On March 9, 2006, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) reintroduced legislation that would permanently protect the vast backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park. The bills would designate 94 percent of the park as Wilderness and ensure that the Park's awe-inspiring vistas, popular hiking trails and incredible wildlife habitat will be preserved as a draw for visitors to the region and for the enjoyment and appreciation of generations to come.
"It's about time to get this settled," says Estes Park Mayor John Baudek, who has recently overseen solid support from Estes Park citizens for protecting the town's greatest economic and natural resource. "Being a gateway community to Rocky Mountain National Park, it's in our best interest for Rocky Mountain National Park to remain a pristine place for generations to come. Let's get this act passed."
This bill will protect 249,339 acres of wild lands in the park as wilderness, as well as provide for the addition of 1,000 acres to the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The bill excludes heavily used frontcountry lands and allows for maintenance of Trail Ridge Road.
The newly introduced bill also includes a provision that would carve out a 1/8-mile corridor from the proposed wilderness on the western side of the park along Lake Granby and Grand Lake for future consideration of a potential new mountain bike trail. Mountain bikes are not typically allowed in the National Park backcountry areas, and conservation groups remain convinced that a new regional bike path would be more appropriately located outside of the Park.
Senator Salazar said, "The natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain National Park must be preserved for future generations to enjoy." He continued, "I am pleased to have the support of the Colorado water community, as well as the local towns and counties. It is imperative that when changes such as these are proposed that local communities are consulted. Their input will guarantee the success of such efforts."
Rep. Mark Udall, whose grandfather was one of the first outfitters in the Park, commented, "Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the nation's most visited parks and possesses some of the most pristine and striking alpine ecosystems and natural landscapes in the continental United States. The bill constitutes a fair and complete proposal that reflects the legitimate needs of the public and deserves to be enacted. We need to continue making progress regarding wilderness designations for deserving lands. The time is ripe for finally resolving the status of the lands within Rocky Mountain National Park that are dealt with in the bill I am introducing today and am look forward to working with the delegation to make that a reality."
Background
Visitors from all over the country - up to 3.2 million a year - come to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, climb Longs Peak (an accessible 14,000 foot mountain peak), and drive along the old Trail Ridge Road through alpine tundra to the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet. The thick forests that cover the western half of the park provide a great opportunity for moose and elk sightings, while the eastern peaks are a splendid introduction to the magnificence of the Rocky Mountain Range. Much of Rocky Mountain National Park was recommended for wilderness protection in the early 1970s and has been managed to preserve its wilderness character for the past 30 years.
While wilderness legislation has been introduced in Congress for the past seven congresses, progress in passing a bill has been stalled until a recent groundswell of support rose from local citizens, local government, and the National Park Service. At public hearings this past summer in Grand Lake and Estes Parks, citizens overwhelmingly championed wilderness protection for the Park. The Town of Grand Lake, and Grand and Larimer Counties have all passed various resolutions supporting the concept.
Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) introduced wilderness legislation for the Park in 2005 (H.R. 3193, S. 1510). However, several complicated issues continued to be negotiated over the past several months including specific boundary locations and a proposed bicycle trail.
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