How climate change and fires are altering New Mexico’s landscape

The Heart of Darkness

A walk through the scorched landscapes where our forest used to be and a glimpse of our future fires

First there’s a spark, and then the fire. We all stare at the sky, smell the smoke. After the trees and brush and roots are gone, floods roar through arroyos and down hillsides. Weeds invade as soon as the ground has cooled.

Often, the long-term changes aren’t that obvious, especially when compared with flames and floods. But what’s been happening across tens of thousands of acres within the Jemez Mountains isn’t subtle. Nor are changes happening slowly.

In what amounts to the blink of an eye, the Jemez have experienced landscape-level changes in their forests and watersheds. Some of the woodsy playlands New Mexicans have known for generations won’t ever return. Read Paskus’ entire article here.