Lincoln County | NM Counties

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Lincoln County

Lincoln County was named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. It was once the largest county in the U.S. with 4,831 square miles.

In the late 1870’s the so-called Lincoln County War broke out between ranchers and the owners of the county’s largest general store. William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, became involved killing a couple of deputies and the county sheriff. and eventually his death ended the conflict.

Most of the population of 19,429 live in the southern portion in the Greater Ruidoso Area. The town of Carrizozo serves as the county seat while its largest community is Ruidoso. Ruidoso Downs operates the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino that hosts both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, notably the All American Futurity, the richest race in quarter horse racing.

The modern Lincoln National Forest includes the Lincoln Forest Preserve, the Gallinas Forest Preserve, the Guadalupe National Forest, and the Sacramento National Forest encompassing environments from the desert shrubs of the Chihuahuan Desert through forests of piñon, pine, and juniper. Eventually, the forest boundaries changed forming three separate areas: The Smokey Bear Ranger District in Ruidoso, the Sacramento Ranger District in Cloudcroft, and the Guadalupe Ranger District in Carlsbad. The high mountains of the Sacramentos are also home to the National Solar Observatory’s Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope, considered the world’s premier high resolution optical solar telescope in 1969.

One of the most enduring of stories to come out of the long history of the forest is the tale of the real-life Smokey Bear, a bear cub rescued from the devastated forest after the Capitan Gap fire in 1950. Smokey Bear became the Forest Service’s living symbol of fire awareness and prevention.

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Upcoming Events

• Categories Bernalillo Catron Chaves Cibola Colfax Curry De Baca Doña Ana Eddy Grant Guadalupe Harding Hidalgo Home Page Home Page Event Lea Lincoln Los Alamos Luna McKinley Mora Otero Quay Rio Arriba Roosevelt San Juan San Miguel Sandoval Santa Fe Sierra Socorro Taos Torrance Trainings Union Valencia

Agenda Agenda Day Month Week February – March 2026 Feb – Mar 2026 Collapse All Expand All Feb 23 Mon 2026 Detention Field Training Officer @ 1851 Copper Loop, Las Cruces, NM Tickets Feb 23 @ 8:00 am – Feb 24 @ 5:00 pm

Description

This training is designed specifically for the detention environment and will review the role of a detention FTO. This role is critical in maintaining safety and compliance within detention facilities. Proper training ensures that new officers are well prepared to handle the challenges of their positions. It provides instruction on adult learning principles, documentation, evaluation, and best practices for mentoring and developing new detention officers.

This course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Insurance pool members.

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/16-Hr-De-Escalation-Albuq-April-2025-1.pdf

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Read more Categories: Bernalillo Catron Chaves Cibola Colfax Curry De Baca Doña Ana Eddy Grant Guadalupe Harding Hidalgo Home Page Home Page Event Lea Lincoln Los Alamos Luna McKinley Mora Otero Quay Rio Arriba Roosevelt San Juan San Miguel Sandoval Santa Fe Sierra Socorro Taos Torrance Trainings Union Valencia Mar 23 Mon 2026 CIT – 40 hour Crisis Intervention Training @ PSPG, 8341 Washington St. NE. Albq., NM Tickets Mar 23 @ 8:00 am – Mar 27 @ 5:00 pm

Description

This 40-hour training provides verbal de-escalation, crisis intervention, and mental health awareness training.  It is intended for Sheriff Deputies, Detention Staff, Firefighter and Emergency Medical First Responders. Course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Pool members.  Non-pool members may inquire about attending (based on availability) for a fee.  See attached flyer for more details.

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CIT-Albuquerque-November-2025.pdf

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Read more Categories: Bernalillo Catron Chaves Cibola Colfax Curry De Baca Doña Ana Eddy Grant Guadalupe Harding Hidalgo Home Page Home Page Event Lea Lincoln Los Alamos Luna McKinley Mora Otero Quay Rio Arriba Roosevelt San Juan San Miguel Sandoval Santa Fe Sierra Socorro Taos Torrance Trainings Union Valencia Mar 30 Mon 2026 Instructor Development (Train the Trainer) @ Northern Part of State, Location TBD Tickets Mar 30 @ 8:00 am – Apr 3 @ 5:00 pm

This weeklong class will give you the foundation to become a professional and dynamic instructor.  You will learn the principles of learning and teaching, and the qualities of a good instructor. This course is accredited by the NMLEA and is free to NMC Law Enforcement Insurance Pool members.  Non-members may inquire about attending (pending availability) for a fee. Course detail in attached flyer.

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRAINING-FOR-TRAINERS-Las-Cruces-Sept.-2025.docx

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Read more Categories: Bernalillo Catron Chaves Cibola Colfax Curry De Baca Doña Ana Eddy Grant Guadalupe Harding Hidalgo Home Page Home Page Event Lea Lincoln Los Alamos Luna McKinley Mora Otero Quay Rio Arriba Roosevelt San Juan San Miguel Sandoval Santa Fe Sierra Socorro Taos Torrance Trainings Union Valencia February – March 2026 Feb – Mar 2026 Subscribe to filtered calendar

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Employment Opportunities

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444 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 | Phone: 505-983-2101 | Toll Free: 877-983-2101