Christmas Tree permits available

BE AWARE: More houses broken into

More break-in attempts have taken place on Sun Mountain Loop in the last couple of weeks. A house on Sugar Bush was also broken into sometime between July 31 and October 31. If you have any information about these incidents, like noises you may have heard in the early morning hours, suspicious cars in the area, or security tapes, etc., please inform the Lincoln County Sheriff Dept. at 575-648-2341 or 800-687-2419.  In the future, keep aware of unusually activities on your street.

Proper Disposal of Hot Wood Ashes

Greentree Solid Waste Authority

Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico 88346

www.greentreeswa.org

Phone:     (575) 378-4697       FAX       (575) 378-4896

Out.  Dead.  Cold:

Proper Disposal of Hot Wood Ashes

Improper disposal of hot wood ashes is causing continuing problems for local fire departments and solid waste collection operators. Emergency fire calls involving either hot wood ashes in trash collection or outside local residences have been answered north of Ruidoso recently by area fire departments.  Several dumpster or compactor fires also occurred recently due to improper disposal of hot ashes. Improper placement of hot wood ashes in trash collection dumpsters or compactors has resulted in lingering trash fires inside of solid waste collection and disposal equipment.

What can you do to prevent truck, forest and field fires from igniting from hot wood ash?

• Dispose of wood ashes in a metal container that can be tightly closed, douse with water, place the closed container outside your home away from combustible materials and leave in the container for several days before disposing of them. (Did you know that many people dispose of their wood stove ashes in garbage containers that are often plastic or even paper bags? It doesn’t take much heat for these types of containers to burst into flames, causing trucks, dumpsters or compactors to catch fire)
• Teach other family members about the dangers associated with hot ash disposal
• Be careful with ashes around areas you might not consider as combustible during wetter times such as mulched flowerbeds and lawns that are drought stricken.
• Do Not Place hot ashes in a trash or recycling dumpster or compactor where there are certainly other combustible materials
• Do Not Dispose of ashes in a paper, plastic or cardboard containers
• Do Not Assume the ashes are cold and pour them onto the ground (even into a hole) where leaves can blow onto them or the wind can stir up sparks.

Once you are POSITIVE your container of ashes is “Cold”, place them in a pile and prepare your container for the next load. Tourist visitors to the area should take no chances by simply drowning their wood ashes before leaving the area.

A limited number of specially marked wood ash collection dumpsters are located at the following waste collection sites: Sun Valley; Cedar Creek; and Ranches of Sonterra.

The typical wood stove or fire place used most of the heating season will generate about

50 pounds of wood ashes. Cold ashes can be spread around the base of trees to provide a quality tree fertilizer.

For more information on proper wood stove and fireplace ash disposal, contact the Solid Waste Authority office at 378-4697, toll free at 1-877-548-8772, via email at gswa@greentreeswa.org or contact your local Fire Department.

Monies available for landowners to clean property

"Lincoln County is looking for landowners who are willing to participate in a wildfire threat reduction/forest health improvement program funded by FEMA for forest thinning and forest waste disposal on private property. FEMA will pay 100% of project cost. The landowner must own property in the area(s) described in the attached instructions. The Sun Valley Water District is included as one of the County's high priority areas. The attached form must be completed and returned to the County as soon as possible. Call the County Planner at 258.5834, ext. 1 if you have questions."

N.M. Forestry in Capitan also now has cost-share money available for thinning on a 70/30 basis. Local folks can apply by calling State Forestry in Capitan.

FEMA HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM

*100% paid by FEMA and Lincoln County
*Project goal - 4,000 acres
*Monies available - $4.5 Mil
*Based on PROPERTY OWNER PARTICIPATION
*Designed to protect all local water systems
*Proposed treatment areas: Brady Canyon, Carrizo, Eagle Creek, Lakeshore/Flying J, Nogal, Southside of Highway 220, Sun Valley, Upper Cedar Creek, West Gavilan.

Partners: U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA, Lincoln County, South Central Mountain RC&D Council, U.S. Forest Service, New Mexico State Forestry, New Mexico Emergency Management/Homeland Security and Little Bear Forest Reform Coalition.

Project Coordinator: Justin King / King Industries
(719) 510 0026
justin@king-projects.com

Mail the application to: 

Lincoln  County Manager
Attn: Hazard Mitigation Grant
P.O. Box 711
Carrizozo, NM 88301

Please call or email the Sun Valley Office to get an application sent to you.  575-258-5240 or sunvalleywater@valornet.com 

New Water Rates go into effect Dec. 23, 2014

Attorneys Give Free Legal Help in Lincoln County on Oct. 18

A free legal fair will be held in Ruidoso from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, at the Ruidoso Community Center, 501 Sudderth Dr., Ruidoso.  State Bar of N.M. Attorneys will be available to provide free consultations on a first-come, first serve basis on a variety of civil legal topics.

This clinic presented by the 12th Judicial District Pro Bono Committee.  For more information, contact Aja Brooks at 505-797-6040 or abrooks@nmbar.org

2014 Fall Lincoln County Electronics Recycling Day

Date: Saturday, November 1st, 2014

Time: 9 AM – 12 Noon Cost: FREE!!!

Where: All American Park, Ruidoso Downs

   What: Eligible Electronic Devices (EEDs) (see list below)

No large kitchen appliances of any kind or size!

Please drop off your obsolete, outdated and replaced electronic items during this 3-hour E-cycling event. Acceptable items include:

COMPUTERS/PERIPHERALS OFFICE EQUIPMENT SMALL and 

Circuit boards Computer workstations HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONICS

Desktop towers & laptop computers Calculators Gaming hardware

Hardware Audio/visual equipment Cell Phones

Monitors, Keyboards, & Mice Pagers Satellite Receivers and Dishes

Network hardware Fax machines Radios

Modems Telephones CD & DVD ROMs

Printers and toner cartridges  Wireless devices & plotters Televisions

Toner Cartridges  And other consumer electronics

Sponsored by:

Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce

Keep Ruidoso Beautiful

Greentree Solid Waste Authority

Lawrence Brothers IGA

 Ruidoso Downs Parks & Recreation 

                   Schlotzsky’s  

Keep Ruidoso Downs Beautiful

In Conjunction with:

Keep America Beautiful New Mexico Recycling Coalition

For more information or to volunteer to help at the E-cycling event, please call 

GSWA at 378-4697 or Toll Free at 1- 877- 548 - 8772.