LINCOLN COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

The Village of Ruidoso is committed to reducing Lincoln County’s natural disaster risks and adapting to climate change. Learn more about our plan updates, initiatives, and progress below.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan, valid through March 17, 2029, covers Lincoln County, including the Village of Ruidoso, the City of Ruidoso Downs, the Town of Carrizozo, the Village of Capitan, the Village of Corona, plus the Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District. You can access the Hazard Mitigation Plan here for reference. You can access the most recent FEMA Approval Letter here and the Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District Annex here (pages 2 and 3 of the plan).

  • Typically, natural hazard mitigation describes actions that reduce or eliminate the impact of natural hazards. Wildfires, floods, thunderstorms, high winds, winter storms, and drought are all examples of natural hazards. Actions to reduce the impact of natural hazards fall into four main categories: education and awareness programs; local plans and regulations; natural system protection; and structure and infrastructure projects. Examples of mitigation actions are implementing defensible space around structures, hazardous fuels thinning, drainage improvements, watershed stabilization, and public education campaigns.

  • The planning process for the Lincoln County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) Update assists each jurisdiction in identifying the natural hazards that impact the community, analyzing the risks, and prioritizing actions that can be taken to reduce that risk. The approved Hazard Mitigation Plan provides each entity with a federal government-approved and locally adopted plan, which will support grant applications to implement natural hazard risk reduction projects. The approved plan is a requirement for FEMA hazard mitigation grant funding and can be used to meet the planning requirement for the US Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant.

  • To remain eligible for some types of federal funding, the HMP must be updated and approved by FEMA every five years.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the five-year update for the Lincoln County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan through March 17, 2029; Lincoln County, the Village of Ruidoso, the City of Ruidoso Downs, the Town of Carrizozo, the Village of Capitan, the Village of Corona plus the Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District are included in the approval. The Hazard Mitigation Plan is posted here for reference. You can access the most recent FEMA Approval Letter here and the Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District Annex here (pages 2 and 3 of the plan).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT

Lincoln County residents are stakeholders in the Hazard Mitigation planning process. Your input has been a very valuable part of it. In June 2023, a draft of the 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan was provided for community review and input. Public meetings were held in January and March 2024 for each community to adopt the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District adopted an Annex to the Hazard Mitigation Plan in September 2024.

If you have questions or comments, please reach out to Eric Queller, Village of Ruidoso Emergency Manager, at EricQueller@ruidoso-nm.gov or 575-973-8963.

PROJECT UPDATES

HMP Planning Team 

Village of Ruidoso: Eric Queller, Emergency Manager, EricQueller@ruidoso-nm.gov or 575-973-8963

Lincoln County: Brian Samson, Emergency Management Director, BSamson@lincolncountynm.gov or 575-336-8603

City of Ruidoso Downs: Jennet Recendez, Planning Services Director, JRecendez@ruidosodowns.us or 575-378-1342

Town of Carrizozo: Lisa Maue, City Hall, zozocityhall@tularosa.net or 575-648-2372

Village of Capitan: Kevin Kennedy, Fire Chief, KKennedy@villageofcapitan.org or 575-937-0222

Village of Corona: Terri Racher, Village Clerk, villageofcorona@plateautel.net or 575-849-5511

Claunch Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District: Dee Tarr, District Manager, Dierdre.Tarr@nm.nacdnet.net or 505-847-2372

SWCA Environmental Consultants: Wendy Blackwell, Project Manager, Wendy.Blackwell@swca.com or 505-469-8683