Carson National Forest

Employment

LOCATION NAME CITY(TOWN) NAME:
Tres Piedras, NM - Taos County

CLIMATE/ELEVATION/LANDSCAPE TYPE:
The Tres Piedras Ranger District is located on the west side of the Carson National Forest, west of the Rio Grande Gorge. The Ranger District office is located in a small rural community of Tres Piedras, at the crossroads of State Highway 285 and 64.

The climate around Tres Piedras is a very pleasurable one. The most notable item is approximately 300+ days of sunshine and clear blue skies. The town of Tres Piedras is located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, where the open sagebrush and pinyon-juniper country meets ponderosa pine foothills. The elevation of the Tres Piedras Ranger District ranges from 7,000 feet to 11,000 feet, and the vegetation communities change with the changes in elevation. Open sagebrush and pinyon / juniper dominates in the lower elevations from 7000-8000 feet, at which point ponderosa pine ranges from 8000 to 9000 feet. Above 9000 feet, fir and spruce communities dominate the landscape. Aspen is fairly common at all elevations above 8000 feet.
Given the elevation of Tres Piedras (8200 feet) the four seasons are distinct, yet the climate in the local area is fairly mild without extreme temperatures in either summer or winter. Summers are fairly mild, with average daytime temperatures in the 70's and 80's, and nighttime lows in the 40's and 50's. Winter temperatures during the daytime can reach as high as 50 and 60 degrees with sunshine, though nighttime lows can be in the single digits. Spring and Fall is very pleasant, with cool nighttime temperatures, and daytime temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees. Annual precipitation is approximately 14".

Northern New Mexico typically has a summer monsoon season lasting from mid-July to mid-August. Annual fluctuations in weather patterns aside, summer rains are usually afternoon thunderstorm that are shortlived. Winter snow storms can bring several inches at one time, with occasional snowfall exceeding several feet in higher elevations.

COMMUNITY POPULATION/DIVERSITY/GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Tres Piedras is a fairly rural community with approximately 30 families in the outlying community. Being located in northern New Mexico, Hispanic culture is very prevalent, with approximately 60-70% of the population being Hispanic, and the remainder mostly made up of Anglos. The population of Tres Piedras reflects this, and many of the residents have settled in the Tres Piedras area for several generations, or are descendents of the original settlers to this area.

Ranching is one of the larger occupations in the Tres Piedras area, and this has a strong influence on the district program of work.

COMMUNITY ECONOMY/HOUSING COSTS/COST OF LIVING/LOCAL JOB MARKET: Much of the local economy of Tres Piedras is rural, with many of the families making a living in the traditional northern New Mexico manner, involving raising livestock, logging, and cutting fuelwood or forest products. Some residents commute to Taos for employment.

The local job market in Tres Piedras is limited, though employment opportunities are more abundant in Taos.

ACCESS/NEAREST AIRPORT/NEAREST BIG CITY(IES):
Taos, New Mexico, is the closest large community that provides a full service community, located 30 miles to the east on Hwy 64. Approximately half of the Tres Piedras Ranger District personnel live and commute from Taos to Tres Piedras. Taos is a very eclectic community that retains a lot of northern New Mexico culture combined with outside influence in the form of tourism, artist community, vacation homes both in the summer and winter, as well as the local influence of Taos Ski Valley, the largest ski resort in Northern New Mexico.

A small regional airport is located 10 miles to the west of Taos, with limited service to Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Santa Fe is the largest city in the Northern New Mexico area, located 90 miles from Tres Piedras. Albuquerque is located an additional 50 miles to the south of Santa Fe, and has all the amenities of a large city, including an international airport with good connections to all major cities in the US.

FACILITIES/HOSPITALS/SCHOOLS/SHOPPING:
Tres Piedras is a small rural community, and is somewhat limited in amenities. Aside from the ranger district office, there is a small post office, gas station, and restaurant. A local school in town provides education for K thru 8th grade, with students commuting via school bus service to the Mesa Vista High School in Ojo Caliente. There are no medical facilities in Tres Piedras and most residents travel to Taos or Espanola for medical care. A small rural fire department is organized in town. Tres Piedras has three places of religious worship, a Latter Day Saints church, a Catholic church, and a Seventh Day Adventist church.

Taos is the closest full service community, with four super markets, numerous restaurants of all types, a hospital, some state government offices, county government, and one public school ranging from K thru 12th grade. There are also some private and parochial schools ranging from K thru 12th grade. The University of New Mexico has a branch college in Taos, offering a range of classes affiliated through UNM.

RECREATIONAL/ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
For those that like the outdoors, Tres Piedras and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer in the way of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, rafting, skiing, and snowmobiling. The Cruces Basin Wilderness is located on the Tres Piedras Ranger District, and three more wildernesses are located on the Carson National Forest.

Several rafting companies provide rafting trips on the Rio Grande River which runs through the central valley between Taos and Tres Piedras. Rafting on the Rio Grande River is rated as moderate, with some stretches of Class IV rapids, and some Class V during high run-off periods in the Rio Grande Gorge.

Four ski resorts are within a one hour drive of Tres Piedras; Rio Costilla, Red River, Taos Ski Valley, and Angel Fire. Of the four, Taos Ski Valley is probably the largest and most challenging. Winter months bring a lot of tourism to the Taos area from skiers all over the country, and Taos Ski Valley, offering some of the best downhill skiing, was recently rated Number 8 in the nation.

Four large lakes are within an hour drive of Tres Piedras, the Abiquiu Reservoir, El Vado Lake, Heron Lake, and Eagle Nest Lake. Boating and fishing opportunities are plentiful at all the lakes.

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad is located on the northern border of the District, offering beautiful mountain scenery while riding on a narrow gauge steam train. A drive on US Highway 64 from Tres Piedras to Tierra Amarilla also offers some of the most splendid scenery around.

FOREST SERVICE PROGRAMS/WORK:
The District program of work includes wildife betterment projects, prescribed fire implementation, range betterment and cooperation with range allotment permittees, a timber program of small sales, thinning, and fuelwood opportunities for the general public, and recreation maintenance and improvements.

CONTACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tres Piedras Ranger District at 575-758-8678 or at PO Box 38, Tres Piedras, NM 87577.

USDA Forest Service - Carson National Forest
Last Modified: Monday, 28 April 2008 at 17:53:02 EDT