VallesCaldera.com – The independent news source about the Valles Caldera

Earlier this month, the Valles Caldera National Preserve unveiled a new business model that aims to bring the Preserve to profitability by 2015.  Below is a roundup of some reaction in the media to the Preserve’s ideas.

In letter to the editors of the Albuquerque Journal, entitled “Preserve Caldera For Benefit of All,” Janie Miller of Santa Fe opines:

A K-Bob’s restaurant, fishing ponds or a luxury Encantado — like Santa Fe’s Auberge resort — are not the financial answer to the preserve’s future. The board needs to listen to its own scientists; or better yet spend a day walking along the Rio San Antonio or listening to the elk bugle to better understand this precious landscape that they have been given the privilege to manage.

Karen I. Butler of Jemez Pueblo lays out some alternative ideas for the future of the Preserve in an editorial published both in the Jemez Thunder and the Albuquerque Journal, entitled “Don’t Glam Already Beautiful Valles Caldera.” Her ideas include “wildfire risk reduction through draft-horse restorative forestry,” an “equine facilitated learning program,” and a “zipline ecotourism venture.”  She stresses that:

The ruggedly beautiful Valles Caldera has historically attracted nature lovers, most of whom are more interested in the picturesque landscape than the sight of yet another luxury hotel. These discerning individuals are thrilled by the likelihood that they will encounter native wildlife, and hopeful that the serenity of such a place will result in an inner sense of connection to the Earth that will be instilled in their children.

The annual “State of the Rockies Project” report card, produced by Colorado College, is covered by Karen Peterson of the Journal.  According to Peterson’s article, “Report Shows New Mexicans Faring OK in Economy” the report card implores the Valles Caldera Trust to place more emphasis on recreation over cattle grazing, stressing economic reasons:

The Valles Caldera National Preserve comes in for special mention in the report card’s chapter on wildlife management, and these reached the same conclusion as many New Mexicans already have: The Valles Caldera does and will continue to get the lion’s share of its revenue from recreation, not cattle ranching, and any efforts to increase revenues from grazing, for example by upping the head of livestock allowed on the preserve, are in direct conflict with the preferences of recreational users.
Says the report card: “It is noteworthy that the (Valles Caldera) trust recoups nearly $6,000 for every elk hunted on the preserve and almost $40 per day for every fisherman, while the revenue from a steer is only $30 a year — yet livestock grazing remains the controversial focus and emphasis of the Preserve’s Board of Trustees.”

Rick Louderbough of Albuquerque states in a letter to the Journal entitled “I Won’t Be Able To Enjoy Valles Caldera,” that he would like more access to the Preserve for himself and his RV:

As I approach geezer status, I want more than ever to explore the beauty of New Mexico where I’ve lived in for 56 years. Sadly a visit to Valles Caldera has been ruled out by my own government. Its beauty will only be available to horse riders, luxury hotel guests, and “glampers.” I used to ride horses, don’t anymore, can’t afford luxury hotels, and glamping I think is similar to what I do in my 21-foot RV now, but without the servants and the gourmet food.

Taking these disparate opinions into account, the editors of the Journal conclude that no possibilities should be ruled out when considering how to proceed within the unique legislative framework that governs the Valles Caldera National Preserve, including building a lodge on the Preserve where rooms would cost between $550 and $730 per night.  From “Keep All Options Alive To Save Valles Caldera:”

No sooner were many of these possibilities raised than they were yanked off the table. Native American objections have made green burials a nonstarter. Two advocacy groups would like to do the same with the lodging proposals, which they see as commercialization.
Anyone who has visited Yellowstone or Yosemite knows better than that. The handsome, rough-hewn lodges are part of the appeal of our great national parks. As long as rooms are offered at a range of prices and the architecture is appropriate, lodges provide access and comfort to people who can’t hoist a 45-pound pack and trek in on foot.
From its inception, the Valles Caldera has been viewed as an experiment in public land management. If the experiment is to succeed, creative ideas must be welcomed at the table — not rejected out-of-hand.

The blog Valles Caldera Rim has posted a writeup of the volunteer training that took place at the offices of the Valles Caldera National Preserve in Jemez Springs on Saturday.  It also includes information on how to make contact with Preserve staff and become a volunteer at the Preserve this summer.  A second training session will be held this Saturday, May 2, at 10:00 AM.  See Valles Caldera Rim for more information.

The April 11, 2009 issue of “The American Surveyor” has a detailed account by Fred Roeder of the saga of Don Luis María Cabeza de Baca, and his actions that led to the creation of the Baca Ranch (Baca Location No. 1) and in 2000, the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Don Luis was a descendent of the original Cabeza de Baca, who was awarded his name by King Sancho VII of Navarre (a kingdom that includes what is now Pamplona, Spain) in 1212. This royal title was conferred upon him due to his key role in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa on July 12, 1212, a decisive battle of the Reconquista, the long period in the Middle Ages in which various European kingdoms gradually expelled the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1212, the Moorish army was situated to the south of the Sierra Morena mountains in Andalucia (southern Spain). The Moors had blocked the Despeñaperros Pass through the mountains, and consequently the Sierra Morenas served as a seemingly impenetrable fortress defending the Moors from the Spanish army to the north. However, a local shepherd named Martin de Alhaja knew of a pass through the Sierra Morenas unknown to the Moors, through which the Spanish army might penetrate the mountains and surprise the Moorish army on the other side. Alhaja informed the Spanish of this route, and said he would place a cow’s skull in the pass to mark the secret route for the Spanish army. The Spanish did find this marker, and pierced the mountains through this hidden pass, defeating the Moors in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. King Sancho VII subsequently awarded Martin de Alhaja the title “Cabeza de Baca,” which means “Cow’s Head” in Spanish.

Six centuries after this turning point in Spanish history, Cabeza de Baca’s descendent, Don Luis María Cabeza de Baca, petitioned the Spanish government in Durango, Mexico, for a land grant in 1821.  The Spanish crown acceded to this request and awarded Cabeza de Baca a large tract of land currently occupied by the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The Cabeza de Baca family eventually ended up losing this land grant.  After legal wrangling, murder, an act of Congress, and a signature by President James Buchanan, the descendents of Don Luis María Cabeza de Baca were allowed to choose five separate 100,000 acre floats of land in the New Mexico Territory (which at the time consisted of present-day New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado) to compensate them for the loss of their original grant.  The first location they chose, the “Baca Location No. 1,” encompassed most of the Valles Caldera of the Jemez Mountains of Northern New Mexico, and ultimately became the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Read more about Don Luis María Cabeza de Baca’s saga, and how his actions ultimately led to the creation of the Baca Ranch (Baca Location No. 1), most of which in 2000 ultimately became the Valles Caldera National Preserve, here in “The American Surveyor.”

Fraser Goff, who for three decades has been one of the primary experts on the geology of the Valles Caldera, will be making two public appearances this week in Albuquerque to discuss his new book, Valles Caldera: A Geologic History (click here to buy this book online).

Goff has been conducting on-site geologic studies of the Valles Caldera since the 1970s. Along with his new book, published by Univ. of New Mexico Press, Goff has authored dozens of scientific papers on the geology of the Valles Caldera, some of which can be seen on our Geology page. He’s also an adjunct professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at UNM, teaching courses on volcanology. A Banana Slug, Goff has also performed research on nearly 40 geothermal systems and 20 active volcanoes worldwide.

Fraser Goff’s appearances to discuss Valles Caldera: A Geologic History:
Thurs., April 16, 7:00 PM, at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque NM 87107 (Map)
Fri., April 17, 12:00 PM, at Univ. of New Mexico Bookstore, 2301 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque NM, 87131 (Map)

One of the most memorable and educational recreation experiences offered by the Valles Caldera National Preserve is the Fraser and Cathy Goff Geology Tour. The van tours, which are six hours long, cost $40 per person ($32 for youths and seniors). The Goffs offer guests a glimpse of many spectacular sights in the Preserve which the public seldom gets to see. Beginning in the Valle Grande (see a view from the sky here), the Goffs’ tour passes by the Baca Ranch Headquarters buildings (see a view from the sky here) before progressing down a shady, wooded road (VC02) to stop at El Cajete Crater, the location of the most recent volcanic eruption in the Jemez Mountains, 50,000-60,000 years ago (incidentally, see a map of the open roads on the Valles Caldera National Preserve in order to identify the roads discussed here).

El Cajete Crater:

View a 360° panorama of El Cajete. You can also see a view from the sky of El Cajete here.

The tour continues along a narrow valley between the base of Redondo Peak and the Banco Bonito. The valley opens up into Redondo Meadow, where a Depression-era logging camp thrived, at which point the tour begins to ascend the verdant Redondo Canyon (road VC03). In this canyon, through which the spring-fed Redondo Creek flows, the Goffs introduce visitors to sites in which dozens of extremely deep geothermal wells were drilled to gauge the feasibility of building a geothermal power plant in the 1970s and 1980s to exploit the fact that molton magma still exists several miles under the surface of the Valles Caldera. These geothermal explorations, conducted by a partnership between Union Oil of California (Unocal), Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), and the Department of Energy, never resulted in the construction of a power plant, and the wells have been sealed. However, much of the geothermal infrastructure exists, including the Union Building (a dormitory building for geothermal workers), geothermal pads, and the wells themselves. Goff worked at these sites when they were operational, and as the tour stops for lunch he provides a fascinating firsthand account of the history of Baca Ranch geothermal exploration directly where it happened.

Rising up above Redondo Canyon, the tour stops at the stunning Redondo Canyon Vista which can be seen below (near the intersection of VC03 and VC06), to which guests are treated to a talk about the visible geologic elements of the panorama: Redondito, Redondo Peak, Redondo Border, as well as Redondo Peak Rhyolite (the rock seen in the rear of the downloadable panorama).

Redondo Canyon Vista:

Download a 360° panorama of the Redondo Canyon Vista, the 4th stop on the Fraser and Cathy Goff Geology Tour.

The Goffs then commence an extremely scenic drive down Redondo Peak (VC03) through a valley in which one can often find the Caldera’s most dense concentrations of elk, Valle Jaramillo (click the view of Valle Jaramillo below for a full-size view from the sky):

After trekking through Valle Jaramillo (through which the Jaramillo Creek flows), the tour proceeds out to the Valle San Antonio on road VC02, for an up-close view of the North Rim of the Valles Caldera (click the view of the Valle San Antonio below for a full-size view from the sky):

The Fraser and Cathy Goff Geology Tour will be conducted three times this summer:

Sun., Jun 21, 2009, 9:00 AM
Sat., Aug. 29, 2009, 9:00 AM
Sat., Sep 26, 2009, 9:00 AM

Click here to reserve a spot on this tour.

It snowed six inches here on the Valles Caldera on Easter Weekend.

Caldera Action and WildEarth Guardians, two Santa Fe-based advocacy groups, have publicly criticized the business model brought forth this week by the Valles Caldera Trust, according to a story in today’s Albuquerque Journal.  The Trust’s business model aims to bring profitability to the Valles Caldera National Preserve by 2015, as mandated by the Valles Caldera Preservation Act of 2000.

According to the Journal story, the business model includes the possibility of a lodge on the Preserve where rooms would cost between $550 and $730 per night.

“The trustees are pursuing a highly destructive course of action here and one that is not supported by the people of the United States,” said Tom Ribe of Caldera Action. “The reason a broad range of people pressed Congress to purchase the Baca Ranch in 1999 was to prevent exactly this sort of inappropriate commercial development on this nationally important, delicate landscape.”

John Horning of WildEarth Guardians said, “The (preserve) was an experiment in public lands management. After nearly a decade it’s clear to us that the experiment has failed.”

Valles Caldera National Preserve Spokesman Terry McDermott insisted that the Trust also wants to preserve the land.  “We are good stewards of the caldera,” McDermott said. “And we’re also required by law to make it as self-sufficient as possible.”

Caldera Action‘s mission statement is “to foster active citizen participation in the restoration, protection, and appreciation of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, for the long-term benefit of the place itself, the American public, and visitors from around the world.”

WildEarth Guardians’ mission statement is “to protect and restore the wildlife, wild places and wild rivers of the American West.”

According to the Journal story, both groups aim to have the National Park Service assume management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

The Valles Caldera Trust has announced that it will prohibit cattle grazing on 80% of the 89,000 acre Valles Caldera National Preserve. However, it is unclear upon which portions of the Preserve grazing will still be permitted.

The Valles Caldera Preservation Act of 2000, the legislation that enabled the purchase of the Baca Ranch on behalf of the American People, stipulated that the Preserve must be operated as a working ranch, explicitly providing for livestock grazing. However, it also declared that the Valles Caldera Trust must also provide for “the protection and preservation of the scientific, scenic, geologic, watershed, fish, wildlife, historic, cultural and recreational values of the Preserve,” “public use of and access to the Preserve for recreation,” and achieving financial self-sustainability by 2015.

A bill was introduced in the New Mexico Legislature in January to urge Congress to rewrite the Act, citing the difficulty of balancing these disparate goals.