Location: Johnson Canyon, west of McKenna Park. 3 miles west of Gila Cliff Dwellings, Wilderness Ranger District, Catron County, NM

Start Date: May 20, 2021 Size: ~73,069 acres Cause: Lightning
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine and Grass Total Personnel: 198 Containment: 11%

Resources: 3 Interagency Hotshot Crews, 3 handcrew modules, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack crew, 7 Type 6 Engines, 4 Water Tenders, and 2 Type 3 Helicopters and 1 Type 2 Helicopter.

Summary: The Johnson Fire is approximately 73,069 acres and is burning in the Gila Wilderness on the Gila National Forest. The acreage figure has not been updated today as an infrared (IR) flight was not flown last evening. The suppression strategy for this fire is confine and contain. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. Paul Diaz's Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing the fire while the Gila Las Cruces Team takes required days off. Yesterday, crews continued to work fire tendrils that have burned into the Good Fire burn scar. Helicopter water drops were used in Water Canyon to slow fire movement to the southeast. On the north side, fire crews continue to assess protection strategies around the Willow Creek area. Fire crews will start to pull out of the White Creek area today and the area will be patrolled from horseback. The fire perimeter continues to be monitored from the air.

Announcement: The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will re-open at 9am Thursday, June 17. Drivers in the area at that time are urged to use caution, as large semi-trucks will be moving south along NM Hwy 15 from the Cliff Dwellings to the Johnson Fire Camp on NM Hwy 35.

Objectives:

[Editor's Note: This is part 6 of a multi-article series on the Grant County Commission work session of June 8, 2021. This article covers county reports at the work session.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

After presentations and discussions at the work session on June 8, 2021, Grant County commissioners heard county reports.

To access the five prior articles on the presentations, please visit: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65519-grant-county-commission-holds-marathon-work-session-hears-five-presentations-060821; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65548-grant-county-commission-hears-gila-national-forest-update-060821-part-2 ; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65561-grant-county-commission-hears-presentation-from-freeport-mcmoran-at-work-session-060821-part-3; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65562-grant-county-commission-hears-presentation-from-commissioner-edwards-at-work-session-060821-part-4; and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65611-grant-county-commission-hears-presentation-from-wnm-communications-at-work-session-060821-part-5.

The first to give a report was Community Development and Planning Director Priscilla Shoup. She noted that the plan for Bandoni Drive had been completed. "We will go out for bid on June 28, and the bid opening is set for July 16. We anticipate job completion at the end of the year."

On the Bataan Park Memorial project, Shoup said she had met with Donnie Turner and architect Mark Richard. "We contracted with Mr. Richard to come up with a plan."

The Truck ByPass Road project is 30 percent design complete and "we anticipate 90 percent complete by September. The Little Walnut Road environmental study is being reviewed by the Forest Service."

Mimbres, NM, June 16, 2021—Acting Park Superintendent Jerome Flood announces the reopening of the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument effective Thursday, June 17 at 09:00 a.m. As the Johnson Fire is cooling down on the eastern portion of the fire, fire managers have determined that the risk to the public is minimal and visitors can safely visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Visitors will be able to view the Cliff Dwellings from the trail in Cliff Dweller Canyon but will not be able to enter the caves. Great views are accessible from several viewpoints along the trail and park staff will be available to answer questions and give directions. Cliff Dweller Road and NM Highway 15 to the Gila Visitor Center Parking lot will be open. Fire management vehicles and personnel will be using these roads during fire operations. Visitors are reminded to travel cautiously when encountering fire traffic. The Cliff Dwellings Bookstore at the Contact Center is now reopened as well. The Middle Fork Trail #157 is now accessible. Visitors/users of the Middle Fork Trail are requested to park in the Gila Visitor Center parking lot rather than the trailhead parking lot, as the road to the trailhead will remain closed for visitor safety.

The Upper and Lower Scorpion Campgrounds, West Fork Trailhead, Woody's Corral, and TJ's Corral Trailhead will remain closed due to fire personnel occupying these areas. The Gila National Forest Temporary Area Closure, which applies to the Gila Wilderness, will remain in effect until rescinded. Know before you go and check out maps and fire information on Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7493/.

For further information on these closures, alternate routes through the Gila Wilderness, or fire updates call 575-536-2250 (M-F 8:00 – 4:00 p.m.) or 575-519-0103 (any time between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.). The number for the Gila Cliff Dwellings is 575-536-9461. If there is no answer, please leave a message or call back later as their phones are staffed intermittently.

Location: Johnson Canyon, west of McKenna Park. 3 miles west of Gila Cliff Dwellings, Wilderness Ranger District, Catron County, NM

Start Date: May 20, 2021 Size: ~73,069 acres Cause: Lightning
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine and Grass Total Personnel: 198 Containment: 11%

Resources: Three Interagency Hotshot Crews, three ten-person Handcrew, three ten-person Wildfire Modules, five Type 6 Engines, four Water Tenders, and two Type 3 Helicopters which includes short haul medical equipment, and 1 Type 2 Helicopter.

Summary: The Johnson Fire is approximately 73,069 acres and is burning in the Gila Wilderness on the Gila National Forest. The acreage figure has not been updated today as an infrared (IR) flight was not flown last evening. The suppression strategy for this fire is confine and contain. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. Paul Diaz's Type 3 Incident Management Team is taking over the fire while the Gila Las Cruces Team takes required days off. Yesterday, the fire moved toward the Good Fire burn scar, crews burned out small pockets of fuel to secure the fire's edge. Helicopter bucket drops were utilized to hold the fire as it advanced into Turkey Creek. On the northern perimeter crews continued to hold and monitor the fire's edge along the Cub Fire burn scar. Mop up operations continued in White Rocks Canyon to secure control lines. The Cross Fire showed no smoke and was monitored by air. Structure protection assessments in the Willow Creek area continued. Today, crews in the Willow Creek area will scout out opportunities to prepare control lines for future operations as the fire moves northward. Monitor and patrol activities contiue along control lines in the White Creek Cabin and White Rocks Canyon areas. The southern and western perimeters of the fire will be monitored by aerial reconnaissance.

Objectives:

Three additional COVID-19 deaths

SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Wednesday announced 82 additional COVID-19 cases. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

22 new cases in Bernalillo County
1 new case in Cibola County
1 new case in Colfax County
3 new cases in Curry County
8 new cases in Doña Ana County
3 new cases in Eddy County
2 new cases in Grant County
2 new cases in Guadalupe County
1 new case in Lincoln County
3 new cases in Luna County
1 new case in McKinley County
6 new cases in Rio Arriba County
4 new cases in Sandoval County
11 new cases in San Juan County
2 new cases in San Miguel County
3 new cases in Santa Fe County
2 new cases in Socorro County
2 new cases in Taos County
1 new case in Torrance County
4 new cases in Valencia County

The Department of Health on Wednesday reported three additional deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19:

[Editor's Note: This is part 5 of a multi-article series on the Grant County Commission work session of June 8, 2021, and the regular meeting on June 10, 2021. This article reports on the proposal on fiber to provide broadband.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The last presentation came during the discussion about how the county should use its American Rescue Plan Act funding of $5.2 million.

Previous articles can be read at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65519-grant-county-commission-holds-marathon-work-session-hears-five-presentations-060821; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65548-grant-county-commission-hears-gila-national-forest-update-060821-part-2 ; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65561-grant-county-commission-hears-presentation-from-freeport-mcmoran-at-work-session-060821-part-3; and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/65562-grant-county-commission-hears-presentation-from-commissioner-edwards-at-work-session-060821-part-4.

WNM Communications General Manager Daniel Meszler and WNM Communications Director of Operations Wayne Baxter opened the discussion.

Meszler said the company is a local broadband provider. "We have 60 employees locally. To feed back off the last presentation on economic development, connectivity and broadband are very important. The last year showed us how important. It was needed for people to run their small businesses from home and for our kids to attend school. I think our proposal is a perfect segue from the previous presentation."