Freshly cut Christmas Trees will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Valle Grande Staging Area starting the Friday after Thanksgiving until Dec. 18. Courtesy/VCNPVCNP News:
Los Amigos de Valles Caldera will once again be helping the Valles Caldera National Preserve to thin overgrown forested areas to protect it from further large wildfires.
These freshly cut Christmas Trees will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Valle Grande Staging Area, off N.M. 4 between mile marker 39 and 40, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25, until Dec. 18. The trees will generally be White Fir of varying sizes from about 4 feet to 12 feet tall. Suggested donations will be $15, $30 and $45.
Trees will be available by credit card only during the week through the bookstore at the Entrance Station. Los Amigos volunteers will be selling the trees Saturdays and Sundays and will accept cash or checks.
The Las Conchas and Thompson Ridge fires taught us that “unhealthy” forests, with high fuel loads and uninterrupted contiguous fuel distributions across the landscape, are prime real estate for history-making uncharacteristic wildfire on a previously unimaginable scale. We know that the forests are likely to burn again, but we’re working to ensure that fire can once again play a beneficial role in the ecosystem.
We hope you will be able to come out and choose a tree for you and your family. Consider coming early as we may run out of trees, and please check road conditions before traveling. We want you to be safe! You can call 575.829.3885 or email jcounce1111@gmail.com to get an update.
Los Amigos de Valles Caldera is the official Friends Group of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Los Amigos has been working for 10 years to preserve and restore the natural wonder of one of North America’s largest calderas (extinct volcanic basins) with its unspoiled vistas, lush forests, meadow streams, and the sights and sounds of abundant wildlife. To date we have raised more than $1.5 million in restoration funds and completed six riparian and wetland restoration projects on the Preserve.
