[AZ-Observing] BLM Land Closures!!!


The BLM held out until this week, but it looks like that as of Friday
all BLM lands outside of a few areas are closed due to fire
restrictions.  The only open areas include some stuff west and south of
I-10, along the Colorado and in the Arizona strip.

Las Cienegas is closed!!  The TAAA will be relocating or canceling the
next Las Cienegas Star Party scheduled for July 6th.  (This is assuming
that monsoons haven't arrived in force before then.)

Vekol should still be open if I read this right, it is on BLM land.

Check the BLM website for more info or check their news release inserted
below...

Andrew


----------------

BLM Outlines Areas Open and Closed to the Public for Fourth of July and
Beyond

       Because of the extreme fire danger throughout the State, the
Bureau of Land Management has identified public
       lands that are open to the public for recreational use during the
upcoming Fourth of July holiday and beyond. In
       addition, BLM has closed other major areas of public land. All
open public lands are under strict fire restrictions
       until the dry conditions and wildfire danger diminishes.

       Acting BLM State Director Carl Rountree said, "In light of the
catastrophic Rodeo/Chediski wildfire, BLM is
       looking to minimize the risk of fire to public lands affected by
the severe drought conditions and to ensure public
       safety." The closures, affecting approximately 35 percent of the
11.6 million acres of BLM-managed lands in
       Arizona, will begin this weekend, and remain in effect until
there is sufficient moisture to reduce the fire danger.

       Specifically, the closures will prohibit public access to all of
the following public lands in Arizona:

              Agua Fria, Vermilion Cliffs, and Grand Canyon-Parashant
National Monuments,
              San Pedro, Gila Box, and Las Cienegas National
Conservation Areas,
              Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area,
              Public lands east of the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation
and south and east of Highway 86 to the
              International border and all the way to the New Mexico
border,
              East of Interstate 10 from Tucson to Phoenix,
              Northeast of Highway 60 from Phoenix to Wickenburg,
              East of Highway 93 from Wickenburg through Kingman to
Hoover Dam, including most of the Arizona
              Strip.

       All public lands east of Highway 93 to the New Mexico border, and
north to the Utah border from the geographic
       descriptions are closed with a few exceptions.

              The Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman

       Public lands west of Highway 86, Interstate 10, Highway 60 and 93
will remain open for the Fourth of July and
       beyond. All of the public lands that are open are under strict
fire restrictions. These public lands are located in the
       Ironwood Forest and Sonoran Desert National Monuments, Painted
Rocks and Burro Creek Campgrounds, Lower
       Colorado River near Yuma and Lake Havasu City, and two areas in
the Arizona Strip - the Paria Canyon and Coyote
       Buttes areas of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and the
Virgin River Gorge Campground. These
       restrictions include: no open fires of any kind, no smoking
except in buildings or vehicles; and no charcoal or wood
       burning grills. Fireworks are illegal on all public lands.

       Private landowners will have access to their private property
across approved BLM rights-of-way and county and
       state roads only. Emergency vehicles, equipment and personnel,
government employees in performance of their
       duties, and permitted users of public lands and rights-of-way
performing their duties, are exempt from the closure.
       The closure also applies to special recreation permit holders who
are authorized to conduct activities on BLM land.

       For more information, call 1-877-864-6985, or visit
www.az.blm.gov, www.azfireinfo.com, or www.fs.fed.us/r3/fire.

                                                  -BLM-

--

Andrew Cooper
Tucson, AZ
mailto:acooper@xxxxxxxxx
http://whitethorn.house.home.att.net


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