Ghost Ranch seeks approval for profit-making visitor center
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, March 23, 2005
The General Assembly Council will consider a proposal to allow Ghost Ranch, a Presbyterian retreat center in New Mexico, to embark on tourism and promotion through a for-profit welcoming center.
The Ghost Ranch Piedra Lumbre Visitor Center would be operated on federal land adjacent the 21,000-acre ranch that was donated to the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1955. That property was once considered part of the gift to the denomination, but, after the settlement of several property disputes, it was claimed by the federal government.
Ghost Ranch once operated the Ghost Ranch Living Museum at the site, but it closed years ago.
In a report to the General Assembly Council, which will meet in Louisville, Ky., March 29-April 2, the Ghost Ranch board said the new visitor center would be operated under an annual permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
The business plan identifies no religious purpose for the center. Its purpose is to:
- Encourage an appreciation of Northern New Mexico culture and traditions
- Provide environmental education in land management, ecology and water conservation, paleontology, geology, archaeology and astronomy
- Act as an economic stimulus by encouraging increased tourist activity
- Provide job development opportunities for Rio Arriba County and an outlet for local arts and crafts sales
“The staff of Ghost Ranch envisions the new Center as a pivotal showcase of the strides the communities in Northern New Mexico are making to promote the conservation and quality of water and land, and to improve the agricultural climate,” the business plan says. “The Center will house educational exhibits in the areas of geology, paleontology, archaeology and astronomy, while maintaining and updating those presently on the Center’s grounds. It also proposes to provide needed services for visitors which will include a gift shop, restrooms, and café, while displaying the arts and crafts of the area’s multicultural residents. It will provide opportunities for outdoor activities in partnership with local outfitters and groups wanting to experience the beauty of the surrounding area.”
The plan foresees the help from “the U.S. Forest Service, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers, the National Resource Conservation Service, Rio Arriba County and potentially many of the governmental, tourist, art and educational entities of Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque.”
Ghost Ranch’s board believes the visitor center, located on a 20-acre tract on U.S. 84, would bring attention to Ghost Ranch’s programs, many of which are secular or promote a variety of beliefs, including New Age philosophies.
The proposal calls for Ghost Ranch to operate the center with three staff members – one full-time and two part-time – and volunteers.
It envisions a number of commercial operations at the center, including a café, Starbucks, travel reservations, a gift shop and artisans.
“It is expected that the gift store in the Center will quickly become a profit center providing financial resources both for the Center and for Ghost Ranch,” the business plan said.
With the gift center profits and license fees paid by vendors in the center, the business plan projects total profits of $2,980 this year and $42,578 in 2006.