State campgrounds and area marinas will be open for Memorial Day Weekend, but developed recreation areas in the San Juan National Forest will closed, and there’s a fire ban.
THE IRON HORSE BICYCLE CLASSIC HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE DURANGO TRAIN WON'T BE RUNNING TO SILVERTON. BUT TAKE HEART. RECREATION AREAS IN THE REGION ARE SLOWLY COMING BACK TO LIFE. YOU'RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY FASTSIGNS IN DURANGO AND KEESEE MOTORS IN CORTEZ. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. ALTHOUGH MANY OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO'S TRADITIONAL START-OF-THE-SUMMER TOURISM SEASON ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CANCELED THIS YEAR, STATE PARKS AND AREA MARINAS WILL BE OPEN FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THAT STATE PARKS IN ARCHULETA, LA PLATA AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES ARE OPEN FOR CAMPING. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. PARKS AND WILDIFE SPOKESMAN JOE LEWANDOWSKI SAID THE STATE AGREED TO OPEN CAMPGROUNDS BECAUSE STATE PARKS ALREADY WERE INUNDATED WITH DAY VISITORS SEEKING RELIEF FROM QUARANTINE. CAMPERS SHOULD PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEAR MASKS IN THE PRESENCE OF NON-HOUSEHOLDERS. AND BECAUSE STAFFING IS LIMITED, LEWANDOWSKI RECOMMENDS THAT CAMPERS BE PREPARED TO PACK OUT THEIR TRASH AND BE SELF-SUSTAINED WITH FOOD, WATER AND, OF COURSE, HAND DISINFECTANT. RESTROOM WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT SHOWER FACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED. TO MAKE RESERVATIONS, VISIT C P W SHOP DOT COM. AREA RESERVOIRS AND MARINAS ALSO WILL BE OPEN FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. THE NAVAJO LAKE MARINA AT ARBOLES HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE MARCH, AND THE NUMBER OF LAUNCHES MORE THAN DOUBLED DURING APRIL OVER THE SAME PERIOD AS LAST YEAR. THE MARINAS AT VALLECITO AND McPHEE ALSO ARE OPEN. INSPECTIONS FOR INVASIVE AQUATIC SPECIES AT ALL THREE ARE REQUIRED. LAKE NIGHTHORSE OPENS DAILY FROM 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M. ON FRIDAY, MAY 22ND. ALL BOATS MUST BE INSPECTED FOR AQUATIC SPECIES, BUT NO DECONTAMINATION STATION WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR AT NIGHTHORSE. VISITORS ARE ASKED TO BRING THEIR OWN HAND SANITIZER, WEAR MASKS, AND MAINTAIN SOCIAL-DISTANCING OF 6 FEET. ALL CAMPGROUNDS AND DEVELOPED RECREATION AREAS IN THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST WILL REMAIN CLOSED AT LEAST UNTIL MAY 31ST. AND A FIRE BAN IS IN EFFECT IN THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST. NO OPEN FIRES ARE ALLOWED, AND SMOKING IS PERMITTED IN VEHICLES ONLY. MONTEZUMA COUNTY ISSUES A FIRE BAN IN ALL UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY IN APRIL. PERMITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FIRE-MITIGATION BURNS THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. LA PLATA COUNTY ISSUED A STAGE ONE FIRE RESTRICTION EARLIER THIS MONTH. SMOKING IS LIMITED TO VEHICLES, BUILDINGS, DEVELOPED RECREATIONAL AREAS, AND THREE-FOOT WIDE AREAS OF CLEARED VEGETATION. FIRES WORKS ARE PROHIBITED AND TOOLS WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES ARE PROHIBITED UNLESS THEY'RE EQUIPPED WITH AN APPROVIED SPARK-ARRESTING DEVICE. WELDING AND CUTTING ACTIVITIES MUT BE CONDUCTED WITH A 20-FOOT RADIUS SAFE ZONE FREE OF VEGETATION, AND WORKDERS MUST HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER OR WATER SUPPLY AND PROPER HAND TOOLS AVAILABLE TO SQUASH ANY FIRES. THE DURANGO TRAIN HAS SUSPENDED OPERATIONS UNTIL MID-JUNE WHEN OFFICIALS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER TO OPEN FOR EXCURSIONS TO SILVERTON. SILVERTON AND SAN JUAN COUNTY REMAIN CLOSED TO NON-RESIDENTS EXCEPT FOR THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH THE COUNTY OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. NO STOPPING OR STANDING ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 550 IS ALLOWED. AND MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK REMAINS CLOSED TO VISITORS. VISIT INDIVIDUAL PARK WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
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