National Park Service to take over management of Valles Caldera

It’s 89,000 acres of pristine wilderness. The Valles Caldera Trust was created through a piece of legislation passed in 2000. Now, the coveted piece of public land is changing hands. Beginning October 1, the National Park Service will take over. The Valles Caldera started as the historic Baca Ranch, nestled in the Jemez Mountains. For years, the stunning landscape was private land. Now, representatives with the National Park Service want to make the are even more accessible. “My first hope is to make this a seamless transition for the public,” said Valles Caldera’s new superintendent, Jorge Silva-Banuelos. Silva-Banuelos hopes their hats are the only change people see when they visit the the caldera under National Park Service management.On October 10, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will be in New Mexico to help dedicate the Valles Caldera as one of the country’s newest national parks...more