I want to thank Senator Bingaman for inviting me as Governor to appear before the Committee.

We are here to conditionally support Senator Jeff Bingaman's bill to transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service.

I urge Congress to pass S. 3452.

We strongly support your effort to enact new legislation that assigns management of the preserve to the National Park Service.

I do support what you are suggesting, and we have talked about that with the superintendent as of this past Monday.

We cannot predict what policies the National Park Service may adopt governing grazing, hunting and fishing in the Valles Caldera.

We support S.3452 as a means of resolving immediate funding problems for the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Our Pueblo has a working relationship with the Bandelier National Monument, located nearby.

Yet now, all this will be put at risk and probably discarded without a fair hearing or investigation into the concerns of most Native New Mexicans!

The purpose of the afternoon hearing is to receive testimony on S. 3452.

I appreciate the opportunity to be able to present the views of the Santa Clara Pueblo on this bill as it addresses matters that are of the most profound importance to our pueblo.

We think this consultation requirement will strengthen operations of the Valles Caldera into the future.