CLOSURE NOTIFICATION
SILVER CITY, NM, Mar. 28, 2025 – The Gila National Forest, Silver City Ranger District asks the public to avoid using the Little Walnut Picnic area and adjacent non-motorized trails while Public Service Company of New Mexico removes trees, limbs, and brush from their powerline corridor that is adjacent to and overhead within the recreation site. This work began a few weeks ago and will be continuing on weekdays for the next couple of weeks.
"Work crews have been closing the gate on the picnic areas and posting signs, but members of the public continue to enter the picnic grounds while crews are working, resulting in public safety hazards," said Silver City District Ranger Elizabeth Toney. "For your safety, please do not enter the picnic area, nor use the adjacent section of Picnic Loop Trail #714 when the gate to the Little Walnut Picnic Area is closed. There are a number of alternat trails in the area to choose from."
The powerline passes over the trailhead at the north end of the picnic area and directly over the Little Walnut East picnic area, and over the road that accesses the picnic sites. According to their website, PNM proactively trims trees and prioritizes its schedule to focus on the areas where reliability is most threatened, and work is performed using "directional pruning," which directs tree growth away from the power lines and protects the tree from decay. For more information, contact Maribeth Pecotte at (575) 388-8201 or
