BLM to hold community meeting for San Pedro thinning and mine closure project
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TAOS, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management will hold a community meeting about the San Pedro Mountains Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) thinning and mine closure project on Sept. 4, 2018. Attendees should meet at 4:30 p.m. at the San Pedro Fire Station, located at #02 Oro Quay, San Pedro, NM 87047. At 5 p.m., attendees will be escorted to the SRMA to discuss the project. The meeting will conclude at 7 p.m.
Work to close the abandoned mines will take place Sept. 5 – Nov. 2, 2018. The whole project is expected to take between 12 to 24 months; however, the exact timing is subject to weather, fuel and ground conditions. The SRMA is located on BLM lands on the south side of NM Highway 344, approximately one mile east of the intersection of NM Highway 14 and NM Highway 344. Thinning and piling will be conducted on Township 12N Range 07E portions of Sections 28, 29 and 30.
Mine closures will happen first followed by hand thinning and piling on 139 acres of BLM lands. Work crews working on the mine closures will have equipment on site, and thinning will be done by hand crews. The thinning will target heavy dense forest fuels that have accumulated, reducing the immediate threat of wildland fire. This project will restrict access to abandoned mine pits, engineer improved access for gold prospectors and allow safe employee access for habitat work.
Slash piles from thinning operations will be burned by BLM fire crews in the following 12-24 months during times of cooler temperatures and higher moisture. During the temporary closure, when work crews are onsite, target shooters will be unable to use the areas where crews will be working.
For more information about the upcoming meeting, please contact Taos Fire Management Specialist Kyle Sahd at 575-751-4767 or the Taos Field Office at 575-758-8851.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.