>> Gene: AT VALLES CALDERA, THE NATIONAL PARK’S SERVICE IS TRYING TO BALANCE ACCESS WITH PROTECTING WILDLIFE AND ECOSYSTEMS, AND CHANGES MIGHT BE COMING SOON.
LAST WEEK WE HEARD FROM WATCHDOG TOM RIBE FROM CALDERA ACTION.
THIS WEEK, OUR LAND’S LAURA PASKUS SITS DOWN WITH VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE SUPERINTENDENT JORGE SILVA BAÑUELOS AS THE PARK SERVICE WORKS ON A NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SPECIAL SPOT IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS.
>> Laura: HI, AND WELCOME.
>> Silva: THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Laura: SO YOU OVERSEE WHAT'S ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS IN NEW MEXICO, 89,000 ACRES IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS.
AND NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OVERSEES IT NOW, BUT IT HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH VARIED MANAGEMENT.
WHAT HAS MADE MANAGEMENT OF THIS AREA SO COMPLICATED, OR WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE?
>> Silva: YOU KNOW, I AGREE, IT'S A VERY INSPIRING LOCATION.
THE LANDSCAPE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING IN NEW MEXICO, AND HAVING GROWN UP IN ALBUQUERQUE, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL ALL AROUND NEW MEXICO AND THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE PLACE AND WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS LOCATION.
IT HAS A REALLY INTERESTING HISTORY DATING BACK INTO THE 19th CENTURY WHEN IN ABOUT 1860, IT BECAME A PRIVATE LAND HOLDING, AND IT'S BEEN UNDER KIND OF DISPUTE OVER HOW IT'S MANAGED EVER SINCE.
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FIRST TRIED TO ACQUIRE VALLES CALDERA IN 1898, AND OVER THE CENTURIES THEY TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL 2015, OR 2014 THAT THAT OCCURRED.
BUT OVER THAT TIME, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS, WHETHER FROM PRIVATE RANCH LANDOWNERS TO DIFFERENT FEDERAL AGENCIES INTERESTED IN IT, TO STATE GOVERNMENTS INTERESTED IN MANAGING IT, TO TRIBAL ENTITIES INTERESTED IN OWNING AND MANAGING IT.
SO I THINK THAT JUST -- FOR ME, THAT TENDS TO INDICATE HOW SPECIAL IT IS, THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE IS PROTECTED FOR IT.
>> Laura: BACK WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS GETTING READY TO BUY THE PRIVATE RANCH, I WAS PRETTY EXCITED BECAUSE I HAD KIND OF PEERED INTO THOSE LANDS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I HAVE TO ADMIT I STILL AM NOT QUITE SURE -- AND I'M LIKE PRETTY SAVVY ABOUT PUBLIC LANDS AND RECREATION.
I'M STILL NOT QUITE SURE, LIKE, WHAT MY OPPORTUNITIES ARE FOR DOING COOL THINGS AT VALLES CALDERA.
>> Silva: WELL, I THINK THE PARK WEBSITE IS PROBABLY THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK AT WHAT ALL WE OFFER CURRENTLY, GIVEN THOSE LIMITATIONS WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES.
BUT RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE RELATED TO SELF-GUIDED RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF HIKING TRAILS THAT ARE ALSO OPEN TO HORSEBACK RIDING AS WELL AS MOUNTAIN BIKING.
THAT TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.
MOST NATIONAL PARKS DON'T ALLOW MOUNTAIN BIKING EXCEPT ON PAVED ROADS.
BUT TO SOME DEGREE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS.
THE PRIVATE LAND USE HISTORY IS CHOCK FULL OF EXAMPLES OF EXPLOITATION OF THIS LANDSCAPE.
WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND MILES OF LOGGING ROADS FROM THE 20th CENTURY.
A LOT OF THOSE LOGGING ROADS END UP BEING VERY SUITABLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE MOUNTAIN BIKING THAT ISN'T GOING TO CREATE ANYMORE DISTURBANCES OR IMPACTS TO NATURAL CULTURAL RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT OTHERS CANNOT.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMMING.
WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD THAT UP WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING RANGER LED TALKS AND WALKS, AS WELL AS MORE NONPERSONAL EXHIBITS OUT IN THE LANDSCAPE TO SHARE WHY THIS PLACE IS MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY LANDSCAPE, BUT HAS DEEP HISTORICAL ROOTS IN NEW MEXICO, WHY IT'S OF INCREDIBLY SACRED AND CEREMONIAL IMPORTANCE TO NUMEROUS AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES AND PUEBLOS, AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE ARE DEVELOPING RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, THAT WE'RE BALANCING THE PRESERVATION OF THOSE VALUES.
>> Laura: YOU'VE BEEN GETTING SOME PUSHBACK FOR A NEW ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM.
THAT'S 35 DAILY BACK COUNTRY VEHICLE PERMITS.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO VISIT?
>> Silva: WELL, IN 2021, WE HAD ABOUT 76,000 VISITORS, AND FROM OUR VISITATION STATISTICS IN 2015, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TAKING OVER AS THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, WE ESTIMATED THERE WERE ABOUT 30,000.
SO WE'VE SEEN A MARKED INCREASE ALREADY.
I BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW, PARTICULARLY AFTER WE IMPROVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES.
BUT THERE'S A BALANCE, AS I'VE SHARED BEFORE.
WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO WITH OUR GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN RIGHT NOW IS FIRST LOOK AT OUR ZONING MANAGEMENT, AND THIS IS SIMILAR TO ANY CITY OR TOWN WHERE YOU IDENTIFY WHERE IS THERE RESIDENTIAL ZONING, WHERE IS THERE COMMERCIAL, WHERE IS INDUSTRIAL, AND YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO MIX THOSE.
IN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, WE DO A SIMILAR TYPE OF ZONING MANAGEMENT, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED CERTAIN AREAS IN A PRELIMINARY FASHION WHERE WE WANT TO FOCUS MORE ON THAT VISITOR ENGAGEMENT ZONE WHERE MOST OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, MOST OF OUR VISITOR SERVICES ARE GOING TO BE LOCATED.
AND THEN AS YOU BRANCH OUT FROM THOSE LOCATIONS, YOU HAVE A SELF-GUIDED ZONE AND THEN A BACK COUNTRY SELF-RELIANCE ZONE.
AND THE FARTHER YOU GO FROM THESE VISITOR ENGAGEMENT ZONES, THE LESS INFRASTRUCTURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, THE MORE PRIMITIVE, THE MORE WILD EXPERIENCE.
AND FOR OUR BACK COUNTRY SELF-RELIANCE ZONE, WE'RE FRANKLY NOT PRIORITIZING HUMAN USES, WE'RE PRIORITIZING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, WILDLIFE HABITAT, PLANT HABITAT, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE THIS PLACE EXTREMELY SPECIAL.
SO WHEN YOU GO OUT INTO THE BACK COUNTRY, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BECOME A DISNEYLAND.
WE'VE HEARD MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS, THIS PLACE IS SO SPECIAL, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOVED TO DEATH.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS MORE OF OUR VISITATION IN OUR FRONT COUNTRY WHERE WE CAN HAVE MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, CONCENTRATE VISITORS, CONCENTRATE ANY IMPACTS THAT THOSE VISITORS MAY HAVE, AND LEAVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PRESERVE IN A MORE PRIMITIVE WILD STATE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BACK COUNTRY VEHICLE PASS, WE WANTED TO MOVE IT ON TO ONLINE RESERVATION SERVICE SO WHETHER YOU'RE COMING FROM ALBUQUERQUE OR ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, YOU HAVE THE SAME ABILITY TO RESERVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT BACK COUNTRY EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT ALSO GOES TOWARDS THAT NATIONAL PARK EXPERIENCE, THAT IF YOU'RE COMING FROM OUT OF STATE OR EVEN INTERNATIONALLY, THAT YOU CAN FIND THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
IN TERMS OF THE 35 LIMIT, THAT'S A LEGACY FROM THE PRIOR FEDERAL AGENCY MANAGING THE PRESERVE.
IN OUR GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN, ONE OTHER ASPECT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON IS OVERALL CARING CAPACITY.
AGAIN, GROUNDED IN THAT ZONING MANAGEMENT.
THAT 35 MAY CHANGE.
IT MAY GO UP, IT MAY STAY THE SAME.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET IN OUR GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROCESS YET.
BUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS WILL BE BASED ON, ONE, SAFETY OF VISITORS.
RIGHT NOW, THAT BACK COUNTRY ROAD IS A ONE LANE DIRT ROAD, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF CARRYING CAPACITY AS IT STANDS.
BUT ALSO, WHAT ARE THE VALUES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN.
WHAT ARE THOSE FUTURE DESIRED CONDITIONS THAT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN IN THE BACK COUNTRY, AND NOT MAKING THIS A PAVED ROAD WHERE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR VISITORS CAN DRIVE BACK THERE, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE FEELING AND EXPERIENCE OF OUR BACK COUNTRY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE GATHERED FROM OUR PUBLIC SCOPING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT, I GET THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO PRESERVE THOSE VALUES IN THE BACK COUNTRY.
AND SO IT'LL BE A FUNCTION OF FINDING THAT RIGHT BALANCE OF HOW MANY VISITORS CAN WE SUSTAIN IN THE BACK COUNTRY WHILE MAINTAINING THOSE VALUES.
>> Laura: SEEMS LIKE THAT BALANCE CAN BE REALLY TRICKY, THOUGH, BECAUSE I CAN -- I'M CURIOUS IF PEOPLE CAN'T, ESPECIALLY NEW MEXICANS, CAN'T EXPERIENCE THOSE LANDS FIRSTHAND, IF THEY DON'T GET THE BACK COUNTRY PERMIT IN TIME, OR THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY GET THERE, POTENTIALLY IT MAKES PEOPLE LESS INTERESTED IN PROTECTING IT FOR THE LONG-TERM.
SO I'M CURIOUS HOW THE PARK SERVICE CAN BALANCE THAT.
BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES SEEM LIKE PEOPLE WANT TO GET IN THERE, BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR PUBLIC LANDS.
SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT?
>> Silva: WELL, THERE'S TWO THINGS.
ONE, IN THIS PROCESS, WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND HOW FAR VISITORS CAN GO IN THEIR VEHICLES WITHOUT ANY SORT OF A PERMIT OR PASS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND FOR THE LONGEST TIME, WHEN IT WAS A PRIVATE RANCH, THAT ACCESS WAS LIMITED TO NEW MEXICO STATE ROUTE 4 ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE VALLES GRANDE.
WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE OUR PRIMARY FRONT COUNTRY VISITOR ENGAGEMENT ZONE IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE VALLES GRANDE, WHERE THAT CAN SERVE AS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR VARIOUS RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PARK UNIT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER CULTURAL AND NATURAL VALUES THAT WE CAN SHOWCASE, LIKE AN OLD GROWTH FOREST, A HISTORY GROVE IN THAT AREA, A MID 20th CENTURY RANCH AREA WITH A NUMBER OF HISTORIC CABINS IN THAT LOCATION.
AND FROM THERE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TRAILHEADS WHERE YOU CAN GO BEYOND THAT.
THE TWO POINTS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK WE GET CAUGHT UP ON, WE NEED A VEHICLE, WE NEED A CAR TO EXPERIENCE OUR PUBLIC LANDS, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THAT.
THAT BACK COUNTRY PASS IS ONLY FOR VEHICLES.
IF YOU ARE ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE, IF YOU'RE ON FOOT, IF YOU'RE ON HORSEBACK, YOU DON'T NEED ANY VEHICLE PASS, YOU DON'T NEED ANY SORT OF BACK COUNTRY PASS TO GO BEYOND THAT LOCATION.
SO IT'S HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH OUR PUBLIC LANDS MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT IT'S NOT SO CAR CENTRIC.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS HOW WE TRY TO PRESERVE THOSE VALUES AND EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE IN DIFFERENT FORMS.
BUT FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLANNING, WE ARE SEEKING TO EXPAND QUITE CONSIDERABLY HOW FAR PEOPLE CAN DRIVE INTO THE PARK UNIT, AND THEN HAVE TRAILHEADS AND PARKING AREAS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THEY CAN SERVE AS POINTS OF DEPARTURE TO OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE PARK WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO HIKING, MOUNTAIN BIKING, HORSEBACK RIDING.
RIGHT NOW, THE 35 VEHICLE LIMIT, AS WE'VE IDENTIFIED IT, IT'S NOT CREATING ANY SORT OF LIMITATION FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO GO INTO THE BACK COUNTRY.
IF YOU GO ON REC.GOV RIGHT NOW, ALL OF OUR DATES ARE STILL AVAILABLE THAT HAVE BEEN OPENED UP SO FAR.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE EXCEEDED OUR CAPACITY FOR VISITATION, PARTICULARLY AS MOST VISITORS ARE COMING FOR ONE TO TWO HOURS AND WE HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE IN OUR FRONT COUNTRY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO THE BACK.
OVER TIME, AGAIN, WITH THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLANNING, WE DO HAVE A DESIRE TO EXPAND OVERNIGHT CAMPING AND BACKPACKING OPPORTUNITIES.
THAT WILL CREATE AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE BACK COUNTRY AND BE OUT THERE FOR MULTIPLE DAYS.
AGAIN, A DIFFERENT WAY OF EXPERIENCING IT THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A VEHICLE.
>> Laura: THANK YOU.
I CANNOT WAIT TO GET OUT THERE WITH A BACKPACK SOME DAY SOON.
>> Silva: EXCELLENT.
>> Laura: THANK YOU.
>> Silva: MY PLEASURE.
