The Valles Caldera Trust recently released their report to Congress, outlining its activities and progress in the management of the natural preserve. In spite of the devastating Las Conchas fire which limited access to the much of the areas in the preserve and forced cancellation of many events/activities, the Valles Caldera saw a 13% increase in visitation, and a 10.8% increase in overall revenue. Of particular interest to NMT is the report of a significant loss of the fish populations in some of the area creeks. The newly-begun Southwest Jemez Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, funded through USDA from a Congressional Act sponsored by Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, is now attempting to restore Valles Caldera and Jemez Ranger District forests in a strategic manner, working first on selected areas that could impede the spread of wildfires.
The full report of the Trust is at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/about/trust/docs/AnnualReportCongress2011.pdf