Road and parking lot maintenance continues at BLM recreation areas
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management is extending the completion date for the road and parking lot maintenance at Aguirre Spring Recreation Area, Dripping Springs Natural Area and the La Cueva Loop Trail and picnic area to Nov. 22. In order to ensure the visiting public’s safety and to complete the maintenance successfully, the BLM and its contractor will be imposing access delays and/or intermittent road and parking closures of these areas.
The ongoing maintenance includes heavy equipment operations to brush, patch and fog-seal the roads and parking areas to extend their lifecycle. The fog seal is an oil-based road sealant that, once applied to roads and parking areas, requires a 24-hour period to dry. Therefore, the BLM will be monitoring the work daily and posting signs and advising the public of the 24-hour closures to the specific fog-sealed areas. It is important for the public to observe the closures so the sealant and the parking lot striping dries completely and to prevent vehicles from being stained with wet sealant.
While this work is conducted, the BLM recommends several recreational areas for the public to visit, including Soledad Canyon Day-Use Area, Sierra Vista Trail, Baylor Pass Trail on the west side of the Organ Mountains, Tortugas ‘A’ Mountain, Picacho Peak, the Doña Ana Mountains and the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. For more information about these, and other BLM recreation areas, please visit www.blm.gov/visit.
The BLM asks the public to be patient during the scheduled work, noting the importance of the infrastructure maintenance and providing enhanced public access to these popular and outstanding recreational areas.
For more information, the public can contact the BLM Las Cruces District Public Room at 575-525-4300.
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.