New Mexico Trees Dying Fast

New Mexico’s forests are in crisis as tree deaths triple in a year, fueled by record-breaking heat and prolonged drought—conditions that have turned stressed pines into easy targets for a bark beetle outbreak surging 211 percent. Pinon and ponderosa pines are hardest hit, especially in Catron, Grant, Socorro, Lincoln, Otero, northern Gila, and Sacramento regions, where soil moisture has vanished and won’t recover. Experts warn this is now the new normal, urging landowners to thin forests to save what’s left and reduce wildfire risk. Officials are ramping up reforestation efforts, but beetles are thriving in weakened trees—making recovery tougher than ever. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ae08eac721337a77