December 4-6 and December 10-13
Order Number 03-03-02-24-17
Albuquerque, NM, November 29, 2024 – A temporary area, roads, and trails Closure Order (03-03-02-24-17) has been issued within the Mt. Taylor Ranger District, Cibola National Forest, McKinley County, New Mexico.
This Order shall be in effect from December 4, 2024, at 2:00 PM, through December 6, 2024, at 4 PM, and December 10, 2024, at 2:00 PM, through December 13, 2024 at 4 PM. unless rescinded.
The purpose of this Order is to protect public health and safety during the U.S. Army's planned missile launch, including pre-launch periods, near the Fort Wingate Army Depot.
The Described Area, Roads, and Trails are within Township 14 North, Range 16 West, Sections 1-24 and 26-35; Township 13 North, Range 16 West, Sections 2-6; Township 14 North , Range 15 West, Sections 6, 7, and 18, New Mexico Meridian, McKinley County, New Mexico. The Described Area consists of all NFS lands within the boundary starting at the Forest Service gate on NFS Road 547 in Six Mile Canyon, then following NFS Road 547 in a southwesterly direction for approximately 4.6 miles to the point where Sections 23, 24, 25, and 26, Township 14 North, Range 16 West meet (reference point [coordinates]), then following directly south along the section line to the southwest corner of Section 2, Township 13 North, Range 16 West, then following the section line west to the southwest corner of Section 6, Township 13 North, Range 16 West (excluding private inholdings), then following north along the township and range line between Township 13 North., Range 16 West and Township 13 North, Range 17 West to the Cibola National Forest boundary, then following the Cibola National Forest boundary generally northeast, back to the point of beginning, which is the Forest Service gate on NFS Road 547 in Six Mile Canyon, as depicted in Exhibit A map of this Order. The Described Roads and Trails consist of all National Forest System Roads and Trails within the Described Area. The segment of NFS Road 547 which serves as a boundary for the Described Area is a Described Road and is therefore closed by this order.
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).
2. Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting resource in the performance of an official duty.
3. Any Federal personnel performing official duties related to the planned missile launch which necessitated this order. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C.§§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Further information regarding this order contact, Mount Taylor Ranger District at 505-287-8833.
For More Information on Fort Wingate Launch: https://home.army.mil/wsmr/
White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs
The official order 03-03-02-24-17 will be posted on the Cibola NF & NGs website under Alerts & Notices.
