News
Echoing Our State Forester’s Call
Alan Barton NMFWRI Director In an article published in the Santa Fe New Mexican at the beginning of August, New Mexico’s State Forester Laura McCarthy offered a heartfelt thank…
NMFWRI publishes Riparian Monitoring Handbook
The Ecological Monitoring team at NMFWRI has published a comprehensive guide to Riparian Monitoring for practitioners The 290-page handbook offers a deep look at, and practical tips for, establishing plots,…
No Fuel Treatment Too Small
Small fuel treatments – some under an acre – reduced burn severity in the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire For Northern New Mexico land owners wondering if their efforts to…
After the Fire: Contour Log Felling to Stabilize Hillslopes
Trees burned in wildfires can be a source of materials for restoring post-fire landscapes. Click on the button below and scroll down to see this guide and other restoration resources.
Fire history in the Four Corners (updated 2025)
Wildfires in the Four Corners have grown larger in the last couple of decades. Dana Heusinkveld, NMFWRI’s GIS Research Specialist, created this timeline of wildfires in the region encompassing New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
To see fires that are currently burning in New Mexico along with historic fire info in the NM Fire Viewer, click the button below.
Restoration and Education
NMFWRI provides technical assistance and practical knowledge in forest and woodland restoration to reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire, restore healthy and sustainable forested ecosystems, and encourage restoration-based economies.
GIS/Mapping
NMFWRI represents the state’s only dedicated capability for supporting the spatial data analysis needs of external stakeholders in the natural resources sector, as well as the GIS/GPS capacity for Highlands University and for most of northern New Mexico.
Monitoring
NMFWRI's Ecological Monitoring Program maintains a professionally managed field crew to collect data on short and long-term ecosystem responses to restoration treatments in forest and riparian ecosystems. The data provide a critical scientific basis for adaptive management decisions and improved forest treatment effectiveness.
Collaboration
NMFWRI supports natural-resource-based collaboration by assisting communities to form collaborative organizations and build the capacity to work together to solve problems and restore natural habitats.