Comments from Caldera Action on Valles Caldera Proposes Interim Infrastructure Improvements to the Valle Grande District
Caldera Action is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with interest in National Park Service lands in the Jemez Mountains and Pajarito Plateau.
We have the following comments on the press release and regarding the Interim Infrastructure Improvements to the Valle Grande District:
While the proposed improvements to the CD may be important, various public meetings in the days of the VCNP Trust revealed that the public values access opportunities as a primary value for the Preserve. Thus, we feel that temporary trail improvements throughout the Preserve should be done now. Kiosks, trail clearing and marking, parking areas for trails should be a priority.
We support new trails around the Cabin District.
We feel strongly that interpretation signage in the Cabin District, by Highway 4, at the Contact Station/Visitor Center, should be a priority and should not wait for a General Management Plan. Signs at the state historic marker pullout could be established a short distance down the slope from the pullout to protect them from vandalism and vehicle damage. These could explain volcanism, wildlife, management, access. Other signs in the Cabin District could go into depth on natural and human history and the specific history of each cabin (in most cases). The local Pueblos could be consulted on content related to their history and relationship with this landscape
We support removing the metal corrals at the Contact Station. These lack historic value, and have an industrial appearance.
We oppose removing the Missing Cabin without a public comment process. Maybe this cabin could be upgraded for interpretation or science purposes related to the Research Learning Center. It could be a group picnic shelter or a classroom with structural improvements. However, we don’t know its actual condition or serviceability given that it was built as a movie set.
We question the need for a new parking area at the CD. Improving existing parking areas would be a good first step. Handicapped people need to park directly by a building or feature they are offered.
While the visitor center at the Cabin District is attractive, ultimately a visitor center could be built directly on Highway 4, on the south side of the highway. Such a visitor center would be heavily visited and could offer interpretation, ranger contact, information on other public lands in the area, and it could have displays and a short trail. A classroom for the Research Learning Center could be included and an office for law enforcement. This would maximize NPS contact with the interested public since a majority of visitors don’t enter the Preserve but do stop on the highway. Visitors can experience the Caldera well from the highway.
The public needs to have access to the VCNP. While we don’t want unfettered access that would lead to vandalism or other abuses, the public should be encouraged to visit the Preserve. The NPS must justify any limits on vehicle access to the backcountry. Is 35 cars per day a justified number? Is this consistent with NPS policy at other parks? What is the decision basis for this number? We suggest that if 35 cars are allowed in the backcountry, when one leaves, another should be allowed in. Speed bumps to slow vehicles down could help protect wildlife and lower the amount of dust from the road could be installed throughout the Preserve. Also, the backcountry should not be closed at an arbitrary date if snow or mud is not blocking the road. The public owns the VCNP and should have access within protective limits.
We support establishing a tent camping area with a toilet facility so people can spend the night in the Preserve. This could be built on the South Mountain Road from the CD. This could be temporary pending a GMP. Likewise backcountry dispersed camping.
Why not locate a fee kiosk near the highway where people can ask questions, get maps, and learn rules and distances before they enter the Preserve? Most national park facilities locate entrance kiosks at the edge of the park.
While the Cabin District is important in terms of past ranching activities, other aspects of the Preserve are far more interesting and important such as volcanism, wildlife, Pueblo cultural history and connection, climate change, and science. Ranching was destructive and exploitive of the VCNP landscape and while important in terms of its economic reality and ecological damage, ranching, especially hobby-ranching should not be romanticized in retrospect.
The General Management Plan is overdue according to Congressional mandate. If VCNP management envisions a 10-year GMP process with ongoing NEPA compliance, real improvements to the VCNP including trailheads, camping for everyone (not just hunters), visitor centers etc. could be 15 years out. We urge the NPS to expediate this process with urgency. The NPS has already been managing the VCNP for 13 years with little visible progress on planning, interpretation, or recreation improvements.
I’m a bit concerned with the negative language on ranching. The foundation of New Mexico is built on this history. As shown ranching can be done in an ecological and environmental way. (Look at recent collaboration with Audubon.) Horsemen and women would like access to the backcountry as well. We do not require gravel paths as well. As you said the public is a part of all national parks and forest lands.
BCHNM Public Lands
Almost all open space in New Mexico has been heavily affected by cattle grazing. Past overgrazing of the VCNP has led to severe damage to the watershed, the fire regimes, and to native plant and wildlife communities. The National Park Service is addressing those problems.Caldera Action advocates for extremely limited grazing on the Preserve in order to provide a refuge for wild species and a restoration of natural fire regimes. Also as the headwaters of the Jemez River, watershed health must be the top priority and livestock grazing is detrimental to watershed health in this high altitude, dry area.