San Juan National Forest

Local News

Prescribed burns northwest of Durango bring hazy skies

Fuels-reduction project being done while fire danger is low, Forest Service says

April 20, 2026

Local News

San Juan National Forest urges caution in high country as weather warms

lands agency recommends using lower-elevation roads and trails

April 10, 2026

Local News

Saul’s Creek burn marks return of ‘good fire’ to San Juan Forest playbook

Prescribed burn east of Bayfield will act as a backstop to future wildfires

April 1, 2026

Local News

Crews extinguish small fire northwest of Hermosa

1-acre blaze started on a hillside, moved into a drainage filled with dead, standing trees

March 17, 2026

Local News

Hermosa Creek culvert installation will improve fish habitat

Juan National Forest to begin construction in September; road closures expected

February 18, 2026

Local News

La Plata mining exploration draws scrutiny

representative fields questions at community discussion aimed at protection, celebration of public lands

February 17, 2026

Stewards of the Land

Kudos to all those who kept San Juan Mountains Association going in 2025

Stephanie Webercca During the spring and summer, all of us at San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) stood alongside our federal…

December 13, 2025

Local News

San Juan Mountains Association Christmas tree lot now open in Durango

fundraiser is scheduled to run through Dec. 22 – or while supplies last

November 28, 2025

Local News

Effects of government shutdown linger in La Plata County

in SNAP benefits will likely continue to affect recipients, food banks for weeks

November 26, 2025

Local News

San Juan Mountains Association halts visitor services amid government shutdown

employees ‘temporarily laid off with no recourse for back pay’

October 6, 2025

Local News

La Plata County commissioners back roadless rule with letter to USDA

‘It’s speaking out in as many ways as we can to stand up for public lands,’ commissioner says

September 30, 2025

Local News

Prescribed burns scheduled for Columbine Ranger District

Service plans to conduct three prescribed fires that could begin this month

September 11, 2025

Community

Update: Stoner Mesa Fire continues to grow, cause of fire confirmed

is predicted to be the biggest impact to nearby communities

August 6, 2025

Local News

Forest Service budget cuts nearly shuttered toilets in San Juan Mountains

Donors, lodgers tax contribute $54,000 to keep Columbine Ranger District bathrooms open

June 24, 2025

Local News

San Juan National Forest supervisor to retire

Neely steps down after two years leading forest in Southwest Colorado

April 22, 2025

Local News

Some Durango-area trails to reopen early

City Mountain, Grandview Ridge among popular routes open after winter closure

April 16, 2025

Local News

La Plata County passes resolution supporting federal public lands

‘This is the American way of life. And it’s being threatened,’ Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton says

April 10, 2025

Local News

Fire mitigation work near Forest Lakes will begin next month

removal at Grassy Mountain will protect 1,200 homes near Bayfield

March 20, 2025

Local News

Durango-area residents protest cuts to federal public lands workforce

Participants sign cards thanking employees of BLM, U.S. Forest Service

March 4, 2025

Local News

Tourism, firefighting capability threatened by firings in Southwest Colorado

‘Any reduction … impacts firefighting,’ Forest Service official tells La Plata County

March 3, 2025

Regional News

More than 150 Forest Service workers in Colorado lose jobs

federal agencies have also seen job cuts

February 19, 2025

Local News

Federal employees sound alarm as firings take place in Southwest Colorado

Juan National Forest employees were fired Thursday; those who remain say downsizing jeopardizes recreation and elevates wildfire risk

February 15, 2025

Local News

Hermosa Creek federal protections turn 10

‘There was nothing inevitable about this legislation,’ Sen. Michael Bennet recalls

December 23, 2024

Local News

Despite predictions, Southwest Colorado had an unusually quiet wildfire season

Ignitions on San Juan National Forest were just 12% of the five-year average

December 18, 2024