Santa Fe conservationists bid for right to graze on Valles Caldera

An environmental group has placed a $50,000 bid for the right to graze three to five cows on the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve this summer. But WildEarth Guardians is not getting into the ranching business. The group is trying to preserve the area's ecosystem. The amount of the bid is thousands of dollars more per cow than the normal fees ranchers pay to graze on public lands. Bryan Bird, who manages conservation programs for WildEarth Guardians, says running only three to five cows on the preserve would guarantee little damage to its ecosystem. Bird declined to say where the money came from for the bid. WildEarth Guardians receives private grants and donations and government grants for specific projects. AP