Large volume of dead and down pinon and juniper; high clearance vehicle recommended

MIMBRES, NM, June 5, 2023 – The Gila National Forest, Wilderness Ranger District worked through a contractor to thin overgrown forest in the McKenna Mesa area off of the North Star Road (Forest Road 150) last year. The project has resulted in a large amount of dead and down material, mostly juniper and some piñon pine trees, and the public is encouraged to remove it by permit.

“We treated 2,400 acres of this area last year for hazardous fuels reduction and improvement of wildlife habitats,” said Wilderness District Ranger Henry Provencio. “Another benefit of this treatment is the availability of the cut material to the public as firewood.”

A permit is always required for the cutting, gathering, and removal of forest products from the Gila National Forest. Firewood permits cost $2 per cord and a minimum purchase of 10 cords is required. Aside from firewood permits, several other types of forest products permits are available, including for edible materials such as piñon nuts; decorative materials, including pinecones or boughs, and dry yucca, agave, and century plant stalks; mineral materials, such as sand, gravel, or decorative rock from pre-approved source locations; live plant permits, for agave, yucca, cacti, and other growing plants; and Christmas tree permits.

Access into the area is off of Forest Road 150 to Forest Roads 4079C and 4079P. Road conditions are poor – a high clearance vehicle is strongly recommended. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.