BLM to close Valley of Fires Recreation Area for road maintenance
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ROSWELL, N.M. – Beginning Oct. 19, through approximately Oct. 30, the Bureau of Land Management will be maintaining the access roads and parking areas of Valley of Fires Recreation Area. To ensure the visiting public’s safety and complete the maintenance successfully, the BLM and its contractor will be imposing a closure of this area. This includes all camping and day use, as well as access to the Malpais Nature Trail.
The scheduled maintenance will include 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 for the sealant to dry. Throughout the project, the BLM will be monitoring the daily work and posting signs and advising the public of the closures to the 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 Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area, the Rob Jaggers Campground, the Carrizozo Land Access Area on the west side of Valley of Fires and Three River’s Campground and Petroglyph Site. 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 Roswell Field Office at 575-627-0272.
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.