What's Happening: Appreciating the wild around Ruidoso
Dianne L. StallingsLooking deep into caverns
"Cave: Capitan Caverns," a presentation by Bureau of Land Management cave/karst specialist Knutt Peterson, is set for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 23, at the Capitan Public Library.
The program will focus on the Fort Stanton Cave and its Snowy River passage, which grows in length with every exploration by members of the cave study project. An additional six miles called the Capitan Caverns were mapped during several trips into the cave last October.
That discovery put Fort Stanton Cave at 40.15 miles, making it the 10th longest in the United States and 48th in the world out of the thousands of known caves. The Snowy River portion of the cave also is the longest calcite formation in the world.
The Capitan library is at 102 E. 2nd Street in Capitan.
More:Endless cavern: Six more miles of passages mapped at Fort Stanton Cave
Free tax preparation
Free tax preparation and electronic filing are offered in Ruidoso to all middle to low income individuals and families with no age limitations through the AARP Foundation.
Small business owners are also welcomed, said Michael Shafer, AARP Tax-Aide. If a person's total income is less than $22,000, he or she may be eligible for a refund from New Mexico, he said.
The help comes from certified volunteer tax councilors and auxiliary personnel under the auspices of the Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. The service was offered nationwide for 52 years and in the Ruidoso area for the last 27 years.
The free service is provided from noon to 4 p.m., on Thursday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through April 11 at the Ruidoso Community Center.
Bring the relevant documents, including W- 2 forms. The community center is at 501 Sudderth Drive.
Safe passage for wildlife
The New Mexico Department of Transportation in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is sponsoring eight public meetings around the state to provide information and obtain input on the development of the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan in accordance with the Wildlife Corridors Act.
The meeting nearest to Ruidoso is from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 12, at the Game and Fish office, 1615 West College Boulevard in Roswell.
The Act, signed into law by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2019, directs the NMDOT and the NMDGF to develop the Plan for state roads statewide. The plan will identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots that pose a risk to the traveling public, identify wildlife corridors from ecological data, and provide a list of priority projects based on the results of the plan’s analysis, according to information from the DOT.
The plan will build on past and ongoing efforts and is intended to raise support for and consensus in the identification of priority wildlife corridors and priority projects across New Mexico. Residents, landowners, and all interested parties are encouraged to participate in a nearby meeting, and to provide comments and concerns.
To request Americans with Disabilities-related accommodations for a meeting, contact Julie Kutz at 505- 822-9400 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
The public can submit questions or comments about the plan during or after the meeting Attn: Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, 6020 Academy Road NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM 87109; by email to Wildlife.Corridors@state.nm.us. Comments will be accepted until April 18, 2020.
More:Alto wild horse killed in collision with vehicle on New Mexico Highway 48
Trout challenge
To promote trout fishing in the state and encourage anglers to branch out and discover new fishing waters and trout species, anglers can participate in the New Mexico Trout Challenge.
New Mexico’s winter trout stocking program allows anglers across the state the opportunity to catch a trout in places that might not have them on a regular basis because of weather and water conditions. The best part about trout fishing in New Mexico, is that anglers have the opportunity to catch trout from one end of the state to the other, whether stream or lake, according to wildlife officials.
Catch five trout (Rio Grande Cutthroat, Gila, Brown, Brook and Rainbow Trout) within New Mexico lakes and streams. Anglers who complete the challenge in New Mexico waters receive special awards and appear on website tout challenge page.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish partnered with Powderhook to allow anglers to record and share their catches for the New Mexico Trout Challenge. Upon completing the challenge, the Department will be notified and the angler will be sent a New Mexico Trout Challenge coin, sticker, certificate of completion, and the angler will be listed in the Trout Challenge Hall of Fame.
Find out more about the challenge at http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/nmtc/.
Dianne Stallings can be contacted at dstallings@ruidosonews.com. This coverage only is possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a subscription to the Ruidoso News.