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Sunday, June 06, 2010
Strike a Balance With Caldera
Our two U.S. senators have introduced a bill to transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve from the current, politically appointed board to the National Park Service.
That's a good idea, but a few questions remain. The caldera wouldn't become a national park, so hunting and fishing would still be allowed. So would cattle grazing. That use of the preserve was mandated in the decade-old congressional act that created the preserve and allowed federal purchase of the land, with the proviso that the preserve would make enough money from various activities to be self-sustaining.
In the then Republican-controlled Congress, opposed to adding to the government's stock of public land, and with New Mexico's most powerful senator also a Republican, the arrangement was politically expedient — even necessary — if the federal purchase was to be approved.
In the years since, it's been amply demonstrated that cattle grazing is not a significant moneymaker for the preserve. Hunting, fishing and recreational uses bring the preserve far more money — especially important as the preserve was supposed to become self-sustaining over time, now rapidly running out.
Moreover, it could be argued that the continued representation of ranching interests on the preserve board has obstructed efforts to expand recreational access to the 89,000-acre property for the general public, which has been steadily clamoring for more opportunities to visit in the 10 years since purchase.
But maybe there's a way to reconcile ranching and a park. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall see keeping a relatively small ranching operation under National Park Service management as a way to recognize the history of the Valles Caldera. The cows could be part of interpretive programs for visitors and be used to advance grazing science, such as the genetics of high-altitude steers, away from riparian or other sensitive areas, or so goes the theory behind the legislation.
The new measure also strongly supports continued hunting on the preserve. Besides the fact the caldera can be a great place to hunt, part of the idea there is that there's no other way to control the elk population.
The current board has done a few things right — not least, perhaps, establishing an educational and outreach center in the nearby community of Jemez Springs where students can learn about all aspects of the property, from wildlife biology to thermal geology. And recreational opportunities on the preserve have increased over time, and now run the gamut from activities like motorized tours and hayrides that those with limited physical abilities can enjoy to mountain biking and winter cross country trekking for the more active and fit.
The board also has prudently refused to open the preserve up to public activity it lacks the budget, facilities and personnel to adequately monitor. This latter policy is the root of much of the public frustration with and criticism of the board's management, but it remains sound policy nevertheless.
So what improvement to this situation would National Park Service management bring? That will be better explained as hearings on the senators' bill start soon, but for starters, there would be a flat entry fee for visitors, as opposed to recreationalists having to pony up separate charges for various activities. The senators expect hiking, camping, biking and equestrian opportunities to be vastly expanded. There would be a proper visitor center. Another idea is a loop roadway through the preserve.
The NPS would be given three years to come up with a management plan to address these and other matters, including the more controversial idea of lodging in the park. Places to stay might be better left to small motels or bed-and-breakfasts in Jemez Springs or larger hotels in Los Alamos
Reconciling grazing and recreation seems to be the trickiest part of the senators' proposal (as anyone whose National Forest campsite has ever been invaded by a small herd of legally wandering cows can attest). But turning the preserve over to the Park Service is the right idea, and Congress should get behind the bill.
Given the present economic situation, however, there is little hope federal spending on parks or other NPS land will increase substantially any time in the near future.
Given the size of the federal deficit, it may in fact be years before a "newbie" on the federal roster, like the caldera, gets the funding it needs to radically transform itself into a place where the public can roam as freely as at more established parks and other public lands.
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