Senator Udall Selected as Honorary Chair of Rocky Mountain National Park’s Upcoming 100th Anniversary

On January 26, 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park was established. Ninety-nine years later, Rocky Mountain National Park is pleased to announce that Senator Mark Udall has been named Honorary Chair of Rocky Mountain National Park's 100th Anniversary Celebration.

"As an avid outdoorsman as well as the chairman of the U.S. Senate National Parks Subcommittee, I'm thrilled to help mark the centennial of Rocky Mountain National Park. Countless international visitors, as well as generations of Coloradans — myself included — have come to Rocky Mountain National Park to take in the scenery along Trail Ridge Road, hike the Continental Divide, and see the hundreds of elk and big horn sheep that call the park home. Rocky Mountain National Park is a true treasure, and I encourage all adventurers, young and old, to participate in its centennial celebration by visiting the park," said Senator Udall.

Senator Udall's mother helped instill his great sense of adventure and love for the Colorado wilderness. Patricia "Sam" Udall, was a native Coloradan and avid outdoorswoman. Her father, Roe Emery, was the first concessionaire in Rocky Mountain National Park and part owner of the historic Stanley Hotel in nearby Estes Park. He played an important role in the growth of tourism and the promotion of Rocky Mountain National Park after its creation in 1915.

"Our parks are one of Colorado's best renewable resources, but we need today's youth to connect with places like Rocky Mountain National Park…to ensure they are there for future generations to enjoy," said Senator Udall.

The year-long Rocky Mountain National Park Centennial Celebration will kick-off on September 4, 2014, the 99th anniversary of its dedication as a national park. A Re-Dedication Ceremony will bring the celebration to an end on September 4, 2015. Special events and programs will be offered over the course of the year in the park and in the surrounding communities. For details on Centennial planning and events, please click here.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Local Executive Committee to Develop Legislation to Redesignate Colorado National Monument as a National Park

Following years of public input and meetings, Senator Mark Udall, chairman of the U.S. Senate National Parks Subcommittee, and Congressman Scott Tipton, who serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, have announced the formation of a local executive committee to help them craft discussion-draft legislation to re-designate the Colorado National Monument as a national park. The five-member executive committee will work with Udall and Tipton to produce discussion-draft legislation that addresses local residents' concerns and find a way to move forward on the park's plan. Following completion of the executive committee’s work, Udall and Tipton will hold a public comment period for the community to provide feedback on the discussion draft.

"The Colorado National Monument is one of our state's most recognizable and stunning public lands. I am proud that Congressman Tipton and I have joined together to form this local executive committee to keep the conversation going on the Colorado National Monument's future," Udall said. "I look forward to working with these community leaders to draft legislation that addresses local concerns while also finding a bipartisan, common-sense way forward to honor John Otto's original vision for the Colorado National Monument."

One of the chief concerns among locals is the ability to run a stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge through the national monument along Rim Rock Drive. However, National Park Service officials have refused that permit on grounds that the event conflicts with federal regulations and agency management policies.

The executive committee, which will meet periodically over the next several months to help draft legislation, is made up of:

◾Kristi Pollard, former director of development at Colorado Mesa University
◾Warren Gore, a Glade Park rancher and chairman of Udall and Tipton's recent Colorado National Monument working group
◾Ginny McBride, chairwoman of the Colorado National Monument Association Board of Directors; ◾Michael Burke, chairman of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce
◾Jamie Lummis, a member of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge organizing committee.

The formation of the executive committee follows more than a year's worth of work by the Colorado National Monument working group, which explored the implications, benefits and possible issues of redesignating the monument as a park.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com