Legislation to Designate Wilderness in Rocky Mountain National Park Introduced in Congress
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our most popular national parks, attracting three million visitors a year. Among the attractions are elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in a stunning landscape featuring cascading streams, sweeping tundra, deep valleys, and 59 peaks that are at least 12,000 feet high. Summer is known for the richness of wildflowers, while the fall features brilliant aspen turning gold and red.
To maintain the park’s natural qualities, the Park Service recommended more than 30 years ago that 94 percent of the acreage there receive added protection by being made part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. That would prevent any construction or motorized activity on the land designated as wilderness. Existing facilities and roads, including Trail Ridge Road, would not be affected.
But Congress has never acted on that proposal. Last summer Senator Ken Salazar and Congressman Mark Udall, both Democrats from Colorado, introduced bills (S. 1510, H.R. 3193) to make those 240,000 acres part of the Wilderness System. The area includes famed Longs Peak.
The legislation picked up important support when the Larimer County Commissioners and the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake urged passage. Previously, local officials had had reservations. We are working with local and state citizen organizations to mobilize public support for this legislation.
Please urge your representatives in Congress to cosponsor and .
For More Information
- Suzanne Jones, Director, Four Corner States Regional Office, 303-650-5818
