Former Las Cruces Community Pit Closed
To protect public safety, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has implemented a temporary closure to all public use in the former Community Pit No.1 northwest of Las Cruces.
The safety issue stems from public use of an area that was previously used for the mining of decorative rock. The mining activities resulted in unsafe conditions, including unstable, layered rock walls in excess of 150 feet, and a continuing danger from falling rock.
“This closure is necessary to prevent property damage, personal injury or even loss of life,” said Bill Childress, Manager of the BLM’s Las Cruces District. “We are pursuing funding options and hope to secure funding in near future. After funding is secured, it will likely take one to two years to fully remediate the location.”
Remediation of the 67.5-acre site would include eliminating the rock walls to the extent possible and filling in the pits so that they will no longer hold water. At the point that funding is secured, the BLM may consider the possibility of turning the former community pit quarry into a parking lot and entry point for the adjacent Prehistoric Trackways National Monument.
There are several other nearby opportunities for folks to enjoy outdoor recreation on public land, Childress added, including the recently designated National Monument, which is accessible by traveling north of Las Cruces on Highway 185, turning west on Shalem Colony Road, and turning north on Rocky Acres Trail. The Monument has limited access off of Rocky Acres Trail for vehicles with high clearance.
The BLM is in the process of developing a management plan for the Monument, which will also address access needs for public use. The 5,280-acre monument is open to hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing, and Off Highway Vehicle use on designated trails. People can also enjoy a variety of hiking opportunities in the Organ Mountains, including the Dripping Springs Natural Area just east of Las Cruces.
Since the community pit was closed, the BLM has tried to block public access to the area using a gate and earthen barriers, but the gate has been torn down and people have been able to bypass the earthen barriers. Although the gate has been repositioned and additional barriers have been installed, the BLM decided to implement a legal closure of the area to provide needed limitations on public use of the site.
The quarry was closed in 2007 after concerns about safety and damage to fossils in the area, including unique prehistoric trackways and plants that pre-date the Age of Dinosaurs.
