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Quoted from current edition of Thunderbear:
[The Act establishes a Valles Grande National Preserve to be administered by, but not as a part of Santa Fe National Forest. Basically, it is a USFS multiple use area on steroids. It is to be a model of a "working environment"]
I'm not sure I'd call the Valles Caldera a "multiple use area on steroids" as the author of the appended article has done. I tend to think of it as more of an adventure into the Brave New World of "multiple use elitism."
No matter which description more closely captures the reality of this situation, it is absolutely correct that the Valles Caldera is managed like no other public lands in America. It is quite possibly the least public public-land you and I will ever own.
Scott
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BARE FACED RIP-OFF
One of the most interesting legal land frauds in recent history was the
"acquisition" of the 89,000 acre Valle Grande Ranch by the U.S. Forest
Service for the sum of $100 million paid by the U.S. taxpayers. The
Valle Grande is a dramatic volcanic caldera in northern New Mexico
abutting Bandelier National Park. It is an area of sublime beauty, a
sort of Ngorongoro Crater of North America, supporting large herds of
elk as well as cattle.
In addition to its beauty and ecology, the Valle Grande Caldera (or
rather its owners) controls the drainage and hydrology of Bandelier
which is downstream.
Understandably, the National Park Service has cast a longing eye on the
Valle Grande Caldera and made a number of attempts to acquire it for
the purpose of turning Bandelier, an interesting but small
archeological national monument into a major national park. This
proposed park would stretch from the Sonoran life zone on the park's
Rio Grande river border to the Hudsonian zone at over 8,000 feet on the
North rim of the Caldera. It would make for a remarkable hike in a
remarkable new park.
As early as the 1930's the National Park Service had recommended
purchasing the Valle Grande which was an old Spanish land grant known
as the Baca ranch and had been run as a typical New Mexican cattle
ranch since the 1860's and of course, before. Although the land was
private, and therefore none of the business of the U.S. Forest Service,
that agency, which always plays Iago to the NPS's Othello, decided to
stick its nose in anyway and vociferously opposed the sale of the Baca
Ranch to the NPS, preferring its own "all things to all people"
multiple abuse program.
According to the Bandelier Administrative history, NPS attempts to gain
the Baca tract languished until the 1970's when Public Law 94-458 was
passed which required the national park service to select and propose
at least 12 new park sites every year (The so-called "park of the month
Act." Ah! the glorious days of yesteryear!) The Valle Grande Caldera
was on the first year's list for acquisition.
Events seemed to be breaking in favor of the National Park Service as
Pat Dunigan, seemed ready to sell. Dunigan, a colorful Texas
businessman, was something of a roughhewn environmentalist, and wanted
the best fate possible for his property. Moreover, funds for purchase
would be available from the Land and Water Conservation Act. It looked
like we were home free.
However, the NPS can be counted upon to shoot itself in the foot at any critical moment in land acquisition or management.
Dunigan, a genial type, went to Washington to confer personally with
the Director of the Park Service, William Whalen. Whalen, for whatever
reason, refused to see him and directed him to an underling. The
Bandelier Administrative historian states that Dunigan was "rightly
upset" and left Washington to begin negotiations with the U.S. Forest
Service (Whalen had also passed up a sterling opportunity to add the
major California State Redwood parks to Redwoods National Park: It
would seem that there should be some sort of NPS Council of Common
Sense that could override the foolish decisions of a political
appointee.)
However, it was not to be a dunk shot for the USFS. Dunigan suddenly
dropped dead of a heart attack and guardians of his underage sons did
not wish to sell.
Finally, in the last years of the 20th century, the Dunigan family did
want to sell and Land & Water Conservation money was available.
The 89,000 acre Ranch was sold to you and I, the American people, for the sum of 100 million dollars.
However, the enabling legislation was hi-jacked by Senator Peter
Domenici, (R-NM) one of the leading Republican Greedheads. The Act was
so full of special interest provisions that President Clinton refused
to sign it and Congressman Udall of New Mexico disavowed it.
The Act establishes a Valles Grande National Preserve to be
administered by, but not as a part of Santa Fe National Forest.
Basically, it is a USFS multiple use area on steroids. It is to be a
model of a "working environment" (It seems that when God Almighty, a
famously lazy liberal slacker, was running the Valle Grande, things
were pretty loose!)
The Preserve is managed by a Trust with a seven-person board, appointed
by the President of the United States. The Trust is charged with seeing
to it that the Valle Grande Caldera Preserve becomes economically
self-sufficient and is not a burden to the taxpayers. This means that
grazing, logging, geothermal power (retired volcano, remember?) are to
be pursued with enthusiasm, but always, always, with documents to back
up the alleged benign results.
Hunting is expected to be a big money maker as there is a huge elk herd
in the caldera. Naturally, the average Joe or Jose is not going to come
along on these elk hunts as they are going to cost thousands of
dollars. There will be no free lunch in Valle Grande Caldera Preserve,
not even bird song. You will be charged for bird watching and any other
recreational activity you pursue in the Preserve.
How much? Well that hasn't been decided quite yet, but figures of $45
per hiker per day have been bandied about. Oh, that includes the
services of a naturalist-cum-security guard that will be with you at
all times to make sure you don't stray off into a "sensitive" area.
Did I mention the Preserve is still off limits? Yup, seems you can't check out your 100 million dollar purchase just yet.
Worst of all, the Preserve is a real Trojan Horse for Fee Demo. You
will remember it is supposed to be a "model" for future use, very
probably for the rest of the national forests and BLM districts, to
essentially privatize these lands and make them inaccessible to the
average American.
However, these public lands are our lands as Woody Guthrie was wont to
say, they do NOT have to be a "working environment" or have to make a
profit. They just have to be there, for you and me.
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- Privatization 
