The US Forest Service will implement a full closure of several national forest areas including the Santa Fe National Forest starting Thursday, May 19.
It means recreation sites like campgrounds, roads, trails and trailheads will be closed to the general public.
“So they’ve got a big job trying to maintain the forest so we’re all safe,” said Mark Turner, a veteran outfitter who runs Big Game Adventures in Idaho Springs where his family first arrived back in 1897. “I spent a lifetime doing this, I guess I’ve been in this for 30 years.” He understands the limited access, but it can cot people like outfitters money, “Well I don’t know that there is an alternative,” he added. But when lands are closed, it can mean loss of opportunity for hunters who have drawn tags to hunt game. “Some of those licenses take 20 plus years to draw, so it affects them too.”