Bandelier Superintendent Patrick Suddath Speaks At Rotary

Bandelier Superintendent Patrick Suddath speaking at a recent Rotary Club meeting. Photo by Linda Hull

By LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos

When addressing the Rotary Club of Los Alamos in November, Bandelier Superintendent Patrick Suddath recalled his first day on the job in Frijoles Canyon, the park’s center of activity.

He has maintained an unrelenting pace since then and is working closely with Valles Caldera National Preserve Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos to “share resources, integrate management across the ecosystem, and improve coordination with stakeholders”, especially communication with the Pueblos.

Collaboration is a practical proposal because the two parks share a boundary, Suddath said.

A large part of his guidance of Bandelier has already entailed critical strategic planning, and with so many visitors in 2021, a record 34,000 in October alone, setting a high standard for enhanced programming is an important part of the strategic plan.

This will include “engaging Pueblo peoples and evaluating the interpretive media about them”, Suddath said. There also will be a focus on climate change, and expectations of partnering on different projects and activities with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center, Manhattan Project National Historical Park and other community groups.

In addition to these outreach plans, a number of improvement projects are underway:

  • Agoyo Road Project;
  • Replacing roofs in the visitors center area;
  • Rehabilitating the old Fire House;
  • Constructing a retaining wall to stabilize Alcove House with further stabilization work on the kiva;
  • Reconfiguring the parking lot at Tsankawi in coordination with NNDOT; and
  • Anticipating a $34 million utility and infrastructure replacement project in 2023.

Suddath, who was born and raised in Albuquerque, often visited Bandelier and the Valles Caldera in his childhood, hiking and exploring. He remarked that Bandelier “is a different park. There has been a dramatic shift in the ecosystem due to climate change”. Accordingly, there are plans to accommodate these scientific observations in new interpretive exhibits in the park.

Before accepting the superintendent position at Bandelier, Suddath was most recently the deputy superintendent of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. He also has served as branch chief of ranger activities in Glacier National Park in Montana. Suddath worked as a fire lookout and was a wildland  firefighter at Mesa Verde National Park, and has held leadership positions in Joshua Tree and Grand Canyon national parks.

Although the next few years will not allow a great deal of spare time for Suddath to enjoy several of his favorite activities – hiking, biking, and skiing – his leadership and his staff’s teamwork will ensure that Bandelier National Monument, the treasure in our backyard, continues to provide relevant educational and outdoor opportunities for its visitors.

For more information about Bandelier National Monument, click here.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person 12-1 p.m., Tuesdays in the Community Room at Cottonwood on the Greens at the golf course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Rotary Club Vice President Linda Hull at 505.662.7950. Hull also is happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service.

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