Open Space areas remain open to public
Fire restrictions mean no smoking, campfires or fireworks
The Cibola National Forest shut down many of its trails earlier this month, so on Monday afternoon Jennifer Franks of Edgewood and her hiking party rerouted to Albuquerque for a five-mile hike in the bosque.
“I appreciate that it’s open,” Franks said on a trail near Tingley Beach. “It gives everybody a place to go, and there’s shade here.”
Albuquerque officials said Monday during a tour of the bosque that they plan to keep access to the bosque and other Albuquerque Open Space Division areas open to the public despite a high fire danger. That could change
if fire danger continues to increase, according to a city news release.
Some national forests throughout the state have elected to cut off access to their trails and other recreation sites until the fire danger is lowered with rains. On Monday, the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico announced that most of its lands would be closed starting Wednesday.
But Albuquerque Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dow said Monday that in the city’s case, it would be too difficult to completely shut off access to the bosque and other areas. So he said the city wants as many people as possible using local public lands this summer.
“We do want people in the bosque,” he said. “If we keep people in the bosque they can identify fires early and report suspicious behavior.”
Open Space areas are under Stage II fire restrictions. That means no smoking, even inside cars, and no campfires, fireworks or other open flames.
The city is taking additional steps to try to cut down the risk of a fire.
Mayor Tim Keller said the city has put a portable police camera — the kind often put in areas of the city with a crime problem — in the bosque to spot fires or suspicious behavior.
Dow said the city plans to add a second camera to trails around Tingley Beach.
He said there have been about six fires in the bosque this year and about half of them happened near Tingley.
He said all the bosque fires were either started by humans or the cause is under investigation.
Dow said a crew of four firefighters is on daily patrol from noon to 7:30 p.m. in the bosque, the foothills or other Open Space areas throughout the city. Those patrols will increase as the city gets closer to the Fourth of July.
Dow also warned people against using illegal fireworks in the city limits. He said fireworks that have a “caution” advisory on them are OK, but if there is a “warning” on the label they aren’t allowed.
Possession of illegal fireworks can carry a $500 fine and 90 days in jail, he said. He said that people who see others using illegal fireworks should report it to authorities.
“The riverside forest, or bosque, is one of the great jewels of our community,” said Dave Simon, the director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We do want to keep it green and not black.”