New Mexico Burning

by Caren Cowan, Publisher New Mexico Stockman & Livestock Market Digest

By the time this article appears, the numbers will have gone up, but as we approach Memorial Day Weekend, New Mexico is burning and for areas not yet on fire, we are a tinderbox.

There are a dozen fires now burring across New Mexico. The worst of the fires is the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire that has burned over 312,000 acres, and has become the largest fire in the state’s history. The fire is still burning with less than half containment and high winds forecast.

While there are no firm numbers, it is estimated that over 1,300 homes have burned. Some evacuees have been in shelters for a month or more. Before the Hermit’s Peak Fire, drought was compromising the water supply for rural communities like Las Vegas, New Mexico.

In the aftermath of the fire, will Las Vegas have any water supply? The Hermit’s Peak/ Calf Canyon Fire started as individual fires that have burned together. The US Forest Service (USFS) started as a controlled burn with a target of 200 acres. Already there are admissions that the decision to start that fire given the current conditions was a mistake.

The USFS has just admitted that the Calf Creek Fire started from a pile the agency started on fire last winter. It was never put out and flared up.

Prescribed burns are an important tool for forest management when logging isn’t allowed. It is particularly important in light of a long history of fire suppression. Unfortunately history shows that poor decision-making on the part of USFS has scarred New Mexico. Here are some examples.

In 2000 the Cerro Grande Fire that burned much of Los Alamos was started with an ill-timed controlled burn. That fire took in some 43,000 acres and burned over 400 homes in Las Alamos. While the fire was kept from the nuclear storage, the estimated total damage of the fire was $1 billion according to internet reports.

The White Water/Baldy Fire that burned through western New Mexico and eastern Arizona in 2012 was a “one-tree” fire that was allowed to burn, eventually scorching 297,845 acres. That fire started on May 9 and

was not fully contained until July 31, 2012. One internet report claims that the fire wasn’t “discovered” until May 16.

The rancher who saw the fire start called the USFS to report it. The agency determined that no action was necessary. He also reported the incident to this writer.

The Little Bear Fire in Ruidoso also in 2012 could have been contained at a few acres, but the USFS decided to let it burn for management purposes. They did attack it later that same day, but it was too late. Some 242 homes and 12 structures burned in the 44,350 acre fire. The fire crossed federal, state, tribal and private lands. The fire started with a lightning strike on June 4 and was contained by July 30, 2012.

Other fires this year that have devastated New Mexico reflect the poor forest conditions that result from refusing to log or from insisting on suppression.

The Ruidoso area was again devastated in early 2022 with the McBride Fire that burned 6,159 acres, 200 homes and took the lives of two people. That fire started on April 12, 2022. It was not 100 percent contained until May 9.

The Black Fire in the Gila National Forest has now burned nearly 200,000 acres with just over ten percent containment. It started the night of May 13, cause undetermined.

The sad part of this story is yet to come. The devastation has only begun. Although the West is in a drought, it will rain again. When it does, there will be no vegetation to stop the runoff. Carbonized soil will run off the watersheds polluting everything in its path. Our magnificent lands will be scared with dead trees that look like

Rodeo

Roundup

The New Mexico High School and Junior High School Rodeo Finals were held over Memorial Day College National Finals Rodeo! Weekend in Lovington. Watch the New Mexico Livestock Facebook page for the June 12-18, 2022 junior finalist who will be participating in Ford Wyoming Center the Junior National Finals in Perry, Casper, Wyoming Georgia, June 19 - 25.Tickets on Sale — Visit cnfr.com The High School finalists will be pubLive Streamed on ESPN3 starting lished in the July Stockman as they ready June 14 evening performance to go to Gillette, Wyoming July 13 - 17. June 12 - Bulls & Broncs ▫

Roughstock Slack — 1:00 pm

June 13 - Monday Morning

Slack Round — 7:00 am

June 14 - Tuesday Morning

Slack — 7:00 am

June 14 - CNFR Performance #1 — 7:00 pm

June 15 - CNFR Performance #2 — 7:00 pm

June 16 - CNFR Performance #3 — 7:00 pm

June 17 - CNFR Performance #4 — 7:00 pm

June 18 - NIRA Style Show By Cinch — 11:30 am

June 18 - CNFR Performance #5

Championship Round — 7:00 pm

New Mexico 4-H Sanctioned Rodeos

Summer 2022 Rodeo Schedule

July 9-10 — San Juan County July 29-30 — Quay County Aug. 13-14 — Santa Fe County ▫

scorched tooth picks.

Worse yet, this summary only contains a few of the fires currently burning. There has been a little rain in some places, but it isn’t even supposed to start raining until July.

Without a doubt, drought has had an impact on these fires. But management prior to the current drought could have had tremendous impact in saving the land.

Dr. Wally Covington, former director Northern Arizona University’s Ecological Restoration Institute predicted these fires 30 years ago. This first heard of it was in 1994 when he stated that the Ponderosa Pine forests would be eliminated if work on forest thinning and management didn’t begin immediately. Unfortunately it didn’t and Covington’s worst nightmares are in full progress.

In 1994 he said that the fuel load in the Ponderosa Pines could be likened to parking 30 diesel tanks on an acre and setting them ablaze. In the past 30 years that fuel load has only increased.

Instead of heeding Dr. Covington’s advice, the USFS cut timber production and environmentalists spoke out at public meeting saying they would rather see the forest burn that provide timber for Americans.

Those environmentalists continue to fight to remove livestock from the forest in spite of the fact that research has demonstrated that grazing is about the only way to remove fine fuel (dry grass) loads that carry fires.

Nobody even discusses the tremendous air pollution that is created by these devastating fires. Instead they blame climate change for the fires. What does air pollution that all of New Mexico is suffering contribute to climate change?

D V E RT I S E

in the New Mexico Stockman. Call: 505/243-9515.

There has been some response from the USFS. After members of the New Mexico Congressional delegation introduced legislation requiring the agency to pay the costs of the Hermit’s Peak Fire, the USFS has put a ban on controlled burns — for 90 days to review the process.

The USFS has also issued closure orders in New Mexico’s forests, yet television news reports show the agency’s welders through sparks left and right to stop a rancher’s cattle from watering.

And the sad fact is that we are only in the beginning of the fire season.

The answer? Wise management of our forests. Log the burned-out areas where practical. Log our forests that haven’t burned yet. Use fire cautiously and wisely to remedy the mistakes in forest management. Use cattle as a management tool in our forests to reduce the fine fuels that carries fire. ▫

Rodeo Roundup

Once relegated to a junior and high school sport, women’s breakaway roping has become the fastest growing sport in rodeo.

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Quanta Services and NHSRA Announce Multi-Level Partnership

Quanta Services, Inc., a leading specialized infrastructure solutions provider to the utility, renewable energy communications and energy industries, and the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA), the world’s largest youth rodeo association, announced a new multi-level partnership agreement intended to elevate members of the NHSRA by bolstering their experience in rodeo into career opportunities for working in the skilled trades, with a focus on electrical power.

The five-year agreement with Quanta supports the NHSRA’s mission to provide educational opportunities to its members by offering yearly scholarships to a Quanta-owned vocational technical college with a focus on careers in the electric power delivery industry. Quanta recognizes the values, work ethic and applicable skill sets that individuals in the western industry possess and believe the partnership will benefit not only members of the NHSRA, but the western industry as a whole.

“The need for workers in the skilled trades is growing every day and I couldn’t think of a better partner to introduce kids to opportunities in this type of work than the NHSRA,” said Redgie Probst, chief operating officer of Quanta Services. “Ranch, farm and rodeo kids are raised with the passion, grit and dedication to the hard

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The New Mexico High School and Junior High School Rodeo Finals were held over Memorial Day Weekend in Lovington. Watch the New Mexico Livestock Facebook page for the junior finalist who will be participating in the Junior National Finals in Perry, Georgia, June 19 - 25. The High School finalists will be published in the July Stockman as they ready to go to Gillette, Wyoming July 13 - 17. ▫

work that it takes to be successful in the trades. It is our privilege to offer scholarships that will give them the necessary skills to succeed in our industry.”

Chanel Haworth, NHSRA vice president of marketing commented, “The NHSRA is continuously seeking ways to give back to our members and align with our partners. When Quanta approached us with the determination to invest in the futures, experiences and opportunities given to NHSRA members, Quanta’s commitment to the NHSRA and the whole western industry was clear. We are excited to welcome Quanta to the NHSRA and look forward to growing together, particularly through fostering programs unseen in the association thus far.”

The Cowboy Channel Becomes The Official Network Of The NHSRA

The Cowboy Channel, the official net- work of ProRodeo and the first 24-hour television network totally dedicated to western sports and the western life- style, is proud to announce an exclusive five-year agreement with National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) to broadcast and live-stream their events across all Rural Media Group’s media properties including The Cowboy Channel, RFD-TV, and Rural Radio on SiriusXM. And in addition to broadcasting and live-streaming the National High School and Junior High Finals, The Cow- boy Channel will also be covering the state finals in several states, something that has never been done before on any media platform.

“One of our main goals at The Cow- boy Channel is to grow the sport of rodeo and the best way to do that is by supporting and encouraging our youth,” said Raquel Gottsch Koehler, CEO of The Cowboy Channel. “This is such a positive relationship with NHSRA as we both have similar missions to promote rodeo with the most positive image to the general public while preserving our western heritage.”

This announcement is an expansion on the already tremendous long standing relationship RFD-TV and NHSRA have had since 2002, as RFD-TV for the past 20 years has broadcast a weekly 30-minute show produced by the organization called “Cinch National High School Rodeo Tour,” which showcases the next generation in Western Sports. The tour stops at four NHSRA-approved rodeos, including the National High School Finals Rodeo and the National Junior High Finals. ▫

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