Valle Vidal
The Valle Vidal (Spanish, "Valley of Life") is a 100,000-acre (400 km²) area in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains within the Carson National Forest, northwest of Cimarron, New Mexico. Pennzoil donated the Valle Vidal to the American public in 1982.[1] Valle Vidal hosts a number of species of animals including elk, black bear, turkey, bobcat, and bison. Pure strains of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout can be found in waterways. Its valleys are ringed by Bristlecone pine.
The Valle Vidal hosts outfitters, hunting and trekking guides, backpackers, horseback riding, fly-fishing and over 3,000 Boy Scouts a year. It contributes $3–5 million/year to local economies supporting dozens of jobs and local industries.[citation needed]
In 2002, El Paso Natural Gas petitioned the Forest Service to lease the eastern 40,000 acres (160 km²) of the Valle for coalbed methane development. The proposed natural gas exploration drew strong public protests [2], and in 2006, President Bush signed legislation prohibiting oil drilling and mining in the Valle Vidal.[3]
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