News

Cibola National Forest Planning Prescribed Burns Near Grants as Winter Drought Persists

Cibola National Forest Planning Prescribed Burns Near Grants as Winter Drought Persists

Cibola National Forest Planning Prescribed Burns Near Grants as Winter Drought Persists

Diego Lopez, Editor
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – With Cibola County still 100 percent in drought and much of the region classified in Severe Drought (D2), federal land managers are preparing to use a tool designed to lower wildfire risk: prescribed fire.The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands announced on Jan.
2022 Projected GRT: brown - 2022 YTD Actuals: light blue - 2023 TDD Actuals: dark blue - 2024 TDD Actuals: pink - 2025 TDD Actuals: green - 2026 Projected Budget: yellow - 2026 YTD Actuals: red Courtesy Photo

2022 Projected GRT: brown - 2022 YTD Actuals: light blue - 2023 TDD Actuals: dark blue - 2024 TDD Actuals: pink - 2025 TDD Actuals: green - 2026 Projected Budget: yellow - 2026 YTD Actuals: red Courtesy Photo

County Commission Meeting Discusses Financials and More

Amerika Rougemont, Reporter
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
GRANTS, N.M. - On January 22, 2026, the Cibola County Commission held a meeting lasting two hours, addressing key financial updates and budgetary matters.
House Bill 9, the Immigrant Safety Act has passed the New Mexico Senate. It has now passed both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature and goes to the governor for signature.

House Bill 9, the Immigrant Safety Act has passed the New Mexico Senate. It has now passed both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature and goes to the governor for signature.

HB 9 Passes New Mexico Senate After Hours-Long Floor Fight Over Jobs, Detention Oversight, and Amendments

Diego Lopez, Editor
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — House Bill 9, the Immigrant Safety Act, passed the New Mexico Senate on Tuesday night, Feb. 3, 2026, after an extended floor debate that mixed policy arguments, local economic warnings, and emotional appeals about immigration enforcement and civil detention.
Planned prescribed fire areas on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District include the Monighan, Black Mesa, and McGaffey/McQue Flats projects, which forest officials say may produce visible smoke in communities including Grants, Milan, Bluewater, Ramah, and Gallup as weather conditions allow through winter and into spring. Source: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands

Planned prescribed fire areas on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District include the Monighan, Black Mesa, and McGaffey/McQue Flats projects, which forest officials say may produce visible smoke in communities including Grants, Milan, Bluewater, Ramah, and Gallup as weather conditions allow through winter and into spring. Source: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands

Cibola National Forest Planning Prescribed Burns Near Grants as Winter Drought Persists

Diego Lopez, Editor
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – With Cibola County still 100 percent in drought and much of the region classified in Severe Drought (D2), federal land managers are preparing to use a tool designed to lower wildfire risk: prescribed fire.The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands announced on Jan.
Drought persists across Cibola County. The U.S. Drought Monitor map valid Jan. 20 shows 100% of Cibola County in drought, with 68.58% classified as Severe Drought (D2) and 31.42% in Moderate Drought (D1). Much of the Grants and El Malpais area remains in D2, reflecting a winter season that has improved snowpack in the Zuni Mountains but has not yet translated into broader recharge for local water supplies. Source: Drought.gov/U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought persists across Cibola County. The U.S. Drought Monitor map valid Jan. 20 shows 100% of Cibola County in drought, with 68.58% classified as Severe Drought (D2) and 31.42% in Moderate Drought (D1). Much of the Grants and El Malpais area remains in D2, reflecting a winter season that has improved snowpack in the Zuni Mountains but has not yet translated into broader recharge for local water supplies. Source: Drought.gov/U.S. Drought Monitor

Cibola Drought Monitor – January 2026

Diego Lopez, Editor
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Cibola County is beginning 2026 still locked in drought, and the numbers back up what many residents have felt on the ground: winter has not yet delivered the kind of widespread, sustained moisture that would meaningfully recharge the county’s water system.As of Jan.
Don’t Make Cibola County Pay for Santa Fe’s Virtue and Washington’s Failures

Don’t Make Cibola County Pay for Santa Fe’s Virtue and Washington’s Failures

State of Affairs

Diego Lopez
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
I’m going to say this as plainly as I can: House Bill 9 scares people in Cibola County, and for good reason.Not because everyone here suddenly wants to debate immigration policy at the dinner table. Not because our community is itching for a partisan brawl.