News and Articles
05/20/2022
Press Release - Santa Fe County Orders Closure of County Trails
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2022
Santa Fe County Orders Closure of County Trails
Santa Fe County Orders Closure of County Trails
SANTA FE, NM – Due to current fire danger and other contributing factors, the Santa Fe County’s Growth Management Director Penny Ellis-Green orders the closure of certain County trails effective immediately. The closure will be in effect until this order is superseded by the Board of County Commissioners or a change is made by the Director.
Santa Fe County Ordinance 2001-01, Rules and Regulations for County Parks, Trails and Open Space Areas governs the public use of county parks, trails, and open space areas, and Section 17 gives the Growth Management Department permission to “from time to time determine that closures of open space areas to the public and/or to certain animals are necessary or desirable to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for public safety concerns.”
Currently, Santa Fe County is experiencing extreme weather conditions, including strong winds and low humidity, causing dangerous fire conditions, and on May 18, 2022, the Santa Fe County Fire Department changed the fire danger to Extreme across the County. Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture, which manages the Santa Fe National Forest implemented an order prohibiting public access to the Santa Fe National Forest within Rio Arriba County, Los Alamos County, Sandoval County, Santa Fe County, San Miguel County and Mora County due to the public health and safety risk the fire danger imposes.
Ordering the closures of specific Santa Fe County trails will create regulations that are consistent with the Santa Fe National Forest Order and mitigating public entry into Santa Fe National Forest is necessary for the public safety of those within the County and will help protect our forests and wildlands.
Santa Fe County closed trails include:
Arroyo del la Piedra Open Space
Little Tesuque Creek Open Space
For more information, please contact Communications Coordinator Carmelina Hart at 505-469-0083 or chart@santafecountynm.gov.
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