This week on New Mexico in Focus, a look back on 2023 as NMiF reflects on some of its stories and interviews. Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus hosts a three-part roundtable conversation with U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Regional Forester Michiko Martin, Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor Shaun Sanchez, and Santa Fe National Forest Fuels Program Manager Dennis Carril. They talk about the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon and Cerro Pelado fires, prescribed burn protocols and the future of fire and forest management in a warming world. 

This year NMiF saw a major transition with the departure of longtime host Gene Grant, who went on to fulfill one of his passions at Animal Protection New Mexico. NMiF's chief correspondents, Gwyneth Doland, Russell Contreras and Antonia Gonzales gathered for a conversation about their work for the show. Each journalist explains their history in the field and gives the audience an idea of what type of stories to expect from them in the coming weeks and months.   

NMiF airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) on Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 31 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app. 

NMiF Segments

  • The Future of Fire in New Mexico Part 1: 2022’s Historic Fire Season 
  • The Future of Fire in New Mexico Part 2: New Fire Protocols 
  • The Future of Fire in New Mexico Part 3: Building Public Trust 

Correspondent
Laura Paskus  

Guests 
Michiko Martin, U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Regional Forester  
Shaun Sanchez, Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor  
Dennis Carril, Santa Fe National Forest Fuels Program Manager 

Meet the Correspondents at New Mexico in Focus   
Gwyneth Doland 
Russell Contreras 
Antonia Gonzales  

Host
Lou DiVizio  

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment.

NMPBS Executive Producer, Public Affairs, is Jeff Proctor. New Mexico in Focus's senior producer for public affairs is Lou DiVizio. “Our Land” Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Antonio Sanchez, and co-producer is Kathy Wimmer.

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.

Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

Funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future is provided in part by the Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV.