Several letters to the editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican regarding the proposal to transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service have been published in recent weeks. Click on the title of a letter to read it on the New Mexican web site:
“Put preserve under new management”
The recent release of the National Park Service report on the Valles Caldera National Preserve commissioned by U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall last June should be the last straw of justification needed before its full conversion to the National Park system as a preserve.
Management as a preserve, such as is the case for nearby Great Sand Dunes National Preserve in southern Colorado, will ensure full protection of natural resources with continuation of hunting and fishing while allowing affordable and easy access for the public — the latter clearly not the case for the purchasing taxpayers under the current trust management.
As pointed out in the NPS report, use of knowledgeable and seasoned land managers by this arm of the federal system will decrease costs while enhancing visitation rates and providing an economic boost to the local economy, obvious advantages that derive from association with the National Park system.
Thomas Taylor
Santa Fe
With all of the articles on stewardship of the Valles Caldera, it is apparent that this area will soon be turned into another haven for individuals who talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk. I recently had the opportunity to visit this pristine area and was very impressed. There was no litter, human encroachment was limited, wildlife was plentiful, and the scenery was spectacular.
The present management is committed to protecting the environment, and to preserving it for future generations. Let’s not re-invent the wheel. A hasty decision is usually wrong.
Jeff Little
Santa Fe
The Jan. 23 letter, “Caldera’s well-managed,” stated that the Valles Caldera Trust is “committed to protecting the environment.” Last August, the trust unveiled a business model that included proposals for up to $143 million in commercial resort-style developments on the preserve, including luxury lodges, RV parks, roads, lounges and restaurants.
Until the Valles Caldera Trust is replaced with an experienced, professional public land-management agency that is free of a legislative mandate to operate the preserve as a profit-generating corporation, the danger of destructive development on this scenic treasure remains.
Additionally, this month’s report endorsing the proposal of Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall to transfer management of the preserve to the National Park Service concluded that such management would be more fiscally efficient because it would consolidate preserve resources with those of neighboring Bandelier National Monument and would provide a needed economic boost to Northern New Mexico.
Jonathan Neal
Jemez Springs
