The over 50 mile long boundary fenceline surrounding the Valles Caldera National Preserve had not been maintained since the early 2000s when it was still the Baca Ranch. We are working with the Forest Service on clearing deadfall, repairing and rebuilding the boundary fence to reduce instances of trespass cattle into VCNP.
A handful of organizations had built small sections of fence over the years, but in 2024, Rio Grande Return started to fully address the entire perimeter. Last season, we completely rebuilt nine miles of fenceline including much of the north boundary of the Caldera and sections of the southern and western boundaries.
Led by staff member Harold Yazzie and crew from the Torreon Chapter House of the Navajo Nation, the work is proving to be extremely difficult because of the rugged terrain and remote access points. In order to access the remote locations, the RGR team has been using mules to help carry equipment and fencing.