The National Park Service wants to hire a wrangler to round up trespass cattle at Valles Caldera National Preserve/NPS file

The National Park Service is seeking, horse-mounted, trespass cattle wrangling services at Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico during the 2024 summer and fall seasons. This is one of the efforts the park is pursuing to reduce impacts to park resources from cattle trespassing from adjacent U.S. Forest Service grazing allotments.

The park is seeking wrangler services for a minimum of one day per week or two days every other week from May 20 through November 8to round up trespass cattle loose within the park, herd them into designated corrals within the park, and to notify park law enforcement once trespass cattle are corralled.

“This is an important service to protect park resources from any damage from trespass cattle,” said Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos. “Along with continuing to work with the USDA Forest Service on adjacent grazing allotment fence repairs and establishing a virtual fence system, having consistent trespass cattle round-ups to minimize resource impacts will allow us to meet our obligation of preserving and protecting this special public space for everyone to enjoy."

To find the job requirements and submit a quote, visit this site. Any requests for information are due by April 17 and all quotes are due by noon Mountain Time on April 30, 2024.

Last year nearly two dozen ranchers whose cattle wandered into Valles Caldera removed their cattle, either voluntarily or after being informed by certified letter that the National Park Service could impound the livestock.

There have been longstanding problems with cattle trespassing on the preserve in northern New Mexico. Late last year conservation groups expressed their frustation over the matter and indicated they would sue the Park Service to solve the problem.

The cattle enter the preserve through downed fences to reach its grasslands. They have damaged wetlands and created erosion problems in areas where the Park Service has spent a lot of money on restoration work, according to Caldera Action, an advocacy group.