US Senator Ken Salazar - Colorado
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Senator Salazar congratulates a Park Ranger at RMNP

 


Senator Salazar speaking at RMNP with members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation

 


Senator Salazar with advocates of the Wilderness bill at RMNP


 



 

 



































 

 
  

 

Protecting our National Parks
 

This week, I testified at a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands hearing on the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Area Act, which would add 249,339 acres – nearly 95 percent of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) – to the Wilderness Preservation System.

Below is an excerpt from my testimony:

“…Congress established Rocky Mountain National Park on January 26, 1915 on the vision of a man named Enos Mills, one of our nation’s most committed naturalists, whose love for the wild Rockies began in 1884 when, at age 14, he scaled Long’s Peak.

“‘In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines,’ Mills once said, ‘thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park.’ He was right. Thanks to the excellent work of the Park Service and its employees over the past 90 years, the 3.2 million visitors that come to Rocky Mountain each year experience the same wild lands and spectacular vistas that our ancestors enjoyed.

“…Our job of protecting the wild character of Rocky Mountain National Park is not complete, however. In 1974 President Nixon recommended that Congress designate 239,835 acres within the Park as wilderness, but Congress has failed to act to designate on his recommendation.

“…As one who feels that it is critical that local communities participate in and support these efforts, I am proud that this bill has the endorsement of local communities and organizations including Larimer County, Grand Lake, Grand County, the Town of Estes Park, Winter Park, the Town of Grand Lake and the League of Women Voters. I am proud that our bill is a win-win for economic development and conservation, and accommodates the needs of a broad range of interests…”

Please click here for the full text of my remarks.

Please click here to view the full text of S. 1380, the RMNP Wilderness Area Act.

Please click here to view a map showing the RMNP lands proposed for wilderness designation.

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of Colorado’s signature places; from the grandeur of Long’s Peak to the crystal clear waters of the Big Thompson River it is a place where Coloradans and Americans can experience our state in its purest form. The bill we have before us represents what is best about Colorado: it is bipartisan, it protects the water rights we all hold dear and it ensures the Park remains unspoiled for future generations. I am proud to sponsor it.

Sincerely,

Ken Salazar
United States Senator

 

Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns you may have 

Senator Ken Salazar's DC office is located at 702 Hart Senate office building, Washington, DC 20510. He has Colorado regional offices in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Ft. Morgan, Pueblo, Durango, Grand Junction and Alamosa. For contact and mailing info, click here.