By Felicia Fredd
​Xtreme Design SW

​Official 'firewise' landscape recommendations are truly becoming something to take more urgent action on. From simply removing flammable debris piles and putting safe space between material hazards, to reorganizing relationships between home, landscape, and garden elements, sources everywhere emphasize that areas immediately surrounding building structures are a significant factor in losses to wildfire.

Wonderful, there are quite a few things we can do to reduce the odds of the unthinkable; however, the most effective guidelines cut a pretty grim image: a hellscape of homes nearly devoid of sheltering plant material and overhangs (especially of wooden material) 30'-50' feet in all directions. By default, such measures also necessitate foregoing basic passive resource conservation strategies via sheltering landscape vegetation, as well as environmentally friendly 'messy' maintenance practices such as allowing organic debris to accumulate.

"During a wildfire, often it is “firebrands”, small pieces of burning vegetation and debris that floats into the air, that start a home on fire. Our research shows that if the firebrands land in dead vegetation, whether it’s under the deck or in the eave troughs, they often ignite the house." https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/firewise_landscaping_can_save_homes_from_wildfire

I am certainly not doubting the statistical truth of firewise principles, but I am a little overwhelmed by their potential combined ecological impacts, which is also no joke. Right now, ecologists are sending a very strong message that private garden and landscape spaces are critically important in preventing further species decline. What a brain crunch. How is this supposed to work - particularly with regard to outdoor living spaces in desert environments such as ours? What about resource conservation through mitigating heat gain/loss, reducing wind exposure, soil conservation, sequestered carbon? What about wildlife? Prostrate, succulent plants in exposed heat islands (as recommended) require a lot more water than layered plant communities, and obviously don't create precious sheltered space for much of anything, including people. How can we protect ourselves from devastating loss without reinforcing the very sterility that has helped bring us to this place?

What we have is a design challenge. We’re still gardening like Victorians, in the desert, and that should have already changed based on environmental science, but environmental design (including gardens and landscape) is particularly resistant to change. We do what we know, and we are deeply attached to what we know, and that is actually one very sweet thing about our relationship to landscape, but times are now clearly demanding something else.

All things considered, it looks to me like all around 'smarter', safer, design will indeed come down to much more sparing, but hopefully also much more creative and multipurpose spatial design that supports human needs and better 'frames', shelters, and structures less preferred but more environmentally friendly native plants. We simply do not have models for garden/landscape that synthesize all of these interests and important details yet.

I began a project, Xtreme Design/SW, with the intention of presenting a collection of perspectives and ideas about adaptive design for home landscape and garden spaces, but I'm really just getting started. I've been focused on familiarizing myself with specific principles of ecological design, and all I can say right now is that they run almost completely counter to mitigating fire risks. So maybe I can say just this: go easy on your 'keystone' plants, to whatever extent possible, if you are undertaking firewise brush clearing in wildland interface zones. For our ecoregion, these are mostly all the plants we love to dislike up close: chamisa, fourwing saltbush, winterfat, snakeweed, but would also include wild plum, coyote willow, cottonwood, ash, etc. Keystone plants are "the most productive plants that support the most species." - Doug Tallamy, https://homegrownnationalpark.org/keystone-trees-and-shrubs/

"Keystone plants are native plants critical to the food web and necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive. 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants.". https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Why-Native/Keystone-Plants-by-Ecoregio

Los Alamos Reporter
​ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS NEWS RELEASE

People with outstanding bench warrants from any magistrate court in New Mexico can safely surrender at the Rio Arriba Magistrate Court, 1127 Santa Clara Peak Road in Española on Friday, April 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 5 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

The safe surrender event provides anyone with outstanding warrants an opportunity to avoid jail and other consequences by appearing before a judge. At the time of surrender, anyone who appears voluntarily will receive favorable consideration when requesting a new court date, payment plan, or any other option required to comply with the court order.

“Helping people with bench warrants find solutions, that’s what Safe Surrender events are all about,” said Karl Reifsteck, director, Administrative Office of the Courts. “Judges heard 356 cases and cleared more than 1,100 warrants last year during Safe Surrender events in Santa Fe and Las Cruces”   

The Administrative Office of the Courts’ Court Operations Division will invite people who have bench warrants and live within a 50-mile radius of the host courthouse for the Safe Surrender event via postcard, calls and texts. For the Las Cruces event, the division sent out nearly 24,000 phone calls, 13,510 text messages and 19,865 postcards.
​
Judges issue a bench warrant when a defendant violates requirements imposed by a court, such as appearing at hearings scheduled in a case.  If you are unsure whether you have an outstanding bench warrant, call the toll-free warrant hotline at 855-268-7804 or check online case lookup at www.nmcourts.gov.

Hilda Maria Joy nee Unger, 89 passed away on March 5, 2025 in San Diego California.

Born on January 18, 1936, on the Southside of Chicago, Hilda was the daughter of Robert Unger and Maria (Mary) Unger nee Janisch who emigrated from Burgenland, Austria in the 1920s and raised their family and owned a grocery store in the Fuller Park neighborhood.

Left to cherish her memory are her three children, Lisa Joy (Doug Porter), Sheila Joy, and Patrick Joy (Barbara) and her two granddaughters, Haley Joy Porter Stanford (Shae) and Zoe Joy Kanga, many nieces and nephews and their children and many loving friends. She is survived by her brother, Rudy and sister-in-law Teresa Unger. She is preceded in death by her brother, Robert and sister-in-law Dorothy Unger, and former spouse James Joy.

Hilda attended St. George Elementary School, Mercy High School, and Mundelein College all in Chicago.

For over 40 years, Hilda was an active member of St. Theresa’s parish in Palatine, Illinois where she served as a lector and was a dedicated and fun-loving Girl Scout leader with the nickname of Broom Hilda.

Possessing a keen intellect and great sense of humor, Hilda was a renaissance woman who enjoyed the finer things in life. An accomplished autodidact, Hilda was never satisfied with learning anything halfway or casually. Once interested in a subject she pursued excellence.

Her homes always resembled a library. Hilda devoured books, incorporating their wisdom into her family’s daily life. She was happiest when sharing her knowledge with others on the classics, poetry, art history, history, the complete works of Shakespeare, biographies, naturalism, gardening, fashion, and the culinary arts. She was one of those rare individuals who would recite her favorite poems from memory.

Hilda was an accomplished baker, gourmet cook, gardener,  and a consummate hostess who curated all aspects of a meal. Hilda believed in preserving the bounty growing around her from the fruit trees and a grape arbor that she tended in her yard. Living next to a wood, she followed the wisdom of naturalist Eull Gibbons in Stalking the Wild Asparagus along with her parents' expertise from the old country, becoming a forager who perfected recipes with her finds.

She loved classical music and throughout her life attended the symphony and opera. There was always a wide variety of musical genres to be heard in her home.

Her children and grandchildren benefited greatly from her wisdom, knowledge, nurturing spirit and she taught them to deeply appreciate the natural and man-made world in all its beauty, great and small.

Hilda was a talented writer. Her wordsmithing, excellent grammar, and her sharp eye for detail led her to careers ranging from a reporter for the Palatine Herald to Procedures Writer at National Can Corporation and Northrop Grumman.

In the early 2000s, Hilda retired and followed her dream to move to Abiquiu, New Mexico to enjoy the wide-open blue skies and awe-inspiring landscapes painted by the town’s most famous resident, Georgia O’Keeffe. She lived along the winding Chama River often captured by O’Keeffe and enjoyed discovering the beauty, culture, and history of northern New Mexico. She loved volunteering for the annual midwinter eagle counting at Abiquiu Lake.

In her well-earned free time, Hilda enjoyed writing short stories about her life and interests, especially cooking. She became a regular contributor to the Abiquiu News where she shared recipes and stories about life in Abiquiu.

Hilda became an active member of Abiquiu’s Saint Thomas the Apostle church where she served as a Mayordomo and liturgy committee member.

In 2022, Hilda moved to San Diego to receive care for complications caused by spinal meningiomas that eventually left her unable to walk and use her arms completely. Hilda’s indefatigable spirit and intellect persevered, and she learned to adapt and kept writing cherished stories and texts to her loving family and friends on her mobile phone with only her left thumb. Her family is grateful for the care and compassion given to Hilda by the numerous medical professionals at University of California San Diego Hospital, Palomar Hospital and Hospice, Saint Paul’s Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center, The Shores Post Acute, and Vitas Hospice.

Hilda's family requests that loved ones leave a tribute to honor Hilda below.

A Celebration of Life mass will be held at Saint Thomas on May 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM followed by a lunch at the Abiquiu Inn. Details about the event can be found below. The family asks that all who wish to attend RSVP for the luncheon so they can plan accordingly.

​ADOPTION AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
​
Q: Can people adopt from your rescue? What’s the process?

Tina: Yes! We take great care in ensuring each animal finds the right home. The adoption process starts with an application and interview to assess the adopter’s experience, facilities, and ability to provide lifelong care. We also offer support during the transition to set both the adopter and the animal up for success. Right now, we focus on direct adoptions since we’re at full capacity—when a horse is in need, we do our best to place them in a forever home as quickly as possible.

Q: Do you provide support to the community with animal-related needs, such as rehoming or assistance?

Mike: Absolutely. We help families explore all possible options when they can no longer care for their animals. That could mean offering temporary assistance, connecting them with resources, or finding a suitable new home. Our goal is always to do what’s best for the animal and to support our local community in any way we can.

Q: Can people stop by and visit the rescue?

Mike: While we’re deeply grateful for the interest and support, we’re unable to offer visits at this time. We prioritize maintaining the animals' daily routines and ensuring their safety and well-being.

Tina: That said, we love sharing our work and encourage folks to follow us on social media for updates, rescue stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of life at the ranch! We’re also planning a community day at the ranch, so stay tuned!

Q: Do you need volunteers to help?

Mike: Yes! Horseshoe Canyon Rescue Ranch is a volunteer-based organization, and we welcome extra hands. Volunteers can help with stacking hay, repairing fences, cleaning enclosures, and general ranch maintenance. No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to work hard and a heart for animals. If you're interested in volunteering, reach out to us to schedule a time!

​Q: If you could say one thing to the community, what would it be?

Tina: Every animal deserves kindness, respect, and a chance at a better life. Whether through rescue, adoption, responsible ownership, or simply spreading awareness, we all have the power to make a difference.

CHALLENGES, TRIUMPHS, AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Q: What are the biggest challenges your rescue faces?

Tina: Funding is always a challenge. The costs of feed, veterinary care, and ranch maintenance add up fast—we go through around 1,000 bales of hay a year. To save money, we haul, unload, and stack it ourselves. Emergencies seem to happen on the coldest nights, and the emotional toll of rescue work can be heavy.

Mike: Another challenge is that we run everything ourselves—just the two of us. Being in a remote location makes it difficult to get volunteers, so we handle all the daily care, training, medical needs, and ranch work. Rescue is physically, emotionally, and financially exhausting—but seeing an animal regain trust and thrive? That makes it all worthwhile.

Q: How do you fund your operations, and what are your biggest financial needs?

Tina: We mostly fund the rescue ourselves, but we are incredibly grateful for the donations we receive. A few years ago, some wonderful friends organized a fundraiser called Ride to the Rescue, which was a huge help. Local businesses donated items for an auction and the proceeds went directly to the care of the ranch. (One lucky winner went home with a one-night stay at The Grand Hacienda Inn, donated by Discover Abiquiu and The Grand Hacienda!)

Mike: Our biggest expenses are feed and veterinary care. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a big difference in keeping the rescue running.

Q: What are your goals for the next five years?

Tina: To continue making a difference—one heart at a time. One of our most crucial goals is obtaining consistent funding through grants, donations, and sponsorships. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of the ranch and allow us to continue taking in emergency rescues.

Mike: Our primary goals focus on expanding and improving our rescue efforts in several key areas. By focusing on these priorities, we can create a lasting impact for the animals in our care and the broader rescue community.

• Facility Enhancements: We aim to expand our fencing and enhance our facilities to provide more space for the horses to roam and graze in rotation. Our land is fragile, so additional fenced pastures will allow us to manage it sustainably while giving the animals greater freedom.
• Foster & Adoption Network: We're working to build a larger network of foster and adoptive families to ensure more rescued animals find loving, permanent homes.
• Animal Protection Advocacy: We continue to collaborate with legislators and organizations to push for stronger animal protection laws, stricter enforcement against neglect and abuse, and an end to the shipment of horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.

Q: Are there any upcoming events or projects you'd like people to know about?

Tina: Yes! We're excited to announce plans for an upcoming Community Open House. Since we run the rescue full-time, we aren't always able to welcome visitors, but this special event will give people the opportunity to tour the ranch, meet the animals, and learn more about our mission. We can't wait to share our work with the community!

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Ways to Support the Ranch
Donations, volunteering, and spreading the word all contribute to making a difference. every act of kindness helps them continue transforming lives—one rescue, one heart at a time.

• Donate online via PayPal
• Mail a check to:
  Horseshoe Canyon Rescue Ranch
  c/o Mike and Tina Kleckner
  P.O. Box 125
  Youngsville, NM 87064-0125
• Send a contribution through Zelle at HCRR@earthlink.net
• Share our story on social media—it helps more than you know!​
• If you’re local, we’d love volunteers to help stack hay!

​FINAL THOUGHTS
​
Mike and Tina’s dedication to their animals is truly inspiring. Their unwavering commitment to rescuing, rehabilitating, and restoring trust in animals who have endured hardship demonstrates the profound impact that kindness and perseverance can have on vulnerable lives. Despite facing numerous challenges—whether financial, emotional, or logistical—they remain steadfast in their mission, ensuring that each animal receives the care, love, and second chance it deserves.

Their work serves as a potent reminder that every creature, no matter its past, has the potential to heal and thrive when given the right environment and support. Through patience and compassion, they not only transform the lives of the animals they rescue but also inspire others to take action, whether by adopting, volunteering, or simply spreading awareness about the importance of animal welfare.

In a world where so many animals are abandoned, neglected, or mistreated, Mike and Tina’s efforts shine as a beacon of hope. Their journey proves that small acts of kindness can lead to profound change and that with enough dedication, second chances are always possible.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HORSESHOE CANYON RESCUE RANCH

📍 Location: Youngsville, New Mexico
🌐 Website: www.HorseshoeCanyonRescueRanch.org
💙 Support Our Mission: Donate via Zelle at HCRR@earthlink.net
📩 Contact Us: Email: HCRR@earthlink.net

Your support helps rescue and care for horses in need—thank you for making a difference! 🐴💙

​MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DISCOVER ABIQUIU

This blog is sponsored by Discover Abiquiú and The Grand Hacienda Inn.

Nestled in the heart of northern New Mexico, Abiquiú is a breathtaking destination known for its stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and deep artistic roots. Once home to legendary artist Georgia O’Keeffe, this enchanting region boasts dramatic red rock formations, serene lakes, and endless desert vistas. Discover Abiquiú provides visitors with local information, activity updates, and event highlights through its website (www.thegrandhacienda.com/discoverabiquiu) and social media channels (www.facebook.com/discoverabiquiu).

At the heart of this captivating landscape lies The Grand Hacienda Inn (www.thegrandhacienda.com), an exclusive luxury bed and breakfast perched on a mesa overlooking Abiquiú Lake. Designed for tranquility and indulgence, this intimate, adults-only retreat offers an unparalleled Southwest experience. With just three beautifully curated suites, The Grand Hacienda seamlessly blends traditional adobe architecture with modern comforts, featuring private courtyards, spa-like bathrooms, breathtaking views, and gourmet breakfasts made with locally sourced ingredients.

LOS LUCEROS NEWS RELEASE
​Courtesy of the Los Alamos Reporter

Los Luceros Historic Site is hosting its annual Sheep Shearing Day the first Sunday in April, offering people of all ages a great opportunity to see the flock of Navajo-Churro sheep up close and learn more about them.

What: Visitors can watch shearer Kerry Mower use double-bow shears to remove wool from the site’s Navajo-Churro sheep from 8 – 11 a.m. People are invited to participate in hands-on activities during the event, including wool skirting, drop spinning workshops, and a sheep drawing workshop. The event also features an early morning bird walking tour, a children’s story time and weaving activity, and food trucks. See the schedule of events online.
​
Who: Los Luceros Historic Site
When: Sunday, April 6, Site opens at 6:45 a.m., bird tour at 7 a.m., shearing at 8 a.m., activities throughout the day
Where: Los Luceros Historic Site, 253 County Rd 41, Alcalde, NM 87511
Why: Navajo-Churro sheep are a unique and endangered breed, descended from sheep brought to New Mexico by the Spanish before 1600 AD. The Diné (Navajo) bred the sheep for their unique wool that is perfect for weaving, thereby creating the unique species they call “The First” or “The True Sheep.” Los Luceros Historic Site is dedicated to celebrating the history and heritage of these animals.

In times of crisis, we learn who we really are—and what really matters most. I, for instance, appear to value my snacks above even the rule of law and my own domestic bliss put together.
There’s a lot of context to unpack here. Let me simplify it:

• On one hand, I have an evolutionarily honed instinctive drive to protect my food from the grubby paws of predatory competitors. 
• On the other hand, I may have adopted three cats.
  ​
  

I never set out to be known as a cat person. Neither did Dr. Seuss, Taylor Swift, or Odie the dog, but here we all are, lumped together in a Zach Hively piece about unsuspecting cat people.

And in the coming times—when we are all going to need uplifting stories about very different factions coming together for a greater good—you’ll be seeing a great many dispatches about how I, a dog man, am desperate for these cats to tolerate my existence.

Loving the cats is easy.

They are a package deal with a very lovely human who I am interested in having continued relations with. They look so soft when they steal her lap before I get to it, and they have—to my knowledge, and I think I’d know—not yet once puked in my shoes.*

*Which is a thing they, these specific cats, have done to other people before me.

The hard part, you’d think, would be not loving them. 

The hard part, in reality, is predicting them, because I don’t speak Cat.

English is my first language. Dog is my second. German third. My Cat is about as good as my Spanish: I barely even try to conjugate the verbs, but I can let myself think I understand some of the loan words, cognates, and food vocabulary.

​In active conversation, though, I slip easily into speaking Dog, where—at least in my dialect—food far back on the counter is safe, and anything falling off the counter is fair game for that brief moment between landing on the floor and either a) I cover it with my foot, or b) I remember just how little of an impediment swallowing is when speaking Dog.

At my co-human’s house, we really don’t worry much about food.

By “we” I mean, of course, “us humans.” One of the three cats in particular—let’s call her “Soks” because that is one of her many names—worries constantly that we have forgotten, are forgetting, and will continue to forget about the sacred offering of wet food.

I’m not used to this. I have two dogs who, put together, outweigh me, at least when I myself am not worshipping wet food. They do not insist on being fed. I have, on at least one occasion, forgotten to feed them entirely, and I received no formal grievances. The exception here is bread; I cannot eat a carbohydrate without suffering an onset of Toast Face.

Yet I also know what happens when, say, a hamburger or an entire rabbit is left unattended. It can disappear fully in the time it takes to get the mustard from the fridge. 

Many a cat, however—whose natural meals will scamper into a hole in the wall if given the chance—will turn up its nose at gourmet tuna purée because you served it on the wrong day of the week. 

I’ve seen it myself. Soks’ sister, Bug, once quit eating wet food because, and I quote, “So what if I ate that every day for the last eighteen months? It’s gross now.” And their brother, Beep, will not touch a mouse because texture.

​This pickiness works well for me, because I am not the one responsible for feeding the cats. Also, the cats will leave my human food unscarfed, unlike certain other furry canine creatures I could mention but won’t. I have never committed a felony, but if I did, it would be over someone interfering with my munchables.

Which brings us to a time of crisis.

I was already hungry. We co-humans had about forty-five minutes to get out the door for an evening of being around people, an evening with no hope of dinner until we came home in the double digit o’clocks.

I was washing up and heard a song from the kitchen, distinct from the cat-centric wet-food songs that will rouse Soks from a near-death stupor:

Chickie chickie chickie
Chickie for my Zach
Chickie chickie chickie
My Zach Zach needs a snack

My co-human, knowing I needed food for my own wellbeing but mostly for hers, had pulled some pre-cooked chickie from the fridge. I put it in a bowl. I decided not to microwave it, for the sake of time and also because warm chicken would make me want warm sides, and there was no time for that now.

The bowl was on the counter. This should not need to be described, but it is important for the sake of the one single, simple rule in this house, which translates from Cat as: TWELVE PAWS ON THE FLOOR.

I, being a literalist at times, need you to know that the rule is not actually twelve paws on the floor. It is zero paws on the counter. This is a sanitary rule, and also a safety one. The counter, to a cat, looks identical to the stovetop, which is sometimes hot, and vets are expensive.

I have sometimes been enlisted as the muscle to enforce this law. Because I want the cats to love me, I always whisper to them that it’s not my fault, but we’ll both be in trouble if we don’t comply.

At that, the cats usually give me a look that is not in a dog’s vocabulary.

But I put the remaining chickie in the fridge, which I think showed admirable restraint and forward-thinkingness to when we might—as happens—be hungry again later.

I said something sweet to my co-human that consumed my attention for not very many seconds, really.

And when I turned around.

There was Soks.

On the counter.

Eating my chickie.

I had to act fast.

And remember, Dog is my second language. There is no time for diplomacy with a dog. Not with chickie involved.

So I did what any good dog person would do: I put my foot over the chickie.

No, not really. Because—and this is generally foreign to a big-dog man—I’ve never had to cover food on the counter with my foot.

But I did snatch that bowl of chickie away from Soks faster than you could say pspsps.

It didn’t matter that it would take her a metric week to get through that whole bowl. It didn’t matter that the letter of the law states that the appropriate action in that moment is to sweep the purrrpetrator onto the floor. My instincts kicked in, and I reclaimed what was mine, rules be damned.

I did make amends.

Ahsoka was not flummoxed. She knows her place is secure.

Neither was my co-human. In fact, she laughed, and she laughed. She laughed at me, a grown-ass adult human man, defending my snackie snack from a fourteen-pound indoor cat.

And I? I gave Soks some little cat-bite-sized pieces of my chicken, which lured her onto my chair—a drastic improvement over her long-running stance that I don’t exist in any meaningful sense one way or another.

​It may not yet be love that she’s showing me. But remember, I speak fluent Dog. I know how to bribe for affection.

A look at successful and failed pieces of legislation

​By Lauren Lifke
Courtesy of NM Political Report

The 60-day New Mexico legislative session came to an end Saturday, with controversy over lawmakers’ urgency to pass public safety bills. A shooting in Las Cruces on the last day of the session prompted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to inform lawmakers that there will likely be a special legislative session later in the year. Lujan Grisham has signed 22 bills into law so far this year, with more awaiting her signature. Here’s a look at the outcome of some of the bills NM Political Report has been covering.
Passed through House and Senate Chambers

• House Bill 66, sponsored by Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Albuquerque, sought to increase workers’ compensation payouts for both employees and attorneys. Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law March 21.
• Senate Bill 124, sponsored by Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, passed the House and Senate and awaits a signature from the governor. The bill would give the superintendent of insurance the authority to issue subpoenas on a broader timeline than in the current law.

Failed to pass the Legislature

• House Bill 72, sponsored by Rep. Eleanor Chavez, D-Albuquerque, would require minimum nursing staff-to-patient ratios in hospitals. The bill made it to the House floor, but it wasn’t heard before the session ended. 
• HB 15, sponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya, D-Albuquerque, was also awaiting a vote before the clock ran out. The bill sought to bring more healthcare workers to New Mexico. It passed four committees and the House Chamber before heading to the Senate floor, where it died awaiting a hearing.

• House Bill 80, sponsored by Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque, aimed to prevent discriminatory car insurance rates. The bill passed one committee before the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee tabled it on March 3.
• Similar to HB 72, House Bill 138, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Cates, D-Rio Rancho, sought to ensure specific staffing ratios in hospitals throughout the state. Support for the bill was divided along party lines, and it passed two committees before stalling on Feb. 10. 
• House Bill 263, sponsored by Thomson, would have mandated hospital pricing transparency. It cleared its first committee unanimously but was never heard after Feb. 14. 

Stalled in Senate committees

• House Bill 11, sponsored by Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, gained traction throughout the session in lawmakers’ third attempt to pass a bill of its kind in as many years. It would have allowed for paid family and medical leave for employees throughout New Mexico. It passed three committees, with amendments, before stalling in the Senate Finance committee after March 10.
• Senate Bill 14, sponsored by  Duhigg, would have provided state oversight of hospital purchases by private companies. It made it through one committee on Feb. 12 before stalling in the Senate Judiciary Committee
• SB 176, sponsored by Sen. Martin Hickey, D-Albuquerque, would have loweredthe caps for payouts that attorneys receive for medical malpractice lawsuits. It died before being heard in a committee.

Santa Fe, NM – The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico’s Food Bank, regrets to announce that federal funding supporting the Regional Farm to Food Bank (RF2FB) program has been terminated, despite an initial extension, effectively bringing the federally funded program to an end.The RF2FB has been instrumental in connecting New Mexico farmers, ranchers, and food producers to the state’s food bank network. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) termination of federal funding creates uncertainty for local food producers who sell to food banks and reduces access to locally grown food statewide.
 
The RF2FB program, created under the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, is currently funded through the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement. Since its inception,  the RF2FB has been a significant purchaser of local foods, accounting for 34% of all NM Grown institutional purchases from small and midsize producers in 2024.
 
“During the last three years, New Mexico’s RF2FB program has been a national standout, spending more than $3.6 million with local producers on healthy and culturally appropriate food,” says Denise Miller, Executive Director of the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association that partners with The Food Depot on this initiative.
 
In October 2024, the USDA announced a $500 million extension of the LFPA program, with $2.8 million designated for New Mexico, prompting producers to plan and invest in the next three-year cycle. However, on March 7, 2025, the USDA informed the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) that it would terminate the 2025 LFPA Cooperative Agreement, ending federal funding for the RF2FB and halting operations when the current LFPA program ends.  

“The federal government’s decision to end this program delivers a major blow to families like mine who are heavily invested in feeding our communities locally produced beef. There’s nothing more American than feeding your community fresh beef that was born, raised, and processed in a 60-mile radius. Ranching isn’t just our livelihood—it’s our heritage,” explains Manny Encinias, owner of Trilogy Beef and Buffalo Creek Ranch in Moriarty, NM.
“Without this support, we risk losing more than income; we risk losing the ability to sustain our land, our families, and our way of life. This decision doesn’t just impact ranchers. It threatens the entire rural economy, including locally owned businesses like our USDA meat processing facility, which depends on ranching families like us to stay in operation. Perhaps most concerning, it makes it even harder to bring the next generation back to the ranch,” stresses Mr. Encinias. “Without programs like this, the future of family ranching becomes even more uncertain, discouraging the very people we need to carry this way of life forward.”
 
The loss of federal support has a profound impact on local farmers, ranchers, food banks, and families who depend on this critical program.

• 94% of RF2FB purchases in 2024 were purchased from socially disadvantaged and historically underserved producers.
• 899,402 pounds of locally grown food have been distributed since January 2023,  providing 749,502 healthy meals.
• Every $1 spent on local food generates $1.70 in economic benefits, reinforcing regional economies.
• The RF2FB has delivered food to over 250 distribution sites across all 33 New Mexico counties.
• 17 out of 33 New Mexico counties have participating producers.
• In FY24, 34% of all NM Grown institutional purchases came from The RF2FB.
• Over 200 New Mexican farmers, ranchers, and small local food businesses have benefited from this program.

The Food Depot, in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, manages the program for the New Mexico Association of Food Banks. All five of New Mexico’s food banks secure food through partnerships with donors, nationwide procurement efforts, and food rescue. The Regional Farm to Food Bank program allowed the food bank network to invest in local producers and enhanced the healthy and culturally responsive food options at local food bank distributions.
 
“This program has played a vital role in strengthening New Mexico’s food system,” says Jill Dixon, Executive Director at The Food Depot. “The loss of funding will disrupt supply chains and also impact the livelihoods of the farmers and the communities they help feed.”
 
The Food Depot and the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association (NMFMA) are urging New Mexico’s congressional delegation to create a permanent LFPA program in the next Farm Bill to maintain the proven partnership between local farmers, growers, and food banks. Additionally, we are pushing to reverse the decision to terminate LFPA25 and reinstate it. The Food Depot and NMFMA remain committed to advocating for strong food systems and ensuring that all New Mexicans continue to have access to fresh, locally sourced food.  

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About The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico’s Food Bank
Established in 1994, The Food Depot aims to make healthy food accessible to communities across nine counties, 26,000 square miles, of Northern New Mexico. A dynamic network of nonprofit partner agencies and unique hunger-relief programs provides an average of 700,000 healthy meals each month to more than 40,000 individuals. Resource navigation, wraparound services, and statewide advocacy efforts also support clients as they work toward food security. The Food Depot is proud to be a Santa Fe Chamber of

The settlements await Congressional approval

​By Danielle Prokop
Courtesy of Source NM

Five New Mexico Tribal and Pueblo water rights settlements still need federal approval, but state agencies have put forward funding requests to be ready if Congress approves them later this year as anticipated.
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New Mexico entered into five settlement agreements in 2022 with the Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna, Jemez and Zia, the Navajo Nation, Zuni Tribe and Ohkay Owingeh

The New Mexico delegation subsequently introduced legislation to approve the deals, including approximately $3 billion to establish funds and build infrastructure. The settlements, which have required years and sometimes decades of costly negotiations, would settle tribal rights for the rios San José, Jemez, Chama and the Zuni River.

Two other bills would correct technical errors in established Tribal water settlements and add an extension of both time and money to complete the long-delayed Navajo-Gallup water project. Federal funding granted the project a short reprieve, but it faces an upcoming deadline only Congress can delay.

A 1908 U.S. Supreme Court case established what’s known as Winters Doctrine, which requires Congress to recognize water rights for reservations. The Winters Doctrine also recognizes tribal rights as typically senior to other users. New Mexico water law uses the age of rights to determine use in times of shortage.

However, the courts have only formally determined the order of water rights in 20% of New Mexico’s rivers, a decades-long process. In the interim, lawsuits sparked between Pueblos, acequias and other users. (The Ohkay Owingeh lawsuit over Rio Chama water use is more than 60 years old).

The 2022 settlements benefit both Pueblo and non-Pueblo water users by fully resolving the water rights claims, U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) told Source NM last year.

“The senior priority water rights are going to prevail. And that’s what litigation will lead to,” she said. “The settlements lead to agreements by the tribe to give up certain acreage that they’re entitled to and work out arrangements with regards to how they exercise their senior water rights to benefit everybody in the region.”

Members of the New Mexico delegation urged House leaders to include the settlements in end-of-year congressional packages, but Congress ultimately excluded the bills.
Members of the delegation reintroduced the bills early this year.

In March, the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee gave its unanimous approval to the slate of bills, which await a hearing on the Senate Floor, said one of the co-sponsors, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), in a written statement Thursday.

“These bills are vital to ensure we meet our trust responsibility to our Tribal communities by honoring their water rights and ensuring they have the resources to use the water they own,” said Heinrich. “I’m pleased the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs unanimously advanced these bills to the Senate floor. I encourage my colleagues on the House Natural Resources to do the same. These bills are urgently needed to help communities manage their precious and limited water resources.”

If Congress approves the settlements, New Mexico has to provide approximately $190 million for the state portion of the funds, within a decade. In 2024, the New Mexico Legislature allocated $20 million for the state match.

This year, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer requested $35 million for the settlement funds, according to Nat Chakeres, the office’s general legal counsel.

“We have a 10-year period to come up with that $190 million, but we want to get ahead of the game while we have budget surpluses right now,” Chakeres told Source NM.

In addition, the state is requesting $500,000 more in annual funding to create staff water master positions to prepare for the settlement’s adoption by the federal government.

Water masters ensure fulfillment of the terms of the agreement, prepare annual reports on the status of the settlement activities, investigate claims and oversee any enforcement of water diversions.

“We want to be ready to run on day one, once the settlements get finalized,” Chakeres said.

Chakeres said budget discussions between state lawmakers are continuing and that he doesn’t know the exact amount that lawmakers will approve in the budget but said he’s optimistic.

“We’re confident we’ll get a strong appropriation,” he said.

Although this method runs counter to currently popular decluttering trends, everyone who completes my universally applicable training will likely keep their house attached to the earth by sheer force of gravity—with other magical results, too.

Having dedicated more than some percentage of my week to this subject, I know that hoarding can transmogrify your existence. Filling their houses with items that spark joy (and possibly fires) touches all other facets of my acolytes’ enviable lives, such as their ability to keep a job and custody of their children.

Does it still sound too good to be truly free of Hantavirus and other rodent-borne maladies? If your idea of hoarding is collecting just one scrap each day that might be worth something, someday, in a pinch, or stuffing just one found object at a time under your bed, then you’re right—this practice won’t have much effect on your life expectancy.

However, if you dedicate yourself to The HiveZac Approach™, hoarding can have an uncatalogueable impact on your wellbeing. Not having a clue what you own or where you keep it is the truest and most powerful spirit of hoarding.

I have never read a single home or lifestyle magazine.

That’s how I’m able to tackle hoarding so seriously.

Now—in these times when everyone is determined to get rid of so much of their stuff—is the best time to begin your own life of hoarding under my tutelage.

I can give hands-on advice (with rubber gloves on) to people who find hoarding difficult, who hoard but suffer bouts of spring cleaning, or who want to hoard but don’t know how to acquire things indiscriminately.

The number of items my clients will acquire, from clothes and remnants of undergarments to other people’s photos, dried-up pens, waiting room magazines with the addresses cut out, and makeup scraps, easily surpasses health code regulations.

I do not exaggerate. I have envisioned myself assisting clients who have scored two U-Haul trucks’ worth of unwanted goods (including the trucks themselves) in a single go.
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From my meditations upon the craft of acquiring and my dreams of helping functioning humans become packrats, I can say one thing with undeserved confidence: A drastic disintegration of the open spaces in a home causes proportionately drastic changes in personal hygiene and neighborhood property values.

This practice is life-transforming.

I mean it. Here are some of the testimonials I will soon start receiving on a weekly, even monthly, basis from future former clients:

“With your help, I lost my job and found undocumented work doing something I never dreamed of doing.”

“Your course taught me to see that I need absolutely everything I can get my hands on. So what if I’m now divorced? I’m much happier this way.”

“Someone who has been stalking me for years recently contracted tetanus from my front yard.”
“I’m delighted to report that since stockpiling my property, I’ve been able to keep the meter reader from accessing my meter.”

“My dogs and I are having a great time, even though I don’t know how many dogs I have anymore.”

“I’m amazed to find that just bringing things home has changed me so much. I finally succeeded in losing twenty pounds, now that I cannot reach the kitchen.”

The results of The HiveZac Approach™ will inevitably change the future. Why? Because the ripple effect states that every action has an equal and opposite legal action.

We don’t live in a vacuum, after all. Nor do we need to use the vacuums that we have stashed around here somewhere. Even if you can’t see anything else after completing my course, you will see quite clearly that you need all that you can get in life.

This is what I call The Satisfaction of Hanging On to Absolutely Everything. By putting your house in disarray, you will see your furniture and decorations come to life. Literally, with mold and mushrooms and such.
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This—this is the satisfaction I want to share with as many people as possible.