On the edge of the Valle Grande in northern New Mexico stands a grove of towering ponderosa pines. The trees, many of them between 250 and 400 years old, comprise what’s called the History Grove, and they offer a snapshot into what the forests of the Jemez Mountains looked like centuries ago—before widespread grazing in the late 19th century and decades of fire suppression by the federal government. During a recent trip there, I was reminded of what goes into protecting and maintaining our forests and landscapes.

Land management, as it’s called, is made of up of meetings and programs, line-item budgets and public comment periods. And sometimes, expensive lawsuits and bitter...

There is a list in which New Mexico doesn’t rank near the bottom: How much energy costs residents in the state.

The website WalletHub ranked New Mexico as the eighth-cheapest place in the United States for energy. The website ranked the average monthly energy bills in each state and Washington D.C. New Mexico’s total average monthly energy bills came out to $256, sandwiched between Nebraska and California.

New Mexico’s electricity rank is cheapest in the country, at just $90 per month. New Mexico is also one of 21 states with no average monthly home heating oil costs. The states with heating-oil costs are largely in the northeastern part of the country.

New Mexico is one of the...

SANTA FE —Gov. Susana Martinez announced July 12 that Department of Indian Affairs Cabinet Secretary Kelly Zunie will be stepping down to pursue other opportunities.

“Secretary Zunie has been a strong asset in building and growing our relationships with New Mexico’s tribes, nations and pueblos,” Martinez said. “Her leadership helped us work with Native American communities throughout the state to strengthen schools, improve healthcare and create more economic opportunities for all our families. Her skills and experience will be missed.”

Governor Martinez appointed Zunie as cabinet secretary in November of 2014, and she was the first woman to lead the Department. Since her...

Lawyers for the Santa Fe Reporter and Gov. Susana Martinez have submitted written closing arguments in a long-running court battle over public information and records.

The Reporter sued Martinez in 2013, alleging she and her staff discriminated against the paper by refusing to communicate with its journalists and violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) by refusing to turn over records related to pardons, her schedule and other public business.

The paper’s attorneys argued that the stonewalling began, ironically enough, after publication of a cover story critical of the administration’s lack of transparency.

The unusual case has received wide attention...