Winter closures for public areas and trails managed by the Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the city of Durango to protect critical big game winter range will be extended through April 30. The annual winter closures began last December and are typically lifted by April 15.
The BLM, city of Durango and Colorado Parks and Wildlife work together to identify key wildlife areas around Durango needing protection for deer and elk. Closing these areas to human activity is necessary to protect critical foraging habitat for these species, allowing them to survive the winter.
People who use these areas can help reduce stress to wildlife by observing them from a distance and keeping dogs under control, preferably leashed.
A complete list and maps of the areas affected by the extended winter closures are available online at www.blm.gov and at the Tres Rios Field Office locations in Durango and Dolores, 15 Burnett Court, Durango and 29211 Highway 184, Dolores.
For more information, call 882-7296.