Caldera Action is the only non-profit organization focused on the public lands of the Jemez Mountains with a special emphasis on the two National Park Service sites: the Valles Caldera National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument. We formed Caldera Action in 2007 to advocate for sustainable preservation oriented management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. We were one of two organizations that pressed Congress to put the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) under the management of the National Park Service. We celebrated success in 2015.
Key members of our group have been advocating for the Valles Caldera since 1999 when the Baca Ranch was offered to the federal government on a willing seller basis by the Dunnigan family. The land was purchased by the federal government using money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and legislation passed to place the new Preserve under a trust management model.
For 14 years a “Trust” managed the preserve before President Obama signed legislation authored by then-Senator Jeff Bingaman and his successor Martin Heinrich and Senator Tom Udall for National Park Service management. We have been deeply involved in advocating for public access, protection and restoration of natural and cultural features, and for quality education and interpretation programs for the American people. We also take action to protect these lands from threats, either from managers or from outside interests.
Today we have three main areas of interest and involvement. We continue to advocate for the conservation of the Valles Caldera, Bandelier National Monument and surrounding lands. We advocate for low impact public access such as hiking, mountain biking, and non motorized winter sports. We also support public education, especially for disadvantaged people, science and research activities, and we help the public learn about the findings of the many scientists at the preserve. We are particularly interested in work being done to understand global heating, fire, and biodiversity.
Caldera Action is involved in the new Research Learning Center being created by the National Park Service and the US Geologic Survey in the Jemez Mountains. We intend to support this effort in ways that will help advance science and education.
Citizen Efforts to Protect the Valles Caldera National Preserve
In 2020 Caldera Action has a new Board of Directors and an expanded mission.
No longer focused only on the Valles Caldera, we have expanded our focus on
protecting Bandelier National Monument and other critical public values on the
Santa Fe National Forest.
We are extremely interested in expanding the capacity of the National Park
Service and the US Geologic Survey to conduct scientific studies on these
public lands and to engage the public of all ages in the wonderful things
scientists are learning in the Jemez Mountains. A Research Learning Center will
soon be born in the Jemez Mountains to support science and education.
Our Vision
Caldera Action has a vision where the natural values of National Park
Service managed lands in the Jemez Mountains and nearby are of paramount
importance to our collective perspective. We envision a future where the
geologic story, the wildlife, streams, forests, and grasslands of these lands
are allowed to recover from past uses and the lands becomes a refuge for
Americans needing an accessible, quiet, wild place for retreat. We envision a
place where the Puebloan past in the region and current Pueblo cultural
activities are protected. We envision science flourishing in these lands with a
center for environmental education and research. And we envision public lands
which offers a diverse population, from nearby communities and elsewhere
opportunities for education, recreation and spiritual renewal.
Now that the National Park Service manages the VCNP, we are committed to
helping them achieve good management results. We will act as assistants and
critics when needed, to speak for the land and its life.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster active citizen participation in the
restoration, protection, and appreciation of the Valles Caldera National
Preserve, Bandelier National Monument and other nearby lands for the long-term
benefit of the place itself, the American public, and visitors from around the
world.
Who We Are:
Tom Ribe – Executive Director
Monique Schoustra – President, Treasurer, Policy
Rick Light, Board Member – Trails and Recreation
Anonymous – Board Member – Education and Youth, Social Media
Don Usner, Board Member – Aesthetics, History, Compliance
Brad Mason, Board Member – Interpretation, NPS Policy
Contact Us
Email: calderaaction@gmail.com
Surface Mail: 56 Hidden Valley Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: 505 690 0305
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caldera-Action/141334715921018?ref=ts&fref=ts
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