Colorado National Monument plans to reopen the Saddlehorn Campground and the adjoining Canyon Rim Trail on Saturday, March 11th. The campground and the adjoining trail were closed on February 6th due to a positive finding of bubonic plague in two chipmunks. Monument employees have been working closely with a National Park Service Public Health Officer from Denver and the Mesa County Health Department in addressing this issue. An approved pesticide has been applied to kill remaining fleas which might be carrying plague in the area.
According to monument superintendent Bruce Noble, ?we feel confident that we have taken the necessary steps to safely reopen the campground and surrounding area to the visiting public.?
Additional information about bubonic plague may be found on the Center for Disease Control's website at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/qa.htm
