|
 E-mail Story Print Friendly
Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
Front Page 
opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Needed: New Partners To Help Valles Caldera
Like a rifle shot echoing off the quiet mesas of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a sharp warning has been sounded about the future of the 89,000-acre preserve in the Jemez Mountains.
In a report to Congress this week, the trustees who oversee the Valles Caldera acknowledged that the former cattle ranch is not on track to become self-supporting by 2015, as required by its founding legislation. Congress authorized purchase of the ranch for $101 million in 2000, with the proviso that it be managed as a trust like the Presidio in San Francisco, and stand on its own feet financially in 15 years.
The trustees have been trying everything they can think of — from cattle grazing and elk hunting to sleigh rides and cross-country skiing — but like many a Western ranch over the centuries, this one ain't making the rent. The Presidio, a handsome old fort with desirable rental space in built-out, bucks-up San Francisco, turned out to be a difficult model for a remote high-country ranch to emulate.
Without $15 million to $50 million in federal funding for improvements, the trustees warn, the crown jewel of the Jemez could lose its designation as a preserve and simply be absorbed into the National Forest. That would be a disappointing ending to a creative experiment in the management of exceptional public lands.
The trustees have taken the first step toward a solution by publicly admitting they have a problem. In all likelihood, however, their problem is bigger than the bailout they are asking for, which would pay for maintenance of existing facilities, upgrades to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and some new facilities for public programs.
Their real problem is the preserve's management model. The Valles Caldera is never going to make it as a glorified ranch. Cattle grazing is limited by range capacities. Hunting is limited by game regulations.
The trustees need to admit they need a strong new partner in their ambitious venture: the National Park Service, perhaps, which has experience in managing preserves; or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, which would see great opportunity in the headwaters ecosystem within the preserve; or the U.S. Forest Service. With a new partner, or several in collaboration, the Valles Caldera still has a good shot at realizing the dream of its founders and surviving as a high-country oasis for day-tripping city-dwellers.
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
