Valles Caldera National Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Valles Caldera National Preserve |
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Valles Caldera
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 Valles Caldera National Preserve
Location in New Mexico
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties, New Mexico, United States |
| Nearest city | Los Alamos, NM |
| Area | 88,900 acres (360 km2) |
| Established | July 25, 2000 |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Valles Caldera National Preserve |
| Designated: | 1975 |
The Valles Caldera National Preserve is a special protected area in New Mexico, United States. It is located in Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties, near Los Alamos. This preserve protects a large part of the Valles Caldera, which is a huge volcanic crater. It's important for its unique geology, amazing wildlife, and cultural history.
The preserve covers about 89,216 acres (361 square kilometers). For many years, it was managed by a group called the Valles Caldera Trust. But in 2015, the preserve became part of the National Park Service. This means it is now managed by the same organization that looks after famous places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon!
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How Valles Caldera Became a Preserve
The Valles Caldera National Preserve was created on July 25, 2000. This happened when President Bill Clinton signed a law called the Valles Caldera Preservation Act. This law allowed the United States government to buy the land. Before this, it was a private ranch known as the Baca Ranch.
The government bought about 95,000 acres (384 square kilometers) of the land. They also bought most of the rights to the heat energy (geothermal minerals) under the ground. This purchase cost $101 million. The money came from a special fund that uses payments from oil and natural gas drilling in the ocean.
Some parts of the Baca Ranch are very important to Native American groups. Because of this, about 5,000 acres (20 square kilometers) of the land were given to the Pueblo of Santa Clara. This area includes the start of Santa Clara Creek, which is sacred to the Pueblo people. Also, 300 acres (1.2 square kilometers) on the southwest side were given to Bandelier National Monument.
Amazing Nature and Wildlife
The Baca Ranch was home to many different kinds of trees and a wide variety of plants and animals. When the government bought the land, it had about 40 miles (64 kilometers) of clean trout streams. It also had 66,118 acres (267 square kilometers) of conifer forests. These are forests with trees like pine and fir.
The preserve is also home to 17 types of plants and animals that are endangered. This means they are at risk of disappearing forever. There are also 25,000 acres (101 square kilometers) of grasslands. These grasslands are grazed by New Mexico's largest herd of about 8,000 elk.
The Valles Caldera National Preserve is surrounded by other protected lands. These include the Santa Fe National Forest, the Jemez National Recreation Area, and Bandelier National Monument. This helps to create a large area where wildlife can thrive.
Management Changes for the Preserve
When the preserve was first created, a group called the Valles Caldera Trust managed it. This was an experiment to see if a private-style group could manage federal land. The idea was for the preserve to earn enough money to support itself by 2015. However, this plan did not work out as expected. The Trust found it hard to raise enough money to manage the preserve each year.
Many environmental groups believed the preserve should be managed by the National Park Service. They thought this would offer better protection for the land. After some discussion and new laws, the preserve was officially transferred to the National Park Service. This happened on October 1, 2015.
A special event was held on October 10, 2015, to celebrate this change. Important people, including government officials and senators, attended the dedication. They welcomed the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service family.
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Valles Caldera
See also
In Spanish: Caldera de los Valles para niños
