Archive for June 16, 2008
Protect Your Food and Garbage
by John Weckerle
Cibola National Forest and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish have issued a joint order regarding the proper storage of food and garbage in the Sandia and Mountainair Ranger Districts. Visitors must ensure that food and garbage are acceptably stored both day and night and are unavailable to bears and other wildlife. Fines for violating the order may be up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations. For more detail, read the joint release.
This is a good time to remind residents that they should be managing their food, and especially their garbage, in just the same way. Those who put their garbage out the night before collection should make sure to use animal-proof containers.  Animals can easily be habituated to human food in residential areas and become a nuisance, as is evidenced by the stories we have heard over the years regarding the need to capture or kill bears in the Sandias and Manzanos.
Cibola National Forest Announces Partial Closures
by John Weckerle
Beginning today, portions of the Sandia District of Cibola National Forest will be closed, and other areas will be subject to additional restrictions in response to potentially hazardous fire conditions. South of I-40, biking, biking, and motorized vehicles are now prohibited in the back-country and on all trails, and only the Pine Flat Picnic Ground and Cedro Group Campground are open. Only cold picnics are allowed; no campfires, charcoal, or stoves are permitted.
North of I-40, no fires or charcoal are permitted, but some stoves, lanterns and heaters may be used. Smoking is allowed in vehicles only, and no motorized vehicles may be used off roads. No areas are yet closed north of I-40 because conditions are less dry than in the south, but additional restrictions may be expected if dry weather continues. It should be noted that there are no predictions of substantial probability of rain in the next seven days. For more information, read the Forest Service notice.