[Volunteers_fosm] Closure Order for Sandia Crest "Switchback" Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project Enforced Starting April 30th

[Kerry Jones]

Hi, Everyone--

Since Mike is out of pocket for another day or two,  I wanted to pass along the latest from SRD indicating that the Area Closure Order for Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project will be enforced starting next Thursday, April 30th at 0600.

Kerry J

________________________________
From: NMMTclub <nmmtclub-bounces at mailman.swcp.com> on behalf of Brian via NMMTclub <nmmtclub at mailman.swcp.com>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2026 8:48 PM
To: nmmtclub at mailman.swcp.com <nmmtclub at mailman.swcp.com>
Subject: [NMMC] NMMC Sandia Closure Announcement

Area Closure Order for
Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree
and Fuel Reduction Project
To be enforced starting April 30th

(Albuquerque, NM – April 24, 2026) — The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands issued a closure order (03-03-05-26-02) for the Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree and Fuels Reduction Project on the Sandia Ranger District to be enforced starting April 30, 2026. The closure protects public health and safety during mechanized thinning work. See map attached.

“The forests around the Sandia Crest contain a significant number of dead trees, both standing and down. A high-severity wildfire could damage or destroy critical infrastructure because of the high fuel loading around the Crest Communication Site,” said Ken Born, Sandia District Ranger. “This project protects both public safety and critical infrastructure that serves our entire region while also providing firefighters defensible space in the event of a wildfire on the mountain.”

Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project will thin 140 acres of National Forest System lands around the Sandia Crest and New Mexico State Highway 536. The project aims to protect critical infrastructure around the Sandia Crest Recreation Area and the Sandia Crest Communication Site from wildfire through the removal of dead trees that present a hazard to visitors and staff. The closure area includes the Ellis Trailhead, Sandia Crest Recreation Site, and State Highway NM-536 to be closed beyond the 10k Trailhead Parking lot (just past mile marker 11). You can find the official area closure order 03-03-05-26-02 on the forest website, where it describes the parking areas and trails that the agency will close at: www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/alerts<http://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/alerts>.

The closure will be enforced from April 30, 2026, at 6 a.m. through January 15, 2027, at 6 a.m., unless rescinded.
For more information on the Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project, Sandia Crest area projects, and alternatives destinations for visitors, visit www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/newsroom/stories/sandia-crest-area-projects-update<http://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/newsroom/stories/sandia-crest-area-projects-update>
For more information about this order, contact the Sandia Ranger District Office at 505-281-3304

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