Mountainair Ranger District Fall Schedule
by Arlene T. Perea, Mountainair Ranger District
Mountainair, NM – October 28, 2009: Fall is in full swing on the Mountainair Ranger District. With last week’s significant rain and as snow begins to fall on the Manzano Mountains, the district will be implementing some fall and winter changes as well as preparing for some prescribed burning.
The district plans to conduct 2 prescribed burns in the Manzano Mountains. The first is a burn along Forest Road #422 on the south end of the Manzano Mountains. A fuel break was thinned a few years ago with the slash left behind as the fuelwood was removed. The slash is now cured and ready to be burned. The second burn will be in a fuelwood area locally known as the Thunderbird area. This area was thinned within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management area south of Forest Road #275. There are no set dates for these burns. They will be conducted as weather and fire personnel are conducive to burning.
Forest Road #245 from New Canyon to Capilla Peak continues to be closed to all traffic (foot and vehicle) due to the extreme hazard tree danger. Only individuals or groups with a special permit from the district will be legally allowed in these areas. Capilla peak can only be accessed by hiking the New Canyon trail or hiking cross country. Please be advised that any areas burned during the Ojo Peak, Trigo or Big Spring fires will continue to be very dangerous as trees become more unstable, especially with a snow load. Use extreme caution when hiking within any of these areas.
With winter approaching quickly, please be aware that some roads and campgrounds will be closing for the season. Fourth of July and upper Red Canyon campgrounds will close the week of November 2. Tajique, New Canyon and Capilla Peak Campgrounds remain closed under a fire closure order. Lower Red Canyon Campground as well as most trailheads will remain open as weather allows. Please be aware that many roads may be closed for resource protection as weather dictates.
Definitions
Wildland Fire is any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Three distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include prescribed fire, wildfire and wildland fire use.
Prescribed fire is any fire ignited by management actions to meet specific objectives. A written, approved prescribed fire plan must exist, and NEPA requirements must be met, prior to ignition.
Wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted wildland fire, including unauthorized human-caused fires, escaped wildland fire use events, escaped prescribed fire projects, and all other wildland fires where the objective is to put the fire out.
Wildland Fire Use is the management of naturally ignited wildland fires to accomplish specific resource management objectives in predefined designated areas outlined in Fire Management Plans.
3 Responses “Mountainair Ranger District Fall Schedule”
How far along are the fall colors? Are the bright reds of the maples showing up in Fourth of July Canyon?
I haven’t been able to make it to Fourth of July Canyon so far this fall; it’s been a crazy autumn.
My husband took a group of Seniors up there Thursday, 10/6 and the colors were good when the sun was shining on the trees