Fostering the Creative and Cultural Economy

Alice Loy

A couple of weeks ago, as I drove up through the Española Valley and across the Rio Grande I reflected on my good fortune to be living in New Mexico. In the distance the Jemez Mountains sparkled with new snow; in the foreground low-lying adobe buildings puffed out sweet-smelling piñon smoke. I was on my way to Ohkay Owingeh to take a cooking class with Norma Naranjo, owner of The Feasting Place (www.thefeastingplace.com). Norma and her husband, Hutch, live and farm on the Pueblo and offer classes on traditional Pueblo cooking. They have two enormous dome-shaped ovens, hornos, in their backyard, hand-built with river rocks and mud plaster by Hutch and his family. Inside, around an enormous dining table, Norma teaches guests how to knead bread by hand, molding it into perfect rounded balls that expand and become golden brown in the hornos. If you take a cooking class with Norma you are guaranteed an experience unlike any other you’ll find in the Southwest.

Like many of you reading this article, I am a transplant to our enchanted state. I moved to New Mexico over a decade ago for three reasons: the rich cultural heritage, the awe-inspiring landscapes, and the green chile. A day with Norma brings all three of those beloved experiences together. New Mexico is distinct from any other place—we’d like to keep it that way. Fortunately, our uniqueness may prove a key economic advantage in the next economy: the creative economy.

The creative and cultural economy is emerging at the intersection of human creativity, knowledge and technological innovation. People working in the creative/cultural economy include artists, designers, chefs, filmmakers, publishers, artisan farmers, architects, craftspeople and performers. The creative economy places a premium on sustaining natural environs and enhancing diversity; it thrives where unique communities embrace their culture and traditions and apply these to markets, when appropriate.

Here in New Mexico the creative economy is emerging as a force for building thriving communities. Our goal at the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship (GCCE) is to strengthen New Mexico’s ability to successfully participate in the creative economy. Using Census and NAICS data, we have learned that 12% of New Mexicans already work in the creative/cultural economy (see the report on our website). It is a cornerstone of our economic foundation. New Mexico is uniquely positioned to leapfrog into the burgeoning creative/cultural economy, building economic opportunities for families and fostering local culture and traditions.

Previous research on cultural enterprises have demonstrated significant positive impacts on communities:

• Cultural enterprises are often “green” and more environmentally sustainable;
• Cultural work creates dignified income opportunities for women;
• Cultural enterprises build social bonds across diverse communities.

Jeff Mitchell, Ph.D. at the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UNM, describes why the creative/cultural economy offers positive opportunities for New Mexicans: “Economic development strategies based on culture provide an escape from the wage race to the bottom. To avoid the race to the bottom, a community must provide something that others cannot easily replicate, something distinctive and sustainable. Culture and other ‘place-specific’ qualities are exactly this kind of asset.” Dr. Mitchell goes on to explain that at the heart of every cultural enterprise is a cultural entrepreneur, a visionary who combines cultural assets with innovation.

At GCCE we are excited about working with cultural entrepreneurs because we see that cultural entrepreneurs drive global change. They create economic value and promote cultural preservation and innovation. They enrich our communities and the world. They generate self-determination and self-reliance. To support cultural entrepreneurs GCCE has a three-fold mission:

1. We support cultural entrepreneurs working to create and scale their enterprises.

2. We advocate for the importance of cultural entrepreneurship and the value of a culture economy.

3. We connect a global network of cultural entrepreneurs.

GCCE works with communities and cultural entrepreneurs across New Mexico through a variety of programs that are designed to work with individual entrepreneurs, communities and regions. Tom Aageson, GCCE Executive Director, explains why this approach works: “Cultural entrepreneurs need support in reaching new markets. Sometimes, the support they need is a new skill, like product development or Internet skills. However, sometimes the support they need is their community leadership working collaboratively to reduce barriers to markets or financing.”

The Northern New Mexico Cultural Corridor, an idea Tom Aageson brought to the fore, is a good example of how GCCE works regionally. The Corridor is being developed as a regional cultural tourism collaborative that will share marketing resources to bring more tourists into our communities. “Geotravelers want to explore our cultural and natural destinations, they want to shop locally, eat locally, visit our festivals and our farms,” says Selena Marroquin, GCCE agritourism program manager. Tom Aageson adds, “If our leadership decides to work regionally, collaboratively, to rebuild New Mexico’s brand in the tourism marketplace, we can compete against neighboring states that have huge budgets; if not, our tourism market share will continue to decline.” Norma Naranjo says of the Cultural Corridor, “It would really help me connect to new customers. If I market my business by myself I don’t have as much credibility. The Corridor program would help me reach more people than I ever could as just one business, one voice.”

Similar to the Cultural Corridor project, GCCE is organizing an agritourism corridor along the northern Rio Grande Valley. “People want to explore our agricultural heritage, our small farms, our wineries and roadside farm stands. So, we are collecting information on all the places people can visit, and we’ll be publishing this information and also supporting our small farms who want to participate in agritourism,” explains Selena. Eileen Reinders, co-owner with her husband Richard Reinders, of Estrella del Norte Vineyards in Nambé, was eager to get engaged in the agritourism project. “We already do agritourism—but we could more! In April we hosted a community planting day, and people from Albuquerque to Taos helped us plant five acres of new vines. Then we had a big barbecue for everyone.” Estrella del Norte has quickly become a leader in New Mexico wine sales. Eileen says it is in part because of the numerous award-winning wines they produce. But Selena chimes in, “It’s also because they give back to the community. People love the farm, so they love the wine, too.”

Other GCCE programs include the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC), founded by Jamie Blosser, noted architect and social entrepreneur. The project recently received EPSCoR support, through the National Science Foundation. Jamie says of SNCC, “Working with tribes, we saw more and more opportunities to build cultural enterprises in the planning, design and building fields. This partnership with GCCE and Enterprise Community Partners is unique in the nation.” The partnership will provide Native entrepreneurs and tribal housing authorities knowledge and tools to build sustainable, culturally sourced buildings and developments.

GCCE also works one-on-one with cultural entrepreneurs to develop their marketing and operations plans, apply for financing, and build their business into new markets. Last year GCCE trained over 500 cultural entrepreneurs to use Web 2.0 technologies to build their businesses. This spring we launch a partnership with the Hispano Chamber of Commerce and CenturyLink to bring our training program, PoweredUp!, to Albuquerque. PoweredUp! provides artists, craftspeople, artisan farmers and other creatives with hands-on training in building and using low-cost website design, social media and online sales tools. The trainings are offered in English, Spanish and Navajo.

Alice Loy is co-founder and director of programs at the Santa Fe-based Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship. 505.263.5180, alice@culturalentrepreneur.org, www.culturalentrepreneur.org The Feasting Place’s website is: www.thefeastingplace.com).

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Sustainable Tourism creates economic growth in a manner that does not deplete the natural and built environment, while preserving the culture, history, heritage and arts of the local community. Here are six types of sustainable tourism:

CULTURAL TOURISM

Cultural Tourism involves experiencing or having contact with the unique social fabric, heritage and special character of places. It is an exchange of information on lifeways, customs, beliefs, values, language, views of the environment and other cultural resources. The challenge in planning for cultural tourism is to ensure that the exchange takes place as equitably as possible, in a manner seen as appropriate by members of the host community.

CREATIVE TOURISM

Creative Tourism is directed toward an engaged and authentic experience, with participative learning in the arts, heritage or special character of a place. Creative Tourism can be a powerful economic development tool for cities, provinces, states and countries.

ECOTOURISM

Ecotourism is a form of “responsible travel” that offers an authentic, engaging and educational experiences to travelers who want an off-the-beaten-path adventure that connects them with natural beauty and indigenous traditions. For the local communities it provides a rewarding and sustainable business model and enterprise. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people.

AGRITOURISM

Agricultural Tourism is a commercial enterprise at a working farm, ranch or agricultural plant conducted for the enjoyment or education of visitors. This can include farm stands, farmers’ markets, U-pick, farm stays, tours, on-farm classes, fairs, festivals, pumpkin patches, orchard dinners, youth camps, barn dances, guest ranches and more. Agritourism is rapidly becoming a way to supplement farm income. NM has a special niche of combining agritourism with bio-cultural foods, Native American and Hispanic food events, traditional gardening demonstrations and nature guiding.

CULINARY TOURISM

Culinary Tourism is the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. As cuisine is a manifestation of culture, culinary tourism and agritourism are inextricably linked, as the seeds of cuisine can be found in agriculture. As culinary tourism is not limited to gourmet food, it is not necessarily pretentious and exclusive.

VOLUNTOURISM

Voluntourism is a form of ecotourism that is undertaken in support of things such as environmental restoration or to improve the well-being of a local community. People also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun and for a variety of other reasons.

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Susan Guyette

Northern New Mexico is the home of hundreds of culturally interesting enterprises that sustain families and traditions on the land. Yet, most visitors never find these gems. What can be done to assist both traveler and community? The key to creating a win/win tourism benefit is imbedded in rural and urban collaboration, for regional strengths complement the potential of each and create a sense of discovery.

Tourism works on the basis of cooperation. By definition, a tour is a number of stops comprising a trip itinerary. Travelers tend to look for a series of interesting stops and need to know how to link them together. Because visitors generally do not travel 500, 1,000 or 3,000 miles to visit one business, a vacation concept combining interesting activities, comfortable lodging and unique dining experiences is sought in the process of planning a vacation of a week or longer. The discovery of these links becomes part of the adventure.

Choices expand regional market possibilities and attract visitors. Learners like to visit a cluster of museum or educational activities. Shoppers like to compare prices and quality on items, and are more likely to buy when a wider range of options are readily available. And information on authenticity builds visitor awareness of New Mexico’s uniqueness. Given a set of choices, visitors also stay longer, learn, and tend to purchase more, supporting our local economy. The informed visitor, one who understands history, cultural etiquette, authenticity of cultural arts and local ecological concerns, is easier to guide. For these reasons, visitor education is central to the intriguing visitation experience.

SMALL-SCALE TOURISM

Small-scale tourism requires methods much different than tourism in urban areas, where increasing visitation numbers and expenditures are often the focus. The point of community-based tourism is ensuring that all groups involved in the linking process benefit in an equitable manner—vitally essential for culturally-diverse communities, small farms and other groups striving to maintain their lifeways tied to the land and place. Small communities must benefit financially in terms of jobs, business profits and tax income, as well as encouragement of cultural retention and environmental protection, to offset the impacts of hosting visitors.

To maximize these benefits, urban/rural linkages enhancing artistic and cultural education experiences are important to define; for example, a beneficial project can explore ways in which museums and other urban cultural organizations might become information dissemination nodes in a citywide network for rural cultural tourism. Since visitation trips require a broad range of services and amenities, a unifying perspective is beneficial.

One of New Mexico’s greatest strengths in relation to tourism is a highly developed system of markets, allowing rural and tribal entrepreneurs to benefit from the high urban visitation. Linking these markets together more effectively would assist all in promoting the authentic market experience, particularly in Santa Fe.

Identifying, linking, promoting and managing are part of the tourism development and management process. Directories are needed, with specific details such as: 1) business name, 2) service or product, 3) contact information/manager, 4) hours of operation. This is essential for forming a cohesive tourism network. The principle is basic: in order to increase local expenditures, specific information on businesses, including entrepreneurs, must be easy to find. In contrast, generalized promotion tends to primarily benefit larger, easier-to-find businesses.

Additionally, linked networks of small-scale businesses have the strongest resilience and adaptability in changing economic times.By linking and partnering local interests, the tourism draw is increased through extended opportunities for enhanced itineraries. Planning is useful for reducing negative impacts and increasing positive benefits to small communities, thus reducing management stress and facilitating cooperation in a local tourism network. When tourism seasons are extended and visitation numbers become more evenly distributed, then tourism according to sustainable criteria can more easily be managed by smaller communities.

STRENGTHENING THE NETWORK

What is needed for the New Mexico tourism industry to foster a unique and adventurous vacation experience, while supporting cultural retention and increased earned livelihood?

Unification of offerings and visibility would increase visitor awareness of New Mexico entrepreneurial businesses and products. Visitors need a centralized source of information to make trip planning easy for them.

• An On-line Itinerary Building Tool—allowing small businesses visibility in vacation planning .This should include businesses, entrepreneurs, attractions, lodging, food service and driving times. Hands-on and interactive are more interesting to the potential visitor.

• Customer Service Training—traditional New Mexico value-based, allowing for unique expressions of hospitality;
• Internet Skills—essential for web-based marketing and presenting cultural interpretation;
• Directories of Entrepreneurs—with specifics on products and contact information;
• Interpretative Opportunities—local people telling their stories;
• Information About the Arts and Traditions—to increase awareness of authenticity and understanding of the cultural and historic nature of items and foods;
• Visitor etiquettes, community-developed to increase respectful behavior (as defined from different cultural viewpoints) and minimize environmental impacts;
• Locator Maps—to find the small, locally-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.

Several New Mexico agencies and organizations are beginning to address these needs. The New Mexico Tourism Department now posts brief, multiple-day itineraries (www.newmexico.org); the city of Santa Fe’s Creative Tourism Program offers hands-on workshops for visitors and a grant program for organizations (www.santafecreativetourism.org); the Santa Fe Alliance’s Local Guide, on-line business directory and Buy Local Campaign (www.santafealliance.com) point the way to creating local economy.

New Mexico’s Own offers an excellent start on a directory of entrepreneurs and a trade show (www.newmexicosown.com); the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship (www.culturalentrepreneur.org) offers training for entrepreneurs and an on-line resource center; the Center for Southwest Culture’s CODECE program is developing a regionally-based sustainable tourism model integrating organic agriculture, cultural tourism and affordable housing (www.centerofsouthwestculture.org); the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center offers visitor education and serves as a hub for referrals to New Mexico tribes (www.indianpueblos.org); and the Poeh Cultural Center and Museum at Pojoaque Pueblo offers visitor education through museum exhibits, and trains tribal members from over 50 tribes in the arts and in entrepreneurial skills (www.poehmuseum.com). These are a few of the excellent efforts in motion to assist both visitors and communities.

MOVING FORWARD

What other resources are still needed?

Communities need resources to develop and manage tourism, such as planning assistance to decide whether they want to engage in tourism, to what extent, and ways of managing. More training in customer service and marketing that is cultural-value based—not standard textbook—would increase locally-owned marketing efforts. And specific directories of entrepreneurs are essential to guide visitors in their purchases. Assistance to urban locations, such as museums and visitor centers, to serve as hubs for disseminating information on linked urban and rural experiences would benefit both urban and rural.

This is a potential strategy for investing in New Mexico’s locally-based economy: Continuing to identify the locally-owned and offering culturally-based support services to small-scale existing enterprises increases our existing strengths, supports cultural retention and increases earned livelihood. Assisting local businesses to grow and tell the story of New Mexico’s uniqueness to the world, as our model for sustainability and resilience in changing economic times expands—that is true adventure in contemporary times!

Excerpts are from Sustainable Cultural Tourism: Small-Scale Practical Solutions by Susan Guyette, to be released in the summer of 2012.

Susan Guyette, Ph.D. is Métis (Micmac Indian and Acadian French) and a planner specializing in cultural tourism, cultural centers, museums, and native foods. She is the author of Planning for Balanced Development (www.santafeplanning.com) and has worked in the tourism field with culturally diverse communities for 25 years.

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Tom R. Kennedy

Zuni Pueblo, a growing community of 10,000 mostly A:shiwi residents, locatedabout 45 minutes south of Gallup in northwest New Mexico, has paradoxically often found itself on both the fringe and at the center of happenings. Historically this was certainly the case in 1540 when a massive expedition of Spaniards and “Mexica” allies followed stories of fabled wealth to arrive and begin to claim the larger Southwest region for Spain. The regional Zuni community that attracted initial attention soon found itself on the remote fringes of this emerging New Mexico.

Native American communities in recent years have themselves sought an elusive wealth via the vehicle of tourism. The most direct approach has been through the now-ubiquitous casino that too often has become synonymous with Indian Country. Other tribal communities have centered their financial quests upon their own cultural uniqueness.

Zuni, with perhaps up to 90% of its workforce involved in some aspect of the traditional arts falls firmly in this second camp. The Zuni arts of silverwork in various styles, miniature stone “fetish” carving, a resurgent pottery, painting and many other art forms are recognized worldwide for their excellence. During the heyday of a stronger economy, eight separate arts trading posts located along the main State Highway 53 through the community competed for sales. However, financial challenges in recent years have pared the number down to six. And the most recent economic downturn has made a challenging financial situation a severe one for the community as a whole.

Zuni is a village of artists. Though the arts have been central to Zuni’s economy since the mid-1940s, no specific program had sought to promote or market this key “industry” until efforts in the late 1990s to develop a Zuni tourism initiative. Advice from consultants and two federal grants helped to establish a bonafide tourism program based around cultural heritage and the arts. These efforts have at least provided a buffer to minimize impacts of the recent recession. And despite the apparent successes of casinos for other Indian communities, Zuni has for a number of reasons resisted the temptations of the casino “cash-cow.”

Tourism at Zuni Pueblo—similar to other traditional Native American communities— s an ongoing negotiation between promotion and mitigation. We actively promote visits to Zuni to support our existing arts-based economy; however, it is equally important to properly educate and direct our visitors to not interfere with the traditional cultural and religious activities that happen throughout the year. This is the delicate balance of welcoming our visitors as guests but also ensuring that they understand the occasional limitations of visiting such a traditional community—including the two times a year that all businesses are closed for four days of “fasting.” Zuni Pueblo’s remoteness once again finds a central place in the current story. Early on, the Pueblo’s distance from active Spanish-era and later Anglo presence enabled it to retain intact most if not all of its critical cultural traditions and practices. With the coming of the mainstream cash-based economy, Zuni tribal members needed hard cash to purchase the necessities of daily life. However, the Pueblo’s remote location has provided constant challenges for how to obtain cash for goods and services.

THE MAINSTREET OPPORTUNITY

Even today, with efficient roads and modern transportation, attracting visitors to Zuni remains a challenge—compounded by weak global economic systems and rising gas prices. Out of this tough situation is emerging a promising opportunity—to become the First Native American MainStreet site, not only in New Mexico but also in the United States!

The MainStreet program in New Mexico is administered by the state’s Economic Development Department to promote community-based economic development in its small-town downtown areas; many of which across the country have also fallen on tough times and need a support structure to become revitalized. New Mexico has participated in the program for over 27 years and can boast 22 active sites. Technical assistance as well as occasional access to specific funding enables participating communities to turn these often-blighted areas into active neighborhoods of improved prosperity and living. Thus far, however, no other Native American community has met the criteria or chosen to participate.

Zuni Pueblo is somewhat unique as a Native community by being bisected by a state highway that also serves as its “main street,” along which are located the majority of the local businesses and arts trading posts. In an effort to improve Zuni’s local economy, the current tribal leadership has enthusiastically embraced becoming the first Native MainStreet as the best strategy to achieve this goal. In discussions and planning with NM MainStreet, this prospect has evolved over the past year to the current finalizing of wording for the formal proclamation and identifying dates for a public signing by Governor Susana Martinez, hopefully in May here at Zuni Pueblo. Staff from the national MainStreet office in Washington, DC and many of our Congressional delegates have also expressed interest in attending this historic occasion.

Zuni’s tradition of innovation sees the potential to adapt this opportunity.

On the ground in Zuni—and with the active involvement of the Tribal Council— our preliminary steps are fast moving forward to birth this initiative for the community. Our recently selected steering committee, made up of key business, arts and community members, had its second meeting not long ago. State MainStreet leaders attended to provide a more detailed orientation for this emerging program and to help finalize the wording for the proclamation. Already members of the steering committee have begun work to secure relevant data on Zuni’s existing economy, explore opening a local Small Business Development Center, as well as initiating steps toward establishing a Zuni Chamber of Commerce—and we’re not even official yet! Upcoming meetings within the MainStreet structure will focus on organizational development and establishing a vision for our Zuni MainStreet.

Despite the “full-speed-ahead” momentum, our Zuni MainStreet still has a few critical hurdles to overcome,in some areas that are unique to this Native community. To begin with, the Zuni community as a whole needs to be fully informed and comfortable with this concept. An initial presentation and broadcast at a public meeting in early January was met with a supportive response. Further presentations in the Zuni language will be made over the next month or so.

CAUTIONS SURROUNDING TOURISM

The critical question—and often suspicion—that inevitably arises from this conservative community concerns the potential impacts on the year-round religious activities. Will increased outsider traffic adversely interfere with age-old traditional practices, which, as previously pointed out, resulted from the tribe’s historical remoteness? The short answer is that this community-based effort can and will always ensure that adequate means exist to mitigate adverse intrusions into the cultural life of the community. The more complicated larger point is that many unknowns will always exist in Zuni’s relationships—direct or via the Internet—with the larger world. As we move forward on our Zuni MainStreet—and tourism efforts as well—this consideration remains our constant concern.

For the immediate future, our Zuni MainStreet offers long-overdue support for our existing and emerging arts and service-oriented businesses. As these become established and generate revenue, incomes rise, quality of life improves and the whole Zuni community benefits. Under the watchful direction of our local steering committee and of tribal leadership, these changes will be carefully considered and by necessity, incremental.

Zuni Pueblo has the exciting and in many ways unique potential for great things done in culturally appropriate ways to result from this grassroots effort. One thing is for certain: the eyes of MainStreetsand potential Native sites across the country will soon be watching our progress and outcome. Stay-tuned for more late-breaking developments from Zuni MainStreet!

Tom R. Kennedy, Zuni Tourism Director, arrived at Zuni Pueblo 17 years ago and served as Director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum for seven years. Since then he has worked directly for Zuni Tribal Government to develop a tourism program, establish the Visitor and Arts Information Center and now the Zuni MainStreet initiative. For more information, contact Tom at 505.782.7239 or P.O. Box 339, Zuni NM 87327.

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Stuart Wilde

A New Mexico Treasure

The Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is a pristine 46,000-acre Rocky Mountain paradise located in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Taos County. Managed as Wilderness by the Carson National Forest, the Columbine Hondo is a treasured public wild land by residents and visitors alike, and is an important source of surface water for downstream agricultural communities. The springs and streams of the Columbine Hondo comprise valuable headwaters of two major tributaries of the Upper Rio Grande, the Red River and the Rio Hondo.

Situated between Taos Ski Valley and Red River, with the Wheeler Peak Wilderness to the south, and the Latir Peaks Wilderness to the north, the Columbine Hondo WSA sits nestled among some of the tallest peaks and most rugged country in New Mexico. The area’s prominent geologic feature is a massive horseshoe shaped massif that encircles the Columbine watershed, with a ridgeline that stays consistently above 11,000’ for over 13 miles. The flagship peaks of the Columbine Hondo WSA are Gold Hill (12.711’) and Lobo Peak (12,115’), and are defining elements of the Taos viewscape.

The lush subalpine forests of the Columbine Hondo are home to an abundance of Rocky Mountain wildlife, including mule deer and elk, black bear and mountain lion, wild turkey and ptarmigan. Above tree line, NM’s prized herd of Bighorn Sheep can be seen grazing in true alpine tundra ecology. The Columbine boasts over 75 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking and horseback riding, and is a favorite destination for sportsmen and anglers, wildlife viewers and outdoor recreation enthusiasts of all kinds.

New Mexico – “The Birthplace of Wilderness”

New Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of modern wilderness protection. Aldo Leopold, the father of wilderness protection and wildlife conservation, was the first Supervisor of the Carson National Forest, as NM entered statehood a century ago. Leopold’s old cabin still stands, behind what is now the Tres Piedras Ranger Station, and is a “must visit” for anyone interested in the history of wilderness protection and public lands conservation in NM.

In 1924, Leopold established the Gila Wilderness as the first designated wilderness in the world, here in NM. Leopold and the founders of the Wilderness Society became the framers of the Wilderness Act. Passed by Congress in 1964, the Wilderness Act was the first legislation on the planet to address human beings’ spiritual need to have wild places to reconnect and commune with the natural world, free from the encroachment of development and mechanization. Here in NM, the Wilderness Act designated the Gila, Pecos, San Pedro Parks and the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Areas. As a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, Wilderness Areas are the most highly protected parcels of land within our public lands system.

The 1980 New Mexico Wilderness Act

In the 1970’s the Forest Service was tasked to identify Roadless Areas and potential Wilderness Areas, as part of the R.A.R.E and R.A.R.E II inventories. Out of the R.A.R.E. process, New Mexicans began to look at areas deserving of future wilderness designation, and after a long struggle between wilderness advocates and anti-environmental groups, Congress passed the New Mexico Wilderness Act (Public Law 96-550) in 1980.

The Act established the Latir Peaks, Cruzes Basin, Dome, Bandelier and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Areas, among others. The Act also established the Columbine Hondo as a Wilderness Study Area (a temporary designation), to be managed by the Carson National Forest. It also mandated that the Secretary of Agriculture report back to Congress and the President, no later than January of 1986, with recommendations for or against wilderness designation. More than 30 years later, the Columbine Hondo is still in legislative limbo.

Redefining Conservation in New Mexico

In 2008, a local coalition formed for the purpose of seeing the Columbine Hondo WSA permanently protected as a designated Wilderness Area. Made up of local residents and concerned citizens, grazing and outfitting permittees, land grant heirs and acequia members, ranchers and sportsmen, along with regional and national conservation organizations; the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Coalition is a broad based, bipartisan group of individuals and organizations, working to redefine conservation in NM.

Not too long ago, it would have been unheard of to have ranchers, hunters and land grant communities standing together in solidarity with environmentalists and conservation groups on wilderness protection issues. The Columbine Hondo Wilderness Coalition is creating a new model for conservation in the West by coming together as a community across the cultural and political spectrum to protect their natural and cultural resources for future generations.

Our Public Lands Are Under Attack

There is currently legislation before Congress that seeks to remove existing wilderness protections from Wilderness Study Areas like the Columbine Hondo. H.R.1581 and S.1087, known as “The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011” would remove wilderness protections from more than 60 million acres of Wilderness Study Areas and Roadless Areas across America. Similar legislation could cause the Columbine Hondo to lose its current wilderness protection, and result in the area being opened up for roads and motorized use, timber sales, mineral and energy exploration, and other forms of development.

Time is Running Out

The fate of the Columbine Hondo is hanging by a thread. It has been more than 30 years, and if the area is not permanently protected soon, it will likely lose its wilderness protections. Senator Jeff Bingaman, who has been a champion for NM public lands conservation, is in his final year in Congress. It is critical that Sen. Bingaman introduce wilderness legislation for the Columbine Hondo before his time in Congress runs out.

How You Can Help

You can help by calling, writing or emailing our elected officials and urge them to support wilderness designation for the Columbine Hondo. To learn more about the issue, and to take action to permanently protect this magnificent wilderness area, please visit www.columbinehondo.org.

Stuart Wilde is the Director of Wild Earth Llama Adventures (www.LlamaAdventures.com), and a member of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Coalition. He is a Carson National Forest Permittee, and leads interpretive wilderness ecology trips in the Columbine Hondo WSA.

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Allegra Huston

Tucked away west off the road between Abiquiu and Tierra Amarilla is one of New Mexico’s best-kept secrets. With towering pink, yellow and white sandstone walls striped like Neapolitan ice cream, old-growth ponderosa pines and flower-strewn meadows, the wilderness canyon of the Rio Chama is a corner of paradise. Roads cannot reach this magical place; the only way in is to float down the river. For three days, you can leave the rest of the world behind.

It was my good luck to discover Los Rios River Runners, New Mexico’s oldest and largest rafting company, the first summer after I came here from London 12 years ago. Agua es vida —water is life. There’s something extra-delicious about being on the water in a dry climate, and the Rio Grande, with its thundering rapids, and the Rio Chama, with its majestic beauty, are arteries that bring nourishment to the spirit as well as the body. There’s no cell phone signal in the Chama canyon, no motors —nothing but the sounds of wind, water and human voices. At night, the canyon walls frame a wide swath of star-filled sky, crystal-clear or splashed with moonlit clouds.

On my first Chama trips I perfected the art of relaxation. I called it the Cleopatra rig: thick sleeping pads transform the raft into a floating chaise lounge, with squashy drybags (clothes and sleeping bag inside) rigged into a fantastically comfortable backrest. Trailing my toes in the cool river water, I would track the wheeling eagles and swooping herons overhead as the spectacular scenery unrolled around every bend. The guide did all the work. Watching other rafters paddle themselves in funyaks —inflatable miniature rafts that you maneuver kayak-style —I’d think maybe next time, and sink deeper into the comfort zone.

Finally, I built up my courage and got into a funyak. This was the real delight — tuning in to the flowing water, finding my own harmony with nature. I was amazed at how stable I felt, zigzagging between rocks and keeping straight through what I consider impressively big waves. The funyak gods are benevolent, placing most of the Chama’s rapids at the end of the trip so there’s plenty of time to practice.

Every year when the snow melts, my son starts begging to go on the Chama. He and his friends run a circuit, soak in the hot springs and then float down the river. They play hide-and-seek among the trees and explore an abandoned horse thief’s hideaway; they compare their own hands and feet with the fossilized dinosaur footprints hidden up a sandy wash that only the guides know about; they funyak the calmer water; and finally, exhausted, they roast marshmallows and listen to stories around the campfire. It’s the childhood I used to dream of, living in the suburbs and reading stories about kids who went on adventures. Finally I’ve found it — and best of all, my son and I can enjoy it together.

Allegra Huston is the author of the bestselling Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found.

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A number of folks who live and work in Taos and other locales in northern New Mexico are featured in the Green Living Project’s fascinating short film, “Ecotourism in New Mexico.” The 5 minute 30 second film is now online for an international audience to see. (http://www.greenlivingproject.com/projects/new-mexico/)

People profiled in the film include Stuart Wilde, owner of Taos’ Wild Earth Llama Adventures; Francisco “Cisco” Guevara, owner of Los Rios River Runners; Porter Swentzell, a guide at the Puye Cliff Dwellings of Santa Clara Pueblo; April Winters of Taos Pueblo; and Adriana Blake of Taos Ski Valley.

“I’m doing what I’m doing to make a difference here and I really hope that these experiences touch people in a way that’s going to bring something special back to their 9 to 5 daily lives at home,” said Stuart Wilde. “It’s the contribution of ecotourism back to the local community that we’re very excited about and I’m happy to be a part of that,” said Francisco “Cisco” Guevara. “Being able to open up a little bit of my home to people and allowing them to come and experience who we are firsthand rather than read it in a book – we feel it’s important to give that sense of our history,” said April Winters.

Sandy Cunningham of Eco New Mexico said, “Taos was chosen as a pilot program for our ecotourism program for a multitude of reasons, one of which was the readiness of the community – they stepped up and showed just what they’re about. They’ve been doing ecotourism for generations before it even had a name. Our guides and outfitters out in New Mexico bring everything to life; they’re such a great group of people to work with.”

Some ecotourism-related adventures in northern New Mexico:

• Wild Earth Llama Adventures - hiking adventures with minimal-impact llamas through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains help teach travelers about conservation ethics and wilderness protection. Visit llamaadventures.com for information or call 800.758.5262.

• Los Rios River Runners – raft the world renowned Taos Box or float through the Rio Chama canyon with an experienced rafting company. Visit losriosriverrunners.com or call 888.544.1181.

• Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa – regarded by Native Americans as sacred, Ojo Caliente mineral springs has been healing for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Enjoy a signature Milagro Wrap, a massage, or soak in healing waters and stay at the newly renovated resort. Visit ojocalientesprings.com or call 800.222.9162.

• Far Flung Adventures – from first time rafters to adrenaline junkies, experience a Southwest wilderness adventure on a raft. Visit farflung.com or call 800.359.2627.

• Taos Pueblo – Taos Pueblo, continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years, is the only Native American community designated as both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. Visit taospueblo.com for special events and fees or call 575.758.1028.

• Puye Cliff Dwellings and Pueblo Ruins – home to 1,500 Pueblo Indians since approximately 900 AD, ancestors to the Santa Clara Pueblo. Visit puyecliffs.com.

• Mountain Skills Rock Climbing – Experience a panoramic view of Taos with professional rock climbing guides. Visit www.climbingschool.usa.com for details or call 575.776-2222.

• Pueblo Balloon Company – Float through the Rio Grande Gorge in a hot air balloon and experience Taos from a bird’s-eye view. Visit puebloballooncompany.com or call 575.751.9877.

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How Rural Indio-Hispano Communities Are Getting on the Ecotourism Bandwagon

ARTURO SANDOVAL

How does a mobile food truck help a rural community interested in promoting ecotourism?

That idea sprang from the minds of the Cooperative Development Center of New Mexico’s (CODECE) staff as a way to create linkages among three co-ops formed last year in the northern New Mexico villages of Truchas and Córdova. It was also a way to launch CODECE’s efforts to see food preparation as a cultural activity.

Through an innovative grant from the USDA, CODECE—a project of the Albuquerque-based Center of Southwest Culture—received funding for a mobile food truck. The truck is part of CODECE’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, which is underway in collaboration with the Truchas Land Grant. To date, CODECE has formed three cooperatives—Organic Farmers, Outdoor Services and Arts & Culture—all under the High Peaks Deep Roots branding strategy.

So why a mobile food truck? CODECE’s sustainable tourism director Mark Willuhn said, “We saw very quickly the rich culinary traditions on the land grant and were surprised by the variety and high quality of food from the first matanza (traditional Hispano community celebration where neighbors process a large pig, goat or sheep) last year.” He added, “This put us on the track to use cultural heritage through food as a driver for the sustainable tourism efforts.”

The grant was awarded based on alternative marketing channels for local organic farmers. So instead of greasy burgers and the traditional junk food truck, CODECE embraced the national trend of innovative mobile food trucks and is developing organic healthy traditional foods that will appeal to “herederos” (inheritors) as well as tourists visiting New Mexico for the first time.

Said Willuhn, “As this idea became reality, we realized we had the perfect integration vehicle, because in addition to offering meals, the truck can also go to farmers’ markets and be a draw for selling produce from the organic farmers’ cooperative, create jobs for the members of the Arts & Culture Cooperative, while promoting sustainable tourism packages (fly fishing, horseback rides and hiking) on the land grant for the Outdoor Services Cooperative.”

Some interesting ideas are being developed around having a traditional matanza on the land grant two Sundays a month, starting in June. CODECE staff and co-op members are jointly exploring having this become an optional two-day activity where participants can come to the land grant on Saturday morning and observe the preparation of the borrego or cabrito. The full experience will include seeing how land grant members fully utilize all of the butchered animal’s parts, going to the fields and helping co-op members harvest the vegetables used in the meal’s preparation, and learning how the full traditional process is carried out.

“Once the animal is roasting, participants can enjoy activities on the land grant—star gazing in the evening, early morning bird-walk, a half-day trail ride and other recreational activities,” Willuhn said. “The following Sunday afternoon they can partake in one of the most succulent meals they likely will have ever had.”

“Our creativity is really our only limit,” Willuhn said. “Looking a little longer term, the mobile food truck has the potential to be the catalyst for reinvigorating traditional fiestas in the communities of Truchas and Córdova.” He added, “With a mobile food truck we can draw tourists to specific areas and manage impacts. We will make sure the specific areas are appropriate, willing and ready. It’s really an interesting tool (the food truck) from a managing tourism impacts perspective, since we can move it to specific sites for a specific period of time and prevent areas being overrun and over-loved by visitors. It really allows the land grant members to control their own destiny.”

Willuhn said that while this is all very exciting, the increasing complexity of social media and marketing a mobile food truck is a bit overwhelming. To support Truchas Land Grant members, CODECE has entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of New Mexico Global Business Students Association. These graduate business students visited the land grant in March to learn about the different cooperatives and to develop a marketing plan using the mobile food truck as creatively as possible. They are looking at strengthening each cooperative as a stand-alone entity, while understanding how interconnected all the efforts are. Dr. Manuel Montoya, a Rhodes Scholar and current professor at the UNM Business School, is guiding the students’ efforts. The UNM connection is a key ally in CODECE’s efforts to create collaborations as a critical part of long-term sustainability for the co-ops it is helping to create across New Mexico.

Other entities working with CODECE in Truchas and elsewhere include the Chimayó Youth Conservation Corps, Agri-Cultura Network, New Mexico Women’s Foundation, the Truchas Land Grant and Rio Arriba County.

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Alice Loy

Along the Rio Grande, pockets of green have beckoned thirsty, hungry, road-weary travelers for centuries. Today, these same pockets of green invite families and tourists, foodies and farm lovers to explore our agricultural history–and future. Agritourism, defined simply as farms hosting visitors and offering farm-based activities, has caught on across the nation, and now farmers in northern New Mexico are getting involved. Agritourism is a value-added product that helps keep farmers on the land, while inviting the community to share in the bounty of local food and the enjoyment of food production.

Selena Marroquin works with the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship and is leading an effort to build an agritourism corridor. She has been reaching out to farmers and viticulturists to survey agritourism activities going on in communities from Albuquerque to Chama. After hosting a table at the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference in February, Selena exclaimed, “So many farmers are excited about this project!”

Agritourism experiences along the Rio Grande Valley range from U-Pick berry farms to pumpkin patches to cooking classes on local farms. At the Hubbell House in south Albuquerque visitors can take classes on drip irrigation and composting. Located along the Camino Real, the historic Hubbell House is situated among the tall cottonwoods of the Bosque. With a backdrop of ten acres of cultivated land, visitors step back in time and can imagine the hacienda as it once was. In Nambe, the community will gather at Estrella del Norte Vineyard on April 14^th to plant five new acres of vines, continuing the tradition of community planting. Just outside of Taos at Talpa Gardens, Jeff Cochran and Tania Melasco invite visitors to explore their intensively farmed one-acre garden. With over thirty crops, the garden demonstrates how high altitude gardens can feed a village.

Eileen Reinders of Estrella del Norte Vineyard says agritourism is important to their wine business and they love having people visit. “When people come to see the farm they meet us and see how we grow the grapes, how we make the wine. When they take that bottle home with them, they are taking a remembrance of being here on the farm.”

Farm experiences like those offered by Los Poblanos in Albuquerque’s North Valley connect people to the historical and contemporary flavors of the region. Matt Rembe, owner of the historical farm and hotel, has recently overseen an expansion of their guest rooms; today Los Poblanos offers luxury accommodations amidst lavender fields and towering cottonwoods. Fodor’s calls the Los Poblanos experience “casual chic.” And, while not every farm you visit along the Rio Grande will pamper you or provide luxury accommodations, every farm will give you a taste of farm life in New Mexico

Talpa Gardens: 4A Balsamo Lane, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557 (575.758.2513, Jeff@TalpaGardens.com)

Hubbell House Alliance: 6029 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105 (505.244.0507, Mlava@hubbellhousealliance.org, www.hubbellhousealliance.org)

Estrella del Norte Vineyard: Nambe and Santa Cruz, NM – (505.455.2826, Richard@santafevineyards.com, www.estrelladelnortevineyard.com)

Los Poblanos Inn & Cultural Center: 4803 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107 (505.344.9295, info@lospoblanos.com, www.lospoblanos.com)

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Farm Tour and Info Session on the Veteran Farmer Project

The Alvarado Urban Farm is growing by leaps and bounds and is on its way to producing a impressive bounty in the coming year. The goal of the farm is to become a local food hub where Albuquerque residents and businesses can grow and purchase local food and learn about local food systems. The farm is also serving as a community space for events, lectures and classes. These include the new Veteran Farmer Project, which is holding a series of workshops at the farm geared towards local veterans.

A free tour of the farm with Chris Goblet (Deputy Director of the Downtown Action Team) and an informational session regarding the new Veteran Farmer Project with Robin Seydel (La Montanita Co-op Membership Coordinator) and Joran Viers (Bernalillo County Extension Service Program Director) will take place on April 11 from 9–10:30 am. The farm is located at 101 Silver Ave., SW. If there is inclement weather, the event will be held at the Downtown Action Team Offices, 100 Gold Ave SW #204.

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