REOPENING THE MANZANOS!!!

Please distribute far and wide!

After a very long wait and lots of hard work the Forest Service is rescinding the Ojo Peak, Trigo and Big Spring Closure Orders. Please pay special attention to specific areas that will remain closed including Tajique, New Canyon and Capilla Peak Campgrounds.

Please follow the link below for all six NEW orders and specifics.

MANZANO MOUNTAINS REOPENING FOR
4^th OF JULY WEEKEND

Mountainair, NM – July 2, 2009: The Mountainair Ranger District is pleased to announce that after over a year of burned area rehabilitation, emergency fire rehabilitation closures will be lifted at 8am, Friday July 3, 2009. New closure orders will also take effect on Friday, July 3. Closures and restrictions to remain in place on the new orders will include:

o No off-road vehicle use within the Ojo Peak Fire, Trigo Fire, and Big Spring Fire Rehabilitation Areas – travel by foot, horseback, or bicycles is allowed
o Forest Road (FR) 245 from New Canyon Campground to Capilla Peak will be CLOSED until hazard trees along the road and trail heads have been felled
o Campgrounds CLOSED to all public entry until restoration is completed:
Capilla Peak Campground
New Canyon Campground
Tajique Campground

Please refer to closure orders which will be posted on the Cibola/Mountainair web page by July 3, 2009. Follow the link for more information on all Mountainair Ranger District Current Orders: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola/conditions/closures_restrictions/index.shtml.

Personal-use Firewood Permits will be issued to people on a waiting list then on a first-come-first-serve basis for felled hazard trees on FR 245, FR 422 and FR 522 beginning Monday, July 6. Forest Road 245 will not be opened until Monday, July 6. The price will be $2.00 per cord, with a minimum of a 10 cord purchase. Please call the Mountainair Ranger District to verify when these permits will be available or to be added to the waiting list.

As in any burned area, there are many hazards. Please keep the following in mind as you visit the Mountainair Ranger District:

o Hazard trees – We have done our best to identify and fell hazard trees (those which have been identified as likely to fall or drop large material within a year) in developed areas – including National Forest System roads, trailheads, and developed recreation areas. We will continue to monitor vegetation in these areas and will remove new hazard trees as they are identified.
These trees can drop branches, limbs, and tree tops, or the whole tree can come down without warning.
We do not remove hazard trees in the backcountry. Use caution when camping and traveling in the woods, including along trails, two-tracks, and game trails.
o Flash Flooding – Burned soils and burned vegetation will not hold water; therefore, be aware that even a small rain shower can produce a large volume of water when funneled into drainages.
o Root and Stump Holes – These are areas where underground structures of trees burned away and left holes in the soil. These are not visible from above. They may not hold weight and will give way under foot or hoof.
o Airborne Ash – Those with respiratory problems should take care when in the burned areas as ash can become airborne by even a slight wind or foot traffic. Carry appropriate fluids to wash ash from eyes.

The issues listed are just a few of the possible scenarios visitors could encounter while visiting a burned area. We strongly advise that visitors use extreme caution and awareness while visiting our national forest. Warning signs have been posted at most main entrances to the Manzano Mountains Division of the District.

The District would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during closures. “We are so appreciative of the public’s patience and compliance with our closures. Our crews along with Mother Nature have worked hard to repair damage and begin the healing process” said District Ranger Karen Lessard. Please contact the Mountainair Ranger District at 505-847-2990 with any questions or concerns regarding burned areas, wood permits or any issues concerning the Mountainair Ranger District. You may also email at atperea@fs.fed.us.