The Silver City non-profit organization “Heart of the Gila” was one of 130 organizations in New Mexico that was recently awarded funding through The Outdoor Equity Fund, which supports programming that provides outdoor experiences that foster respect for New Mexico’s land, water and cultural heritage. The Heart of the Gila provides outdoor experiences for youth and their families to explore the Gila River and the many things it has to offer and allows youth to not only get out into the wild but to train a new generation of educators that will hopefully continue providing families with this experience.
The Kids Can Entrepreneur Program in Deming will be having a “Jr. Chef” Camp for youth ages 10 to 17, that will teach kids how to plan, market and execute their very own food related business. The camp will be from July 10th to the 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Marshall Memorial Library and is free but prior registration is required. For more information or to register, call 575-527-8799.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is offering an Agriculture Workforce Development Program (AWD) to New Mexico-based agricultural businesses to create opportunities for young and beginning farmers, ranchers and students to help them gain work experience in agriculture. Programs that qualify and who will receive incentives for hiring interns include farms, ranches, facilities at which raw agricultural commodities are processed into finished products and food and beverage manufacturing facilities. The application period is now open until funds are fully allocated or by March 29, 2024. For more information or to apply, go to website.
The Pass Fire on the Gila National Forest, Black Range Ranger District as of June 26th, has grown to approximately 54,683 acres and is 13% contained since it was ignited by lightning on May 18th. The fire has moved to the southeast portion near Windfall Canyon and Burnt Corral Canyon, according to last night’s infrared flight. Observed fire behavior is low to moderate, consuming small stands of piñon and juniper, downed logs, and dry vegetation. Firefighters are in the area east of the active fire working to improve FR704 to utilize the road as a confine and containment strategy, while being light on the land. The intent is to prevent the fire from crossing into private land to the east of the fire and from crossing the east fork of the Gila River. Firefighters will continue to monitor the whole fire area from the air and ground.
The Rico Fire, which started approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Pinos Altos on BLM land, on the west side of Bear Creek on June 20th around 3:00 p.m. as of 6/26/23, is 61% contained. The cause is still under investigation. The next phase of the Rico Fire will be suppression repair which involves immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion. This work repairs hand and dozer lines, trails, staging areas, safety zones, drop points, and possibly roads used during the firefighting effort. Firefighters will continue to work on the fire until they reach 100% containment. To date, no firefighter injuries or illnesses have been reported. Travelers are asked to remain vigilant while traveling along Bear Creek Road, as firefighting operations are ongoing.
