WILDLIFE AREAS CLOSED DUE TO EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS
SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish has closed several State Game Commission-owned wildlife areas, campgrounds and fishing areas beginning Thursday, June 30, because of extreme fire conditions and to coincide with closures in bordering national forests and other public lands.
The Santa Fe National Forest announced is was going to a full closure beginning Thursday, restricting all access to trails and campgrounds except those in the Coyote Ranger District and northern part of the Cuba Ranger District, which will remain under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The Carson National Forest announced closures for all ranger districts except the Jicarilla. The Lincoln National Forest is closed, and there are partial closures in the Cibola and Gila national forests.
Wednesday, Gov. Susanna Martinez declared a state of emergency regarding fireworks use in New Mexico, urging all New Mexican to refrain from buying, selling or using fireworks during the dry fire season. Fireworks bans already are in place on all state and federal lands and most county and city properties.
State Game Commission land closures and restrictions usually coincide with those imposed by bordering national forest, state and other federal lands. They include:
- Pecos Canyon: All Commission-owned camping and fishing areas, including Monastery Lake and the Bert Clancy, Terrero, Mora and Jamie Koch camping and fishing areas are closed to public entry.
- Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Area: The entire area along the Middle Rio Grande bosque composed of Bernardo Waterfowl Area, Belen Waterfowl Area and La Joya Waterfowl Area are closed to public entry.
- Fenton Lake State Park: The park in the Jemez Mountains is closed to public entry.
- William S. Huey Wildlife Area: The area north of Artesia is closed to public entry.
- Rio Chama Wildlife Area: The fishing, camping, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama is closed to public entry.
- Humphries Wildlife Area: The hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama is closed to public entry.
- Sargent Wildlife Area: The fishing, hiking and horseback-riding area near Chama will be open beginning July 1 under Stage 2 fire restrictions – no campfires, no charcoal fires, no smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, no chainsaws, no internal or external combustion engine with a spark arresting device, no welding, no off-highway vehicles.
- Cimarron Canyon State Park and Colin Neblett Wildlife Area: The state park campgrounds and fishing areas, and all trails in the wildlife area near Eagle Nest are closed to public entry.
- Urraca Wildlife Area: The area north of Questa is closed to public entry.
- Barker Wildlife Area: The area northwest of Cimarron is closed to public entry.
- Red River Fish Hatchery: The campground and parking area are closed.
- Rio de los Pinos Fishing Area: The area northwest of Tres Piedras is closed to public entry.
For more information about fire restrictions and closures on U.S. Forest Service lands and other public and private lands statewide, please visit http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com or call the fire restrictions hotline at (877) 864-6985.
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