STEMMING THE TIDE
Land grant leader asks BLM to close trailhead parking, shooting range to turn away crowds
The president of El Valle de la Cieneguilla Land Grant asked the Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday to temporarily shut down a parking lot at the trailhead that leads to a popular petroglyph site and a shooting range, saying the area has been packed with people at all hours of the day.
The recreation area has attracted hordes of hikers, campers, tourists, horseback riders, shooters and other outdoor enthusiasts since the outbreak of the coronavirus, José Villegas Sr. wrote in an email to Tim Spisak, the agency’s acting state director.
“During this COVID-19 pandemic, it is also noted by direct observation daily, the general public are not practicing the social distancing recommendations to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in our community,” Villegas wrote. “This specific [La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site] parking lot should be temporarily [closed] due to the excessive visitors’ high-use times during the weekdays and weekends.”
Villegas said traffic volumes are so high that visitors are parking along County Road 56, as well as along fences adjacent to private property within the land grant boundaries and then entering those properties without permission.
“In many of these private properties, some of their fence lines are being cut by unauthorized persons and being destroyed by new walking, horse, and ATV trails,” he wrote. “This type of intrusion needs to cease and desist immediately.”
BLM spokeswoman Allison Sandoval said she forwarded Villegas’ email, which he sent to a general inbox, to Spisak, as well as the Farmington district manager and the Taos field manager.
“We don’t have a decision at this time as far as what we’ll do,” she said in a brief telephone interview. “But those decisions are being made ongoing and will be sent up for approval.”
Sandoval said she would provide an update once a decision is made.
In his email, Villegas wrote the “public safety issues” that include visitors trampling on private property and leaving trash behind or gun enthusiasts firing their weapons “at all hours of the day and night” have been an ongoing concern for the residents of La Cieneguilla. But he said the coronavirus pandemic calls for swift action by the BLM. He noted the recreation area lacks restrooms, trash pickup or security.
“By not temporarily closing the above BLM properties, the health and safety of our community is compromised, including the visitors,” he wrote. “Frankly, the BLM is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their employees and their visitors, but not at the expense of the residents of this NM Historical Land Grant.”
On Monday, the BLM announced closures of some day-use sites and campgrounds but said trails and open spaces on land managed by the agency are still accessible. The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site in the Las Cruces district is among the closures.
A full list of closures can be found at blm.gov/alert/nm-covid-19-updates.