ENVIRO BRIEFS
ENVIRO BRIEFS
Taos homes in ‘green’ tour
Four homes in Taos that have been built to sustain themselves will be part of a GreenBuilt tour among 26 homes in New Mexico.
On May 17-18, attendees of Sustainability Week will culminate seven days of lectures, tours and gatherings with a self-guided tour of homes in Taos, Santa Fe and the Albuquerque area. To get the location of the homes, a person must get directions and descriptions from organizers.
Sponsored by U.S. Green Building Council New Mexico, the week begins May 10 with a lecture series and expo, then continues May 13-17 in Albuquerque.
Some of the sessions cost money.
For more information, visit www.usgbcnm.org or www. greenbuilttour.net.
Safety tips for spring, summer in forest
U.S. Forest Service officials have announced their annual safety precautions so that those using the national forests will do so safely — for themselves and the forest.
Tips include: n Know where you are going by calling the local Forest Service office to check on conditions, closures, campgrounds and fire danger; n Check the weather before heading out into the forest; n Prevent forest fires by making sure a campfire is allowed, using a fire ring or building a ring out of rocks on the bare soil, keeping fire away from branches or dry grass, keeping a bucket filled with water, and drowning the fire completely before leaving the site.
Controlled burn set in Jicarilla
Motorists along U.S. 64 in the next couple of weeks will likely encounter smoke from a prescribed burn on national forest land. The burn, called the Bixler Burn, will be ignited on 1,100 acres north and west of the intersection of U.S. 64 and Forest Road 310. Depending upon weather conditions, the burning could take up two weeks to remove low vegetation and dead wood from the forest floor. For information, call (505) 632-2956.
Bandelier begins centennial upgrades
With its 100th birthday coming up in 2016, Bandelier National Monument will undergo improvements. The parks’ visitor and environmental programs will see upgrades, thanks to a “Centennial Initiative” from Congress. Federal funds of $24 million will coincide with $27 million in matching donations to spruce up 75 unites that will celebrate centennials in the next eight years, according to a press release from Sen. Pete Domenici’s office.
At Bandelier near Los Alamos, the improvements include analysis of its carbon footprint, improvements to water and electrical systems and purchase of a hybrid vehicle — plus a system to track visitors from Northern New Mexico.
— Compiled by Andy Dennison
