WildEarth Guardians, a Santa Fe-based conservation organization, has submitted a $50,000 bid to graze 3-5 head of cattle on the Valles Caldera National Preserve this summer. See this Associated Press article from the Santa Fe New Mexican, and see this article in the Albuquerque Journal.
The Valles Caldera Preservation Act of 2000 mandates several goals, including that that the Preserve be operated as a working ranch, and that it also strive for financial self-sustainability. With this in mind, the Valles Caldera Trust annually accepts public bids for the right to graze cattle on the Preserve each summer.
WildEarth Guardians’ bid tries to adhere to the working-ranch mandate, while seeking to provide the highest amount of revenue possible for the Preserve, and also aiming to reduce the environmental destruction of cattle grazing to a minimum. In the past, such negative effects on the Preserve from cattle grazing have included the erosion of Caldera streambanks and interfering with the quality of recreation experiences of fly fishermen on the San Antonio River.
WildEarth Guardian’s bid states that “by keeping the preserve nearly free of livestock, you provide more meaningful opportunities for countless members of the general public to engage in recreation, scientific study and aesthetic enjoyment.”
“Dollar for dollar, our offer is the best taxpayers can ask for,” said Bryan Bird, the Wild Places Program Director of WildEarth Guardians. “Water and wildlife are the highest value the preserve can offer and we want to protect those priceless resources for all New Mexicans. We’re willing to pay for that.”
This is the third time that the group has bid to limit cattle on the Preserve. Last year, it bid $35,000 “for the privilege not to graze on the Preserve.” However, this was not the highest bid, which came from rancher Gary Morton of Las Vegas, NM., who grazed between 1,650 and 2,000 head of cattle on the open valles of the Preserve last summer (the New Mexican cites the low figure; the Journal cites 2,000 head).
The Valles Caldera Trust’s Request for Proposal indicates that they will not consider bids that propose grazing fewer than 500 head of cattle. However, the Valles Caldera Preservation Act stipulates no minimum requirement.
The Trust insists that cattle grazing is not harmful to the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Terry McDermott, spokesman for the Trust, said that the grazing recommendations are made by Preserve scientists. “We would not be grazing if it was harmful to the Preserve,” McDermott said.
See our “Contact” page for information about how to contact New Mexico’s Congressional delegation, local newspapers, and members of the Valles Caldera Trust.
