will begin with a short presentation on the alternatives at 5 p.m., followed by the Open House where individuals will have an opportunity to meet with the Interdisciplinary Team and ask questions about the environmental analysis and the alternatives. »» Public Service Announcement: Mountainair Ranger District Travel Management Environmental Assessment Ready for Public Review
Oh, The Weather Outside…
by John Weckerle
Last night brought us some fairly intense weather here at NM-Central headquarters, with times of snow, freezing rain, thunder and lightning, and high winds. This morning seems dominated by the wind, although weather authorities warn of more potential precipitation before the system has passed. Local TV stations indicate that the Estancia Valley, including Estancia itself, will likely bear the brunt of the storm in our area. The northern part of the state has received substantial snowfall. Here at NM-Central, we’ve received a few inches or so.
NMRoads.com reports that road conditions in the area are (at best) snow-packed and icy. According to KOB.com, Moriarty-Edgewood schools and Estancia schools are closed, and East Mountain High School and APS schools are on a two-hour delay. We have not been able to find any information on Mountainair’s schools. We recommend that our readers stay home if they can, and to those who can’t, please be extra cautious.
Mountainair Ranger District Fall Schedule
by Arlene T. Perea, Mountainair Ranger District
Mountainair, NM – October 28, 2009: Fall is in full swing on the Mountainair Ranger District. With last week’s significant rain and as snow begins to fall on the Manzano Mountains, the district will be implementing some fall and winter changes as well as preparing for some prescribed burning.
The district plans to conduct 2 prescribed burns in the Manzano Mountains. The first is a burn along Forest Road #422 on the south end of the Manzano Mountains. A fuel break was thinned a few years ago with the slash left behind as the fuelwood was removed. The slash is now cured and ready to be burned. The second burn will be in a fuelwood area locally known as the Thunderbird area. This area was thinned within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management area south of Forest Road #275. There are no set dates for these burns. They will be conducted as weather and fire personnel are conducive to burning. »» Mountainair Ranger District Fall Schedule
Want A Mountainai Farmer’s Market?
From our friends at Mountainair Announcements:
The SEEDS (community garden project) is making plans to start a Farmers Market open to all local gardeners. If you are interested, email Rebeccs Lueras, Rebeccalue@aol.com, or call Joan Page, 505-847-2450.
Job Opening In Mountainair
from Mountainair Announcements:
There is a job opening for an experienced butcher at the Mountainair Meat Processing Plant. Please contact: Renee Julien, julienenterprises@gmail.com, 505 603 0559.
Mountainair Harvest Soup Cook Off
by John Weckerle
We’ve received an e-mail from Edwina (George) Hewitt in Mountainair alerting us to a Harvest Soup Cook Off scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 7, 2009 (also posted at Mountainair Announcements). Billed as a “Just Because Event” – no entry fee, no agenda, and no fundraising – the cook-off will include music from Diamondback, an Edgewood country rock band. For more information, including discounts on hotel rooms, see the event flier.
Look, It’s A Bird! No, It’s A Nebula!
by John Weckerle
The crisp, clear skies of October (when they’re crisp and clear, at least) give us a wonderful opportunity to take a look at our celestial neighborhood. Here to help us out will be the Lake County Astronomical Society of Illinois and the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, who will be co-hosting a Star Party at Gran Quivira. The event theme is “Native American Skies,” and on the menu will be views of celestial features through powerful telescopes and “Native American stories about the night skies. “ Stories and Native American Flute music will be provided by Ernie Dogwolf Lovato. The event is scheduled for Friday, October 16, with an alternate date in case of uncooperative weather. For more information, see the event flyer.
Public Service Announcement: Rodeo!
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find that the Mountainair Gymkhana Rodeo is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday, July 19) all day at the fairgrounds off Route 55. For more information, see the Mountainair Announcments announcement.
Memorial Weekend Fire Safety Reminder
by Arlene Perea, Mountainair District Ranger Station
Mountainair, NM, May 19, 2009 – Cibola National Forest officials remind everyone of the importance of responsible recreating in anticipation of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The Mountainair Ranger District as well as the Kiowa & Rita Blanca Grasslands are the only districts currently under stage 1 fire restrictions. Although Black Kettle, Mount Taylor, Magdalena and Sandia are not under any fire restrictions, we would like to remind all forest visitors to use extreme caution to prevent any wildfires within the Cibola National Forest and Grasslands. In anticipation of the upcoming holiday, district fire and recreation personnel will continue to patrol the roads, trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreational facilities during the holiday weekend.
The following Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Ranger Districts remain affected by high fire danger:
MOUNTAINAIR RANGER DISTRICT, KIOWA & RITA BLANCA GRASSLANDS:
STAGE 1:
Open Campfire Restrictions:
- Campfires, charcoal grills and stove fires are prohibited on national forest lands, except in Forest Service developed camp and picnic grounds where grills are provided.
- Pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns and heaters meeting safety specifications are allowed.
Smoking Restrictions:
- Smoking is allowed within an enclosed vehicle or building; a developed recreation site; or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter and free of all flammable material.
Fireworks:
- As always, fireworks are prohibited on all national forest lands.
Forest Officials would also like to remind the public to please “Be Bear Aware”. Some areas of the forest have been experiencing a high occurrence of black bear sightings. Although beautiful to look at, black bears are wild creatures that can be very dangerous if provoked. Camp and picnic grounds are heavily used over the holiday. Please remember to keep your Forests free of litter.
For further information, please contact the Cibola National Forest at 505-346-3900 or visit us on the web at www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola. You may also call the districts at:
Sandia – 505-281-3304
Mountainair – 505-847-2990
Magdalena – 575-854-2381
Mount Taylor – 505-287-8833
Kiowa & Rita Blanca – 575-374-9652
Black Kettle – 580-497-2143
Summertime Approaches, And There’s Plenty To Do
by John Weckerle
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Arts, we see that there are a number of events. These include work on the Mountainair community mosaic tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m.; a meeting of the Mountainair Gun Club on Thursday; Voices In The Wind at Gran Quivira on Saturday and Sunday; and the Tijeras Open-Air Arts Market this weekend. For more information, see the Mountainair Announcements article.
Grow Your Own – This Year’s Adventure Begins! Or Continues, At Least…
by John Weckerle
Earlier this week, we decided to pull the top off the “mini-greenhouse” on the south bed, take some inventory, prepare the bed for planting – and, well, plant. As we’ve mentioned previously, some of the salad greens and culinary herbs had made it through the winter. The thyme and sage never went dormant, and early Spring saw the emergence of a new crop of oregano. After tasting the salad greens – which had flowered and become bitter – we determined that we would be best off simply pulling them and planting some of the lettuce we started earlier in the season. As you can see, the herbs are looking fine and are ready for use. »» Grow Your Own – This Year’s Adventure Begins! Or Continues, At Least…
Public Service Announcement: Coming Up in Mountainair
Our friend Vanessa from Mountainair Arts has informed us that the Mountainair Spring Fling – to include the Town cleanup, a community yard sale, and evening bingo will is scheduled for May 9, 2009. For more information, see the Mountainair Arts article. Also on May 9, Salinas Pueblo National Monument will hold an all-day event at Quarai in cooperation with International Migratory Bird Day. Vanessa is awaiting a copy of the flyer, and we’ll post it as soon as she receives it and passes it on.