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Front Country Infrastructure Improvements Project
Valles Caldera National Preserve » Front Country Infrastructure Improvements Project » Document List
Valles Caldera National Preserve is developing an Environmental Assessment for the construction and implementation of infrastructure improvements within the park's front country areas necessary to enhance visitor experience, accessibility, interpretation of the park's natural and cultural values, and recreational opportunities.
Most of the improvements the park envisions would be interim in nature - meaning they would be constructed in such a way that could be removed in the future based on decisions made in long-term management plans for the area while also allowing the park to more effectively manage visitors and protect park resources while these plans are being developed.
There are two distinct areas of the park which currently receive the majority of visitation: 1) the Entrance Station area situated in the middle of the Valle Grande near Cerro La Jara along the main park entrance road; and 2) the Cabin District located on the north side of the Valle Grande comprising the various former ranch buildings constructed during the period of private ownership. The park is interested in making meaningful infrastructure improvements in these locations that would support improving visitor enjoyment while managing visitors to protect park resources.
The park is proposing to make the Cabin District more accessible to people with disabilities and facilitate visitors accessing this area without the need for a backcountry vehicle permit as is currently the case. The park is considering the creation of two new parking areas near the cabin district, improvements to buildings to make them accessible to people with disabilities, the addition of new trails for public and administrative use in and around the Cabin District, an automatic gate that does not require visitors to get out of their vehicle to open and close, subsurface utility installation to existing historic and non-historic buildings, and trailhead kiosks at existing trails which would provide better information to visitors.
At the Entrance Station area the park is proposing to modify the VC01 entrance road to reroute one-way traffic into the Entrance Station parking area, redesign the existing parking lot to provide a lane that will direct inbound traffic through a new entrance booth, remove the existing livestock corrals, add two new electric vehicle charging stations in the parking area, and make accessibility improvements to the Entrance Station building and to entry and exit gates in this area.
These improvements would remain in place over the short-term foreseeable future as the park works on developing long-term management plans for the park. It is estimated that some of these interim improvements would be in place for 5-10 years, and their benefits and impacts should are being considered within that context. Once the park has solidified the long-term vision and direction for the management of this area, facilities could be retained, removed, relocated, or modified in accordance with the desired long-term plan.
Public Comment Considerations
• Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
• Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information, be aware that your entire comment - including your personally identifiable information - may be made public at any time. You may ask us to withhold your personally identifiable information from public review, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
• The proposed project is an undertaking as outlined under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (36 CRF § 800). NPS anticipates that the undertaking will result in adverse effects to both historic and prehistoric cultural resources, which will be resolved through a programmatic agreement document with the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, interested tribes, and other interested parties. Should others, including members of the public, be interested in expressing their views regarding how NPS identifies these properties, assesses potential effects, and resolves adverse effects to historic and prehistoric resources, those views can be submitted through this EA comment process.
Most of the improvements the park envisions would be interim in nature - meaning they would be constructed in such a way that could be removed in the future based on decisions made in long-term management plans for the area while also allowing the park to more effectively manage visitors and protect park resources while these plans are being developed.
There are two distinct areas of the park which currently receive the majority of visitation: 1) the Entrance Station area situated in the middle of the Valle Grande near Cerro La Jara along the main park entrance road; and 2) the Cabin District located on the north side of the Valle Grande comprising the various former ranch buildings constructed during the period of private ownership. The park is interested in making meaningful infrastructure improvements in these locations that would support improving visitor enjoyment while managing visitors to protect park resources.
The park is proposing to make the Cabin District more accessible to people with disabilities and facilitate visitors accessing this area without the need for a backcountry vehicle permit as is currently the case. The park is considering the creation of two new parking areas near the cabin district, improvements to buildings to make them accessible to people with disabilities, the addition of new trails for public and administrative use in and around the Cabin District, an automatic gate that does not require visitors to get out of their vehicle to open and close, subsurface utility installation to existing historic and non-historic buildings, and trailhead kiosks at existing trails which would provide better information to visitors.
At the Entrance Station area the park is proposing to modify the VC01 entrance road to reroute one-way traffic into the Entrance Station parking area, redesign the existing parking lot to provide a lane that will direct inbound traffic through a new entrance booth, remove the existing livestock corrals, add two new electric vehicle charging stations in the parking area, and make accessibility improvements to the Entrance Station building and to entry and exit gates in this area.
These improvements would remain in place over the short-term foreseeable future as the park works on developing long-term management plans for the park. It is estimated that some of these interim improvements would be in place for 5-10 years, and their benefits and impacts should are being considered within that context. Once the park has solidified the long-term vision and direction for the management of this area, facilities could be retained, removed, relocated, or modified in accordance with the desired long-term plan.
Public Comment Considerations
• Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
• Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information, be aware that your entire comment - including your personally identifiable information - may be made public at any time. You may ask us to withhold your personally identifiable information from public review, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
• The proposed project is an undertaking as outlined under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (36 CRF § 800). NPS anticipates that the undertaking will result in adverse effects to both historic and prehistoric cultural resources, which will be resolved through a programmatic agreement document with the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, interested tribes, and other interested parties. Should others, including members of the public, be interested in expressing their views regarding how NPS identifies these properties, assesses potential effects, and resolves adverse effects to historic and prehistoric resources, those views can be submitted through this EA comment process.