Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge

Situated on a high plateau where the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and the Chihuahuan desert come together, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for a diversity of plant and animal life. Established for migratory birds traveling along the Central Flyway, this 8,672 acre refuge is comprised of native grasslands, croplands, marshes, ponds, timbered canyons and streams which provide important habitat for over 254 species of birds. Las Vegas (Spanish for "the meadows") preserves not only wildlife homes, but also a slice of northeastern New Mexico's rich cultural history.

The Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requires that every area with burnable vegetation have an approved Fire Management Plan (FMP) that describes actions to prepare for and respond to a wildfire (fire suppression), to plan and conduct prescribed fires, and to complete other fire management business. The FWS has begun the planning process to prepare a Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (FMP/EA) that will analyze various treatment methods (such as prescribed fire, mechanical, and chemical) to achieve fire management objectives at Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge.

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