Silver City, NM, May 14, 2020 -- The Gila National Forest will be reopening three more recreation sites by May 15, 2020. Forest Services officials are working hard to reopen sites as soon as possible and as conditions allow.  Some of the factors considered when deciding to open a site include state and local health and safety guidelines, seasonal availability and facility conditions. Other recreation areas and campgrounds may not be immediately open and available for use.  The sites that will be reopening are Mogollon Box Day Use Area on Silver City Ranger District, the bathroom facilities at Snow Lake on Reserve Ranger District, and the bathroom facilities at the Emory Pass Vista on the Black Range Ranger District. 

Recreation site closures may remain where mitigation measures that support federal, state, and local public health guidelines cannot be implement.  Shortage of personal protective equipment for employees, shortage of sanitizing products, and small spaces that force the congregation of large groups in violation of Center for Disease Control guidelines are some of the factors that may result in sites not opening immediately.

“We are looking forward to opening developed recreation sites for public use and enjoyment,” stated acting Regional Forester Elaine Kohrman. “We know that outdoor recreation at the Gila National Forest is vital to our communities during the spring and summer.”

We encourage visitors to contact our ranger districts or check the Gila National Forest website for specific recreation sites prior to traveling or making plans. Closure information can be found on the Southwestern Region website at http://fs.usda.gov/goto/r3/safety

Visit the Interactive Visitor Map at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ivm for more information on available activities. For additional information on COVID-19, go to https://www.coronavirus.gov.  For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila.

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