Part of a series of articles titled 2022 Annual Report: Valles Caldera National Preserve.
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2022 Annual Report: Facilities Management
Facilities Management maintains all roads, trails, buildings, utilities, grounds, vehicles, and other physical facilities in the park to assure their safe use. They also manage construction and rehabilitation projects to support Valles Caldera's operation.
This fiscal year, the Facilities team moved into the Facilities Operation Center (FOC) and gained two new full-time employees: a Motor Vehicle Operator and a Trails Supervisor. With a new, state-of-the-art workspace and a full staff, this cohesive team has a greater capacity to address deferred maintenance and prepare for upcoming improvement projects at Valles Caldera.
In 2022, we signed agreements with the Santa Clara Pueblo for cyclic road maintenance and boundary fence repair, allowing us to grade and improve 21 miles of park roads and bring our replaced fencing total to more than 7 miles. We also restored the Coyote Call/Rabbit Ridge trail system after the Cerro Pelado Fire and began improvements on the 0201 trail over the summer. We installed ADA-compliant restrooms in high-traffic areas, addressed safety audit concerns, and completed repairs on the park’s water tanks.
To improve the visitor experience and promote sustainable operations, we completed a $10,000 renovation of the Ranger Station that included new interior flooring, energy-efficient LED lighting, and display walls for the park store. We also converted 85% of the facility to electric heat. Much of our team’s gas-powered equipment was upgraded to electric, including 4 work vehicles and multiple log splitters and blowers. Park-wide, we recycled 41,000 pounds of material and disposed of 19,000 pounds of trash. We’re looking forward to continuing this momentum in 2023.
Last updated: January 18, 2023