[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 82 (Thursday, May 27, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4551-S4553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself and Mr. Udall of New Mexico):
  S. 3452. A bill to designate the Valles Caldera National Preserve as 
a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that would transfer administrative jurisdiction of the Valles Caldera 
National Preserve from the Valles Caldera Trust to the National Park 
Service. I am pleased that my colleague from New Mexico, Tom Udall, is 
cosponsoring the bill.
  Between the New Mexico communities of Jemez Springs and Los Alamos, 
lies the Valle Grande, a magnificent valley surrounded by foothills and 
forested mountains. When standing in this valley, visitors begin to 
realize they are actually inside a larger bowl-shaped formation. This 
is the Valles Caldera--one of only three supervolcanoes in the United 
States. The oldest of the three--having formed 1.25 million years ago--
the Valles Caldera is also the smallest. Yet the caldera rim spans more 
than 100,000 acres in area whose violent eruption created a volcanic 
ash plume that stretched from northern Utah to central Kansas. Because 
of its relatively small size as compared to the two other 
supervolcanoes in the U.S.--Yellowstone, WY, and Long Valley, CA, the 
Valles Caldera provides visitors with excellent opportunities to learn 
about large volcanic eruptions and their impacts on surrounding 
landscapes while they stand in a single space to experience one of the 
world's best examples of an intact resurgent caldera. In 1975, the 
Valles Caldera received formal recognition as an outstanding and 
nationally significant geologic resource when it was designated a 
National Natural Landmark.
  As is the case in many parts of New Mexico, the geologic history of 
the Valles Caldera is inextricably linked to our State's cultural 
history. For example, the people of Jemez Pueblo chose the area as the 
best site to establish their community. The Valles Caldera and the 
adjacent Jemez Mountains provided the Pueblo with an ample food and 
water supply, natural defenses, and weapon-making materials present in 
the many obsidian quarries found in the area. In fact, the obsidian was 
of such high quality that spearheads made from these quarries have been 
discovered as far away as eastern Mississippi and northern Mexico. 
Needless to say, the Valles Caldera and the peaks that formed within it 
are sacred and highly revered by Jemez Pueblo and many other nearby 
tribes and pueblos.
  The volcanic ash dispersed by the volcano's eruption also had a 
lasting impact on the history of migration and settlement by Ancestral 
Puebloan people in the region. As the ash and pumice settled, it formed 
layers of sediment, and over time, rivers helped to carve these layers 
into deep canyons. Archeologists have found evidence of nomadic tribes 
following large mammals into the region, and Ancestral Puebloans built 
homes alongside and into the soft canyon walls. Many of these awe-
inspiring settlements are protected in Bandelier National Monument, 
where the National Park Service educates visitors about how the unique 
volcanic history of the Valles Caldera made these settlements possible.
  There is no question that this area is worthy of Federal protection, 
and efforts to preserve this area were proposed as early as 1899. 
However, it was only ten years ago that the Federal government was 
finally able to acquire this property for the American people. At that 
time, Senator Domenici and I were successful in passing the Valles 
Caldera Preservation Act which authorized the acquisition of the 
property and established an experimental framework for the management 
of the Preserve for a period of 20 years. The legislation established 
the Valles Caldera Trust, composed of a nine-member board of trustees, 
whose members are appointed by the President and have particular 
expertise in fields important to the management of the Preserve. The 
bill also directed the Trust to manage the Preserve in a manner that 
would achieve financial self-sustainability after fifteen years. Five 
years thereafter, the Trust would be Although the individual members 
have done their best to fulfill the original legislative directives, 
time has shown in my opinion that this management framework is not the 
best suited for the long-term management of the Preserve.
  Part of the experimental management framework was a requirement that 
the Valles Caldera Trust manage the Preserve in a manner that would 
achieve financial self-sustainability while providing for public access 
and protection of the Preserve's natural and cultural resources. This 
has proved to be a virtually impossible mandate to satisfy. Since its 
inception, the Preserve has not received adequate funding under the 
current arrangement and is unlikely to in the foreseeable future. In 
addition, most members of the board and outside observers believe the 
Trust will be unable to achieve the financial self-sustainability 
requirements called for by the original Act. The Trust has also 
indicated an infusion of approximately $15 million may be necessary to 
complete construction and deferred maintenance costs on the Preserve. I 
do not believe this funding will be forthcoming under the current 
management and budgetary framework. Moreover, much of the funding 
responsibility has been laid on the shoulders of Congress to provide 
the necessary annual funding that is not included in the President's 
annual budget. This arrangement is not sustainable in my opinion, and 
the existing statutory termination of the trust is looming.
  With that said, the trust and its executive staff have made valuable 
progress in various areas of management. One prime example is the 
science and education program established by the Trust. Through the 
scientific activities on the preserve, the trust has been able to adapt 
its management based on the ecological demands of the caldera. The 
trust has promoted the scientific research of flora and fauna on the 
preserve and the impacts of climate change in the Jemez Mountains to 
cite a few of their ongoing activities. It is my belief that the 
transition in management should allow for the retention of the best 
management practices that the Trust has achieved.
  Many New Mexicans have told me that they would like the preserve to 
be managed by an agency that will expand visitation and recreational 
opportunities while also ensuring the protection of the preserve's 
unique resources. Simply put, while my constituents eagerly want more 
access, they have stated clearly and directly--``Don't overrun it.''
  I believe the National Park Service is best suited to manage the 
preserve while ensuring its long-term conservation.
  The National Park Service's mission supports the activities called 
for most by my constituents, including expanded recreational 
opportunities, scientific study, and the interpretation of the natural 
and cultural resources in the preserve. As I discussed earlier, the 
Preserve provides a world-class opportunity for the interpretation of 
the geologic history of this unique area and of the fascinating 
geologic and cultural history that binds the Valles

[[Page S4552]]

Caldera and Bandelier National Monument.
  Under our proposed legislation, management of the Valles Caldera 
National Preserve will be transferred to the National Park Service to 
be administered as a unit of the National Park System. The bill directs 
the Park Service to manage the Preserve to protect and preserve its 
natural and cultural resources, including its nationally significant 
geologic resources. Hunting and fishing would continue to be allowed, 
and grazing would also continue to be permitted. The National Park 
Service would also be directed to establish a science and education 
program utilizing the best practices created by the trust, as I 
discussed earlier.
  The legislation would maintain the existing character of the preserve 
while strengthening protections for tribal, cultural, and religious 
sites and providing access by pueblos to the preserve. In addition, in 
consultation with the surrounding pueblos, restrictions will be put in 
place on the development and motorized vehicle use on the sacred 
volcanic domes within the preserve, similar to the current restrictions 
on Redondo Peak, the highest peak within the preserve.
  I would like to emphasize that in no way is this legislation a 
criticism of the good work and valuable accomplishments made by the 
Board Members of the Valles Caldera Trust and the preserve staff. 
However, I believe having the preserve managed by the National Park 
Service--an agency with a mission protecting natural, historic, and 
cultural resources while also providing for public enjoyment of those 
resources--is more appropriate for the long-term future of the Valles 
Caldera. In my view, the desire for increased public access, balanced 
with the need to protect and interpret the Preserve's unique cultural 
and natural resources, would be best served by National Park Service 
management of the preserve.
  It is my strong belief that transferring management of the Valles 
Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service will be the best 
way to ensure the protection and enjoyment of the preserve over the 
long term. I urge my colleagues to support the bill as it is considered 
in the Senate.
  The Los Alamos County Council and Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce have 
submitted resolutions in support of National Park Service management of 
the preserve. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that these 
resolutions be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

         Incorporated County of Los Alamos Resolution No. 10-05

       A resolution supporting congressional actions to facilitate 
     the transfer of management of the Valles Caldera National 
     Preserve from the Valles Caldera Trust to the National Park 
     Service under the U.S. Department of the Interior to be 
     managed as a preserve, per the findings of the December 2009 
     updated report on the NPS 1979 new area, study that confirmed 
     the Valles Caldera National Preserve's ability to meet the 
     feasibility requirements of the National Park System.
       Whereas, the enabling legislation PL106-248 created the 
     Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) from a unique parcel 
     of land in north-central New Mexico, and by creating the 
     Valles Calderas Trust as a wholly-owned government 
     corporation to manage the preserve, the Valles Caldera 
     Preservation Act of 2000 established a 20-year public-private 
     experiment to operate the preserve without continued federal 
     funding; and
       Whereas, the Trust is charged with protecting and 
     preserving the scientific, scenic, geologic, watershed, fish, 
     wildlife, historic, cultural, and recreational values of the 
     Preserve and achieving financial self-sufficiency by 2015, 
     while operating the Preserve as a ``working ranch;'' and
       Whereas, the GAO analyzed documents and financial records, 
     and interviewed staff and stakeholders to determine the 
     Trust's progress since 2000, the extent to which the Trust 
     has fulfilled its obligations as a government corporation, 
     and the challenges the Trust faces to achieve the 
     Preservation Act goals, the results of which are published in 
     an October 2009 Report to Congressional Committees, 
     concluding that ``The Trust Has Made Progress but Faces 
     Significant Challenges to Achieve Goals of the Preservation 
     Act;'' and
       Whereas, the national significance of the geological 
     resources of the Valles Caldera was formally recognized in 
     1975 when the area was designated a National Natural 
     Landmark; and
       Whereas, the National Park Service (NPS) has existed since 
     1916 and has a proven record for successfully managing 89 
     million acres of sensitive and historically important public 
     lands in America; and
       Whereas, Senator Jeff Bingaman and Senator Tom Udall, on 
     June 24, 2009 requested that the NPS undertake a 
     reconnaissance study of the Valles Caldera National Preserve 
     to assess its potential for inclusion in the NPS as a 
     National Preserve; and
       Whereas, the NPS completed ``An Updated Report on the NPS 
     1979 New Area Study'' published on December 15, 2009 which 
     includes the following conclusion based on the findings: ``. 
     . . the feasibility of the Valles Caldera for inclusion in 
     the national park system has been enhanced since 1979. The 
     national significance and suitability of the site for 
     inclusion in the system is confirmed;'' and
       Whereas, the report concludes that ``current uses within 
     the VCNP are generally compatible with those in other 
     preserves or parks in the national park system, and there is 
     untapped potential for enhancing public enjoyment;'' and
       Whereas, the report further concludes that ``a single 
     management entity for Valles Caldera and Bandelier would 
     enhance communication, and integration of management programs 
     that require a regional approach, such as fire management, 
     law enforcement, and emergency response would facilitate 
     comprehensive management of resource issues that affect both 
     the Preserve and Bandelier National Monument;'' and
       Whereas, the report states that ``the national information 
     system and audience for sites within the National Park System 
     would [result in] increases in regional and national public 
     use of the area . . . [and] result in increased retail sales 
     for recreation and convenience goods locally, as well as 
     increased volume of recreational, tourist, and other 
     services; and
       Whereas, the VCNP adjoins Los Alamos County lands and is 
     treasured by residents and visitors as a valuable natural, 
     historical, recreational and educational resource; and
       Whereas, Los Alamos County is recognized and marketed as 
     the primary gateway to the VCNP, providing support services 
     such as lodging, restaurants, shopping and additional 
     cultural and recreational experiences to tourists from around 
     the world who seek out this unique, north-central New Mexico 
     attraction; and
       Whereas, management of this resource directly affects Los 
     Alamos County's economic development initiatives, 
     particularly in the area of tourism marketing; and
       Whereas, the majority of the members of public who 
     submitted comment via meeting and e-mail expressed their 
     desire for the National Park Service to assume land 
     management and operations for the Valles Caldera National 
     Preserve; and
       Whereas, the National Park Service policies require a 
     general management plan process that engages the public in a 
     collaborative effort to identify preferred uses, restrictions 
     and management practices, while allowing temporary public 
     access to the Valles Caldera National Preserve; and
       Whereas, the County respectfully requests that the enabling 
     legislation include language to expedite the management plan 
     process, where possible, in order to move from planning and 
     temporary access to implementation. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, by the Council of the Incorporated County of Los 
     Alamos, That the County of Los Alamos supports the transfer 
     of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the U.S. 
     Department of the Interior's National Park Service to be 
     managed as a preserve. Los Alamos County requests to be 
     notified and involved in the process at every opportunity; be 
     it further
       Resolved, That if legislation to transfer the Preserve is 
     not enacted in 2010 Congress consider action to modify the 
     year 2000 enabling legislation to remove obstacles 
     restricting the Valles Caldera Trust's ability to effectively 
     manage the Preserve to meet the public's access priorities
                                  ____

                                             Los Alamos Commerce &


                                            Development Corp.,

                                   Los Alamos, NM, April 27, 2010.

     Subject: Comment Concerning Future Management of Valles 
         Caldera.

     Senator Jeff Bingaman,
     Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Bingaman: Please accept our organization's 
     comment on the question of the future management of the 
     Valles Caldera property. Our organization operates several 
     programs having strong interest in this matter. The Los 
     Alamos Chamber of Commerce is an association of about 300 
     businesses, organizations, and individuals interested in 
     positive community and economic development and our Los 
     Alamos Meeting and Visitor Bureau program operates visitor 
     centers in Los Alamos and White Rock and is an important 
     resource for understanding visitation and tourism in our 
     area.
       We believe that the most desirable management option 
     coinciding with the interests of the Los Alamos community is 
     for the Valles Caldera to become a National Park managed by 
     the National Park Service. This option presents several 
     advantages:
       The National Park Service option is by far the best from 
     the standpoint of promoting visitation and tourism to the 
     area. The NPS ``arrowhead'' is a powerful brand that far 
     exceeds those of forest service and the Valles Caldera Trust 
     in terms of attracting interest and visitation.
       The NPS mission of ``safeguarding America's special 
     places'' stands in contrast with the role of the Forest 
     Service in consumptive use of resources. In contrast with the 
     VCNP Trust, the NPS works with small businesses

[[Page S4553]]

     to provide concession opportunities whereas the VCNP is 
     motivated to develop captive services that do not provide 
     such opportunities. These attributes of the NPS are best 
     aligned among the three management options with our 
     community's interests in realizing economic benefit from 
     visitation and tourism.
       In our experience in Los Alamos County, the involvement of 
     the NPS in our community has far exceeded that of the other 
     proposed management entities. Based on this experience, we 
     believe that it is more likely that the NPS would be 
     interested in working closely with our community for mutual 
     benefit.
       Please note that we do not expect the Valles Caldera to 
     become ``Los Alamos-centric'' in any of the scenarios. We 
     think that Los Alamos is a natural eastern gateway to the 
     Valles and the Jemez Mountains just as we recognize that 
     Jemez Pueblo and Jemez Springs are natural western gateway 
     communities. We understand that it will be important for 
     whatever management entity that is selected to reach out in 
     both of these directions. We encourage that as general input 
     regardless of the choice that is made.
       We think that there is an opportunity to collaborate with 
     the selected entity on a joint visitor center (or centers) in 
     Los Alamos County. Such a facility would be a natural first 
     stop for visitors to Los Alamos and would feature not only 
     the Valles Caldera, but also Bandelier National Monument, the 
     Bradbury Science Museum, the Los Alamos Historical Museum, 
     the Pajarito Environmental Education Center, area Pueblos, 
     and area recreational attractions. We are currently the 
     operator of the visitor center here and we would welcome the 
     opportunity to collaborate on a joint visitor center. We 
     believe that this would enhance the visitor experience as 
     well as enable economies of operation.
       Thank you for listening to and accepting our input. Our 
     organization stands ready to assist the selected management 
     entity for the Valles Caldera.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Kevin Holsapple,
                                               Executive Director.
       On behalf of the Board of Directors of LACDC.

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, today I join Senator Bingaman 
in introducing a bill to designate the Valles Caldera National Preserve 
as a unit of the National Park System. Known as the Valle Grande, this 
icon of the Jemez Mountains is one of the largest volcanic calderas in 
the world. The vast grass-filled valleys, forested hillsides, and 
numerous volcanic peaks make the Valles Caldera a treasure to New 
Mexico, and a landscape of national significance millions of years in 
the making.
  Volcanic activity began in the Jemez Mountains about 10 million years 
ago. This activity reached a climax about 1.5 million years ago with a 
series of explosive rhyolitic eruptions that dropped hundreds of meters 
of volcanic ash for miles surrounding the caldera, and gave the 
surrounding area its distinctive landscapes of pink and white tuff 
overlaying the black basalts of the Rio Grande Rift. In the millennia 
following the Caldera's explosive creation, natural processes of 
erosion and weathering carved vibrant canyons and left pinion topped 
mesa stretching like fingers away from the massive caldera. As the 
great valley was drained of magma, and later a caldera lake, it filled 
with the diversity of plants and wildlife that makes the area so 
valuable to biologists and ecologists today. With such resources and 
natural beauty, it is no wonder that for millennia people have also 
been an integral part Valle Grande.
  For generations innumerable, the Valles Caldera has been a part of 
life for the Pueblo Tribes of northern New Mexico. Today, the caldera 
continues to have important cultural and religious significance, 
something that must and will be respected and protected as the preserve 
moves into the management of the National Park Service.
  In recent centuries, the Valles Caldera has been often in private 
ownership beginning with Spanish settlers who introduced livestock to 
the grassy valleys that continue to fatten elk and cattle in the summer 
months. Recognizing the unique national significance of the caldera, 
the Federal Government finally purchased the area in 2000 through the 
Valles Caldera Preservation Act, which I was proud to help shepherd 
through Congress with Senator Bingaman and then-Senator Domenici. The 
subsequent creation of the Valles Caldera National Preserve included 
the creation of a board of directors and the Valles Caldera Trust to 
manage the area. The legislation also included mandates for stakeholder 
involvement and eventual financial self-sufficiency of the preserve.
  As Senator Bingaman and I take steps today to begin a transition of 
the Valles Caldera into the National Park System, I want to applaud the 
decade of work that both the Board of Trustees and the Valles Caldera 
Trust have dedicated to the preserve. I especially want to highlight 
the contributions of individual employees who have been on the ground 
in the caldera, day after day, developing research programs that 
utilize the unmatched natural resources of the caldera, managing cattle 
grazing and expanding the livestock program to include cutting edge 
scientific research, and extending educational opportunities in the 
caldera to students from across state and the country.
  With the heavy mandate of self-sufficiency looming and the annual 
struggle to get sufficient funding for the caldera, Senator Bingaman 
and I are proposing a new direction forward. As a new unit of the 
National Park Service, the National Preserve will have a sustainable 
future with greater access to the public.
  Since 1939, the National Park Service has conducted numerous studies 
of the Valles Caldera. In each, the Park Service consistently deemed 
the area of significant national value because of its unique and 
unaltered geology, and its singular setting, which are conducive to 
public recreation, reflection, education, and research. With this 
legislation the Secretary of Interior is directed to continue the 
longstanding grazing, education, and hunting programs that so many New 
Mexicans value as a once-ina-lifetime opportunity. By utilizing the 
resources and skills within the National Park Service, I believe the 
Valles Caldera National Preserve will continue to prosper as a natural 
wonder full of significant geology, ecology, history, and culture.
  The Valle Grande is truly that: a great valley that so very many New 
Mexicans value and feel connected to. The future of the preserve is of 
utmost importance to us in New Mexico, and also has significance 
nationally. I look forward to working with Senator Bingaman and all of 
the stakeholders who care about the future of this preserve to ensure 
that this legislation emerges from the legislative process with 
improvements that are supported by my colleagues in the Senate and--
most importantly--by the people of New Mexico.

                          ____________________