Prairie Grouse Endangered in Eastern New Mexico, West Texas; Threatened in Northeast Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado

ALBUQUERQUE — In response to a 2016 petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity and partners, on May 26 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to protect the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act.

The Service determined that lesser prairie chickens in the disappearing shinnery oak prairies of eastern New Mexico and West Texas qualify as endangered. Populations of the bird in other grassland habitats in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado qualify as threatened.

“We’re thrilled to see these magnificent dancing birds...

DURANGO, Colo. — The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Tracy Stone-Manning as the possible new Director of the Bureau of Land Management July 22.

Since that time she has faced severe criticism from Sen. Jim Risch, R- Idaho

Her nomination has, however, advanced to the full Senate for a vote after the Energy and Natural Resources Committee deadlocked 10-10 along party lines.

As BLM director, “InsideClimateNews.org” says Stone-Manning would be positioned to play a significant role in the Biden Administration’s climate change policies, which would include conserving 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters and scaling back fossil fuel extraction on...

In 2019, the City of Gallup and the NMDOT developed a Gallup Area Transportation Safety Plan that identified the I-40/US 491 interchange as a high-priority area for safety and traffic mitigation measures.  In the fall of 2020, NMDOT started a Phase IA/B Study to identify options to make the interchange area safer for all users and examine how the interchange can work better with the Maloney Avenue/US 491 intersection.



At the second public information meeting, which was attended by more engineers than area residents, Derek Meier, an NMDOT consultant with Wilson & Company advised that the team had selected the following three options.Installing two, single-lane roundabouts which...

SANTA FE — Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque, resigned from the New Mexico House of Representatives July 30, including from her position as House Majority Leader.

In response, Speaker of the House Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, House Majority Whip Doreen Gallegos, D- Las Cruces, and House Majority Caucus Chair D. Wonda Johnson, D-Rehoboth, issued the following statement:

“Given the weight of the allegations against Rep. Stapleton and the ongoing investigation, her resignation from the House is appropriate and in the best interest of the Legislature and the state. There is important work to be done for the people of New Mexico, and House Democrats and our strong...