114 STAT. 598 PUBLIC LAW 106-248^TULY 25, 2000 Public Law 106-248 106th Congress An Act T1 9P;9nnn '^° authorize the acquisition of the Valles Caldera, to provide for an effective ^—' - land and wildlife management program for this resource within the Department tS. 1892] of Agriculture, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Valles Caldera TITLE I—^VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL N^wMelT^- PRESERVE AND TRUST 16 USC 698v SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the "Valles Caldera Preservation Act". 16 USC 698v. SEC. 102. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress finds that— (1) the Baca ranch comprises most of the Valles Caldera in central New Mexico, and constitutes a unique land mass, with significant scientific, cultural, historic, recreational, ecological, wildlife, fisheries, and productive values; (2) the Valles Caldera is a large resurgent lava dome with potential geothermal activity; (3) the land comprising the Baca ranch was originally granted to the heirs of Don Luis Maria Cabeza de Vaca in 1860; (4) historical evidence, in the form of old logging camps and other artifacts, and the history of territorial New Mexico indicate the importance of this land over many generations for domesticated livestock production and timber supply; (5) the careful husbandry of the Baca ranch by the current owners, including selective timbering, limited grazing and hunting, and the use of prescribed fire, have preserved a mix of healthy range and timber land with significant species diversity, thereby serving as a model for sustainable land development and use; (6) the Baca ranch's natural beauty and abundant resources, and its proximity to large municipal populations, could provide numerous recreational opportunities for hiking, fishing, camping, cross-country skiing, and hunting; (7) the Forest Service documented the scenic and natural values of the Baca ranch in its 1993 study entitled "Report on the Study of the Baca Location No. 1, Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico", as directed by Public Law 101-556;
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