Purchased in 1943 by Orville E. Pattison, the Kachina Valley area has a 60 year history of forest and resource management. O.E. Pattison, a farmer from the plains of Clovis, New Mexico, was searching for reprieve from the summer heat and solace from the crowds. When skiing arrived in the valley in the mid 1950s, the Pattison family began subdividing and developing their land. Taos Ski Valley became a municipality in 1996 and the Pattisons continue to adhere to standards that keep the upper valley maintained. From fuel wood clean-up that keeps the forest safe from fire danger to erosion control to drain management, the Pattisons understand the importance of balancing human habitation and preserving the surrounding wilderness.