This week on New Mexico in Focus, a look at a historic fire season in our state. "Our Land" Producer Laura Paskus provides the context needed to understand the impacts of the early start, the devastating damage, and how we can navigate this growing threat.
This year, New Mexico saw its two largest fires ever. These fires destroyed hundreds of homes, killed two people so far, forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and livestock, and will cost millions of dollars.
"The Longest Season: An Our Land Wildfire Special," explores all these challenges, and the ongoing struggle to support and recruit federal wildland firefighters to control these blazes.
New Mexico in Focus airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) Friday, July 8 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 10 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.
NMiF Segments
Correspondent
All Segments - Laura Paskus
New Mexico’s Evolving Droughts & Wildfire Threats
Guest
Parker Williams, bioclimatologist, UCLA
Forest Under Siege
Guests
Daniel Denipah, forestry director, Pueblo of Santa Clara
Laura McCarthy, New Mexico State Forester
John Formby, forest health specialist, New Mexico Forestry Division
Lindsey Quam, deputy director of forests, New Mexico Forestry Division
Fighting More Than Fire
Guests
Marcus Cornwell, federal wildland firefighter
Kelly Martin, president, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters
Jonathon Golden, former wildland firefighter
Wildland Firefighters Update
Guest
Jonathon Golden, former wildland firefighter
Preparing Homes for Fire Season
Guest
Tom Swetnam, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona
Wildfire Notifications & Resources
Guest
Eytan Krasilovsky, deputy director, Forest Stewards Guild
Earth Day Message
Laura Paskus
What Do We Do Now?
Guest
Eytan Krasilovsky, deputy director, Forest Stewards Guild
Community-Based Forest Management in Northern New Mexico
Guests
J.R. Logan, secretary & treasurer, Cerro Negro Forest Council
David Fermin Arguello, member, Cerro Negro Forest Council
Art Montoya, mayordomo, Cerro Negro Forest Council
Richard Cordova, lenero, Cerro Negro Forest Council
New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are 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."
Senior Producer of New Mexico in Focus is Lou DiVizio with Kathy Wimmer, co-producer. NM PBS Public Affairs Executive Producer is Kevin McDonald.
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.
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