Valles Caldera to Seek Public Comment on Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment

News Release Date:
August 20, 2024

Contact:Dave Krueger, 505-412-0826

Jemez Springs, NM - The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a fire management plan for Valles Caldera National Preserve and is seeking public input on the plan's environmental assessment from September 3 through October 3.

The assessment defines two alternatives for managing wildland fires in Valles Caldera to protect visitors, infrastructure, and park resources - a no action option and the park's preferred action. Under the no action option, the NPS would suppress all naturally-caused fires. Under the preferred action option, in addition to fire suppression, the NPS can manage wildland fires within the park boundary for resource benefit and to reduce the risk of megafires, in collaboration with tribes and pueblos, adjacent landowners, and other land management agencies. Under both options, any human-caused fire will be suppressed.

"Now that Valles Caldera has completed most of its planned forest thinning projects over the last 15 years, this is a critical next step to allow fire to play a beneficial role in the ecosystem while protecting surrounding communities from catastrophic fire events," said Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos. "We are all too familiar with the damage large-scale wildfires can have in the area, and we can minimize this risk by reducing fuel loads through more frequent low-intensity fires."

Once the environmental assessment is available for review and comment, it will be posted on the National Park Service's Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website. A link will be provided on the park's Planning web page (https://www.nps.gov/vall/getinvolved/planning.htm). In addition, there will be an interactive StoryMap to explore, and the NPS will host two community open house meetings. The first meeting will be held on September 4, 2024 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Los Alamos Nature Center (2600 Canyon Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544) and the second meeting will be held on September 5, 2024 from 4 pm to 7 pm at Valles Caldera Headquarters (90 Villa Louis Martin, Jemez Springs, NM 87025).

nps.gov/vall

Valles Caldera National Preserve | About 1.2 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 14-mile-wide circular depression now known as Valles Caldera. The park is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich cultural history. Visit us at nps.gov/vall.

National Park Service | More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 420+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at nps.gov.

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