New Mexico’s plan to reduce wildfire risk currently ‘nowhere near enough’

State Forester Laura McCarthy on Sept. 8, 2026, previewed legislation for New Mexico lawmakers to help mitigate the state's wildfire risk. Above: Crews work on mulching burned trees in the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire burn scar on Feb. 1, 2023. (Patrick Lohmann/Source NM) New Mexico’s top forest administrator on Tuesday warned legislators that the state is behind on wildfire risk reduction goals, and provided six possible bills ahead of the next legislative session that could improve planned targets. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

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Scoop News DeskSpecific city/county not stated, New Mexico · Published Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 3:54 PM UTCUpdated Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:44 AM UTC

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In the past year, however, only 22,000 acres were treated, State Forester Laura McCarthy told state lawmakers during an Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee meeting in Las Cruces, making New Mexico “way below where we need to be.” The poor treatment rates, according to McCarthy, stem from forest landowners and contractors lacking the necessary capital for tree thinning.

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