Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico is closing to the public

[bigsallysmom]

Due to fire danger, Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico will close to the public on May 25, 2022 at 8 a.m. The only national forest still open in NM is the Gila which is under stage 3 fire restrictions.

The Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which I don't think you can camp in, has gone to stage 3 fire restrictions. At times, the Mescalero restrictions are tougher than the national forests. For example, no stopping or pulling off of highways or paved roads.

 

[JDub]

Dang, I was planning on visiting Cloudcroft this summer (a buddy owns a cabin up there with an RV hookup). Hopefully they get some rain before then but it's not the season for it. Gorgeous area though. I've given some hard thought to getting a patch of dirt there myself. Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers

 

[maki2]

Monsoon season starts around the last week of June.

 

[bigsallysmom]

There's another closure... From the BLM page... May 24, 2022 update: Due to extreme fire danger, the bureau of land management roswell field office issues emergency closure for fort stanton-snowy river cave national conservation area and lincoln tracts. The closure is effective on May 25, 2022, at 8 a.m., and will continue until further notice.

 

[rruff]

This really annoys me! I've lived in Ruidoso for 16 years and they've done this a couple times. Most of the supervisors won't close the forest for any reason, but I guess we got one that thinks this is the way to go. We are right in the middle of the forest. Can't ride a bike (even a road bike on paved roads) or hike or do anything. And now the BLM land is closed as well!

Funny thing is of all the bad fires we've had, none were human caused. And with drones being ubiquitous now, they could mount IR cameras and spot illicit fires more easily than they can spot people violating the closure. Hiring a few people and enforcing the campfire ban with hefty fines seems like a much better solution.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Stage 3 is closure:
https://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch...rictions/Explanation_of_Fire_Restrictions.pdf

 

[rruff]

Gila is stage 2: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/gila/alerts-notices/?aid=73002

 

[maki2]

Partly the increase of restrictions is because the 3 day memorial weekend brings a lot more humans into the forest. This memorial day weekend there is also a prediction of high winds so a combined bad situation. There has been no significant rainfall this month so things are very dry in the forest in New Mexico and Arizona and wildfire risk is very high.

Approximately 4 more weeks until the monsoon rains come to lower the fire danger. Of course then it becomes flash flood season.

 

[bebewanna]

Santa Fe and Carson are also closed.

If you saw the cracking dry soil here and dust you would not be surprised

 

[maki2]

This really annoys me! I've lived in Ruidoso for 16 years and they've done this a couple times. Most of the supervisors won't close the forest for any reason, but I guess we got one that thinks this is the way to go. We are right in the middle of the forest. Can't ride a bike (even a road bike on paved roads) or hike or do anything. And now the BLM land is closed as well!

Funny thing is of all the bad fires we've had, none were human caused. And with drones being ubiquitous now, they could mount IR cameras and spot illicit fires more easily than they can spot people violating the closure. Hiring a few people and enforcing the campfire ban with hefty fines seems like a much better solution.

It's the wind. Fire from any source moves faster than fire the fighting measures.

 

[rruff]

This is actually the time of year when winds start dying down. April is the worst.

The problem is fires, not "people in the forest". Enforce the fire ban, or even ban camping of any sort. Trail users who are hiking, bike riding, or riding horses in the forest are not a fire threat whatsoever. It's just lazy management. And it does nearly nothing to prevent fires.

I'd love to know what % of fires are caused by people violating fire and camping bans in the forest. I don't know of any. The big one in town this year was caused by a downed powerline. The Little Bear in 2012 was lightning caused, but really the NF is to blame. It was a tiny fire for 3 days, but they goofed around and did nothing until 30 mph winds kicked up, and then it was too late. The big one that is still going near Las Vegas NM was NF again... a controlled burn that got out of control. The Black fire north of Silver City might have been campfire caused (it's listed as unknown), but there was no ban at the time. Same for the one north of Magdalena.