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

This month, National Geographic took a look at the Valles Caldera in a feature entitled “America’s Next National Parks?” along with such scenic treasures as Mount St. Helens in Washington, the Lower Hudson River Valley in New York, and Maine Woods.

Click here to read National Geographic’s profile of the scenic crown jewel of New Mexico. A portion of the feature is shown below:

Home to New Mexico’s largest elk herd, the ranch sits inside an ancient volcanic caldera, combining mountains, coniferous forest, and grassland with diverse wildlife.

A compromise in 2000 created the preserve, technically part of Santa Fe National Forest but managed by an independent board. Since then, dissatisfaction over limited public access has grown, along with renewed efforts to transfer the area to the National Park Service.

A December 2009 Park Service report confirmed the suitability and feasibility of acquiring Valles Caldera—almost certainly under regulations that would still allow hunting.

Kudos to the Valles Caldera Board of Trustees for moving the location of its next public meeting from Farmington (181 miles from the Valles Caldera National Preserve) to Jemez Springs, after concerns were raised about the Trust’s recent tendency to schedule its required public meetings hundreds of miles away (and many hours of driving time) from the vicinity of the Preserve.

This meeting will be held on May 13 at the Preserve’s new, well-publicized Science and Education Center, which has been hosting students for more than a month. Between the first segment of the public meeting and a session in which comments from the public will be accepted, there will be a ribbon-cutton ceremony to commemorate this facility’s grand opening.

What: Public meeting of the Valles Caldera Board of Trustees
Where: 90 Villa Louis Martin Dr., Jemez Springs, NM 87025
When: Thursday, May 13, 2010
9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (Board of Trustees meeting)
1:00 PM (Ribbon cutting ceremony)
2:30-3:30 PM (Public comment session)

The Trust deserves praise for relocating this meeting closer to the neighbors of the Preserve who are more affected by its management than folks in Las Cruces (where it met it Oct. 2009, more than 300 miles and a five hour, 20 minute drive from the VCNP), Farmington, or Roswell (scheduled for Sept. 2010; 242 miles from the VCNP, a 5 hour and 52 minute drive).

However, common sense continues to suggest that the Trust should choose to conduct its required public meetings in the evenings or on weekends, enabling the many New Mexicans who work during business hours to participate in these meetings of the presidentially-appointed managers of the taxpayer-owned scenic crown jewel of New Mexico.

Unfortunately, only once in the past four years has the Board of Trustees decided to make it easy for working people to attend and participate in its meetings, when it scheduled an evening meeting in Los Alamos last June that was “standing-room only.”

The Los Alamos Monitor last week reported on the Los Alamos County Council’s 7-0 vote last Tuesday approving a resolution endorsing the proposed transfer of management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service. Click here to read the Monitor article in its entirety.

The article quoted Councilor Nona Bowman as stating: “I think the public has spoken loud and clear. I’m appreciative of the public who attended the sessions. This will give the community the accessibility they wished to have.”

The article also dealt with the issue of a timeline for when the Caldera might be transfered to the Park Service, as well as how long the transition from Trust management might take place. Jason Lott, the Superintendent of Bandelier National Monument (and ex-officio member of the Valles Caldera Board of Trustees) provided insight to the Council with regard to these issues:

Bandelier Superintendent Jason Lott spoke briefly to council prior to their discussion and vote. Council Chair Michael Wismer asked Lott how long it would take to make the Valles Caldera a national park.

“It’s at Congress’ discretion. The community can provide support, but the delegation will look at it and move it forward,” Lott responded.

He also told council that the move could be immediate, however he suspects that they’d include a transition period. “We need to get in there, assess it and set a temporary plan in place. The idea is to get it open to the public. You’re just asking to get beat up if you close it,” Lott said.

La Cieneguilla rancher and former Santa Fe County Commissioner Jose Varela Lopez wrote an op-ed that was published in last weekend’s Journal North, in which he argues against transferring control of the Valles Caldera from the Valles Caldera Trust. Click here to read Mr. Lopez’ piece, headlined “Keep Valles Caldera Management Local” (after clicking on the link, non-subscribers to the Journal must click on the “trial access pass” button in the lower left of the screen to read the op-ed). A portion of the piece is included below:

We were given a unique opportunity when New Mexico’s Congressional delegation led the charge to purchase what was then known as the Baca Ranch for the benefit of the public. It was to be managed locally, by a board of directors who have been mainly New Mexicans. People were excited about the potential for scientific research, fishing, hunting and just access to this beautiful piece of land.

Livestock production and ranching are a huge part of the economy, history and tradition in northern New Mexico. In recognition of that history, and since the property, now known as the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP), had been a working ranch for hundreds of years, the legislation required that the VCNP remain a working ranch.

Instead of opening up the new preserve to the public, allowing tourism, hunting, hiking, camping, and any number of activities that would get people on the land, showcase the property and bring in money, preserve management has been mired in bureaucratic red tape and endless analysis before it could even begin to meet its mandates. This is a huge piece of northern New Mexico, with so many possibilities, but the board of directors and staff have had little ability to change policies in the face of constant criticism and attack by those who see the preserve solely as a recreational playground without addressing the very real need to conserve resources while properly managing them.

The Los Alamos County Council — the governing body of the largest town adjacent to the rim of the Valles Caldera — voted 7-0 tonight to approve a resolution endorsing a transfer of management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service.

This resolution, which backs an idea first proposed by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall (D-NM) last June, calls for the Caldera to be managed as a National Park Preserve, which is similar to national parks except that hunting and certain other uses not typically permitted in parks would be allowed.

Noting that “the majority of the members of public who submitted comment via meeting and e-mail expressed their desire for the National Park Service to assume land management and operations for the Valles Caldera National Preserve,” the resolution can be read by clicking here.

UPDATE – April 8: The council also passed an amendment to this resolution which reveals a strong desire among the council for a change in Preserve management to occur without delay.  The approved amendment states the following:

Be it further resolved, that if legislation to transfer the preserve is not enacted in 2010, congress consider action to modify the year 2000 enabling legislation to remove obstacles restricting the Valles Caldera Trust’s ability to effectively manage the preserve to meet the public’s access priorities.

At the council meeting, the National Park Service was represented by Bandelier National Monument Superintendent (and ex-officio member of the Valles Caldera Board of Trustees) Jason Lott.  Council Chairman Michael Wismer engaged Mr. Lott by asking him how long it would take to transfer the current management of the Preserve to the National Park Service.  Mr. Lott replied that such a transition would not take very long.

According to attendees of the meeting, no other members of the Valles Caldera National Preserve Board of Trustees nor employees of the Preserve were present.

Today’s Journal North also covered the council meeting under the headline “LA County Prefers Caldera Under NPS” (after clicking on this link, non-subscribers must click on the “trial access pass” button in the lower left of the screen to read the story). A portion of the story is shown below:

The Los Alamos County Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday supporting the transfer of management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve from a trust to the National Park Service, to be managed as a national preserve so hunting could continue there.

County Councilor Nona Bowman said that during two public meetings held in the past month to address concerns over the trust’s management “90 percent, maybe even 95 percent of the people wanted more access to the park.”

The Federal Committee of the Los Alamos County Council has recommended to the full council that it pass a newly-strengthened resolution endorsing the proposed transfer of management of the Valles Caldera to the National Park Service at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Click here to read the newly-rewritten resolution that has been endorsed by the Federal Committee of the council, which contains a newly-strengthened “resolved” section:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos supports the transfer of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service. Los Alamos County requests to be notified and involved in the process at every opportunity.

The Los Alamos County Council has announced that it will vote on a resolution endorsing a transfer of management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service on Tuesday, April 6.

What: Los Alamos County Council Meeting
Where: Community Building, 475 20th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544
When: Tuesday, April 6, 7:00 PM

The County has also released every email pertaining to the Valles Caldera that it received during its recent request for public input. 51 emails were received from 47 individuals from February 2nd through March 14. You can read these emails by clicking here (PDF).

Of the 47 individuals emailing the council:

70% prefer National Park Service management of the Valles Caldera (33 individuals)
12% prefer U.S. Forest Service management of the Valles Caldera (6 individuals)
8% support continued Valles Caldera Trust management (4 individuals)
2% prefer either U.S. Forest Service or NPS management (1 individual)
2% support either U.S. Forest Service or Valles Caldera Trust management (1 individual)
4% prefer anything but the Trust (2 individuals)

Therefore, 89% of the individuals emailing the Council (42 out of 47) support an end to the Valles Caldera Trust.