by William Debuys (Author), Don J. Usner (Author)
About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera, located in northern New Mexico. This revised & expanded edition marks the twentieth anniversary of the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, a visionary piece of legislation that transferred to the public domain a privately owned ranch (signed in 2000 by President Bill Clinton). The preserve was assigned to a board of citizens appointed by the president to manage it as a self-sustaining preserve. The experiment in semi-private land management ended in 2014 as the Valles Caldera was legislatively reassigned to the National Park Service.
Author Biography
William deBuys is the author of nine books, among them Enchantment and Exploitation: The Life and Hard Times of a New Mexico Mountain Range and River of Traps: A New Mexico Mountain Life (with Alex Harris). Don J. Usner was born and raised in New Mexico. He earned his BA in biology and environmental studies at the University of California and his MA in cultural geography at the University of New Mexico. His books include The Natural History of Big Sur and from MNMP Sabino's Map: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza, Benigna's Chimayó, New Mexico Route 66 on Tour, and ¡Órale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico.