The Valles Caldera National Preserve ,formerly the Baca Ranch, has been managed by the VC Trust since 2000 with a mission of “preserve and protect the historic Baca Ranch of New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains.”
In the past few years, they have struggled to accomodate the various user groups that want access to the Valles. They are also charged with making the Preserve a self-funded, but non-profit, enterprise by 2015. During the past few years, many groups have volunteered their time, and worked with the Valles staff, to increase access to the Valles. There are typically limits on the number of visitors allowed for an event (to increase the illusion of solitude and enjoyment), and the potential impact of the user group must be mitigated (areas have to be cleared by archeaologists, trash removed, make sure everyone remains in approved areas, etc). And since it is to be self-funded, there is always a user-fee; for cyclists, it is $20 per cyclist, on one of the 4 days per year that we are allowed access, with a limit of 200 cyclists/day
Saturday, Jeffrey Cross (the executive director) and the rest of the Trust Board, threw open the gates (and threw out all of their rhetoric and excuses they have used for the past 6 years) to cars….
Traffic packs Valles Caldera preserve; vehicles turned away
Up to 1500 cars tried to drive on the Valles! For Free!!! During the last cyclist day, the number of participants was limited to 200 (road destroying, exhaust spewing, loud) cyclists, at $20 a pop. They open it for cars and 1500 vehicles show up (hopefully, most of them had multiple occupants).. And surely people will continue to clamor for this debale to repeated, is it any wonder that so many people in this country battle obesity. There are plenty of opportunities to visit the Valles (of course, none of the other alternatives are free, or have blaring stereos, or get stuck in the mud)., you don’t have to be a cyclist (which seem to have the least amount of access). There are hiking tours, they bus you in to the area that you will hike in, flyfishing (also bussed in),equestrian access, photography seminars, start gazing, horse carriages, cross country skiing, hunting, and I don’t know how many others. and each and every person tha has participated in any of these activities should be as outraged as I am that after years of feet-dragging on the part of the Trust, after years of explaining how they have to allot access based on impact and on the possible intrusion of other users, after years of relatively exhorbitant access fees, the Trust throws it all away to give access to cars…
rant over for now
The VCNP is not really the place to air the concerns to – although you need to do it initially and get the eventual blow off. Write a letter to Bingaman and more importantly Udall. Request that they investigate and get you and answert on why cars free and bikers not. It will be pretty embaressing for the VCNP to have to explain that in an official letter to the representative government. We’ve got our hands full with Otero and WM, but I’ve always thought the VP was a winable battle – all someone needs to do is organize a loud and effective battle, somewhat similiar to how we got attention with Otero.
Thanks Matt
I’m working on the letters to Bingaman and Udall, and a response to the VCNP. I plan on crashing their next public meeting with a loud contingent of cyclists, hikers, fishermen, equestrians, and as many representatives of other user groups that have paid or volunteered their time before.