Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness
The Time is Now

Bear Lake. (National Park Service)

It has been 33 years since the National Park Service first recommended wilderness protection for the stunning wild lands of Rocky Mountain National Park. The Colorado Congressional Delegation has been working together to craft a bipartisan bill to designate Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness. The legislation will help preserve Rocky Mountain National Park as it is today, benefit local communities and their economies, and protect existing activities and infrastructure in the park.

Rocky Mountain National Park is home to some of Colorado's most spectacular peaks and miles of gorgeous backcountry terrain, making it a popular destination for visitors from around the world. Many come to experience the awe-inspiring views from the top of Trail Ridge Road or to hear the elk bugle in the fall, while others seek solitude in the thick pine forests. Supporting a healthy tourism economy, the Park's wild lands are as invaluable to the gateway towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake as they are to future generations of park visitors.

Click here to learn more about the National Park Service's wilderness vision for Rocky Mountain National Park.
 

The Issue

Background
Much of Rocky Mountain National Park was recommended for wilderness protection by the National Park Service in the early 1970s and has been managed to preserve its wilderness characteristics ever since. While wilderness legislation for the Park has been introduced in the past seven congresses, progress in passing a bill has been stalled. However, in the summer of 2005, at public hearings in the gateway communities of Grand Lake and Estes Park, citizens overwhelmingly championed wilderness protection for the Park.

Longs Peak. (John Fielder)

In 2006, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) reintroduced wilderness legislation for Rocky Mountain National Park in the 109th Congress. While the legislation did not pass in the 109th Congress, there was overwhelming support from local citizens, local governments, and the National Park Service.

In 2007, support for designating Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness remains strong and as a result the Colorado Congressional Delegation has continued to work together to craft bipartisan legislation for the 110th Congress. The Town of Grand Lake, the Town of Estes Park, the Town of Winter Park, Grand County, Larimer County and Boulder County have all expressed their support for wilderness designation of the park. Wilderness designation would sustain the ecological health of the park and guarantee the economic vitality of local communities by ensuring that the park always stays as beautiful and inviting as it is today.

The groundswell of support from local citizens, local government, and the National Park Service may help secure wilderness protection for the Park in perpetuity.

Mummy Range. (National Park Service)

Update

On Monday, May 14, 2007 at Moraine Park Campground Amphitheater in Rocky Mountain National Park, Representatives Musgrave and Udall and Senators Allard and Salazar announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation that will permanently protect the backcountry of the Park as wilderness. H.R.2334 was introduced into the House of Representatives by Congressman Mark Udall with Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave as an original cosponsor. Senators Allard and Salazar have promised to introduce identical legislation into the Senate.

Resources
Fact Sheet
Map (low resolution / high resolution)
Text of the bill
Quotes about Rocky Mountain National Park

Press
Denver Post (5/16/07)
Rocky Mountain News (5/15/07)
Fort Collins Coloradoan (5/15/07)
Rocky Mountain News (5/8/07)
Fort Collins Coloadoan 1 (5/8/07)
Fort Collins Coloradoan 2 (5/8/07)
Greeley Tribune (5/8/07)
Denver Post (5/7/07)
Rocky Mountain News (5/7/07)
Fort Collins Coloradoan (5/7/07)
Fort Collins Coloradoan Editorial (5/7/07)
Ft. Collins Weekly (8/03/06)
Ft Collins Coloradoan Editorial (Udall) (8/1/06)
Denver Post Editorial (7/30/06)
Rocky Mountain News Editorial (7/24/06)
Greeley Tribune Editorial (6/29/06)
Loveland Editorial (6/29/06)
Ft Collins Coloradoan Editorial (5/30/06)

Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Proposal Supporters and Endorsers

Kawuneeche Valley. (National Park Service)

Town of Grand Lake
Town of Winter Park
Town of Estes Park
Larimer County Commissioners
Boulder County Commissioners
Grand County Commissioners
League of Women Voters of Estes Park
Colorado Trout Unlimited
Conservation Allianc
Headwaters Trails Alliance
International Mountain Bicycling Association
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Colorado Mountain Club
Sierra Club
The Wilderness Society
And the many other member groups of the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance

For More Information

For more information please contact Lisa Smith at 303-405-6707.