Rocky Mountain Journal

Friday, March 6, 2020

Senate to Move Years-Long Effort to Address National Park Repair Needs

On Wednesday, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced a “combined” bill that would provide dedicated funding to reduce the National Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog – nearly $12 billion in needed repairs across the National Park System – and provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

The bill will provide funding to repair aging infrastructure in America’s more than 400 national park sites. This legislation dedicates up to $6.5 billion to public lands infrastructure repairs over five years. Additionally, the bill will provide $900 million per year to LWCF to protect land in our national parks and other protected lands from development and to support recreational facilities.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association:

“Our national parks are suffering, operating on a shoestring budget and dealing with billions of dollars in needed repairs. Grand Canyon’s aging water system, which supplies drinking water for millions of visitors is falling apart, while Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road, built for carriages, is crumbling. Critical repair projects have been put on the backburner for decades, and now our parks are reaching a breaking point. At the same time, our parks are being threatened by potential development projects that would undermine critical wildlife habitat and visitor access.

“For years, congressional park champions, NPCA, park advocates, conservation organizations, and businesses have fought to fix our parks and save America’s legacy, and today, we are closer than ever before. Thousands of supporters called and wrote Congress fighting for funding. Hundreds more flew to Washington, D.C. to advocate on Capitol Hill asking lawmakers to make the investment in our public lands that they so desperately need and deserve. Their voices were heard.

“It’s because of the support of our Congressional park champions, Senators Rob Portman, Mark R. Warner, Lamar Alexander and Angus King, that we have reached this point in this years-long effort to repair parks. We commend Senators Joe Manchin and Cory Gardner for introducing this bill that will support conservation efforts across the country and help ensure our parks can continue to provide safe and enjoyable conditions for millions of visitors, support local communities and protect the resources that help tell our nation’s stories.”

Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Increases Daily Vehicle Park Pass Fee

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announces the Daily Vehicle Park Pass fee for each of Colorado’s 41 state parks will increase by one dollar effective March 1, 2020.

A Daily Vehicle Park Pass is now $9 for most parks, $10 for Chatfield, Boyd Lake and Eldorado Canyon state parks, and $11 for Cherry Creek (due to the Cherry Creek Water Basin Authority fee). Annual Park Pass and Commercial Park Pass entrance fees will remain unchanged in 2020.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the daily vehicle pass fee increase in January 2020 to help CPW manage the rise in property maintenance needs and operational costs associated with the growing number of park visitors.

As per the Future Generations Act, additional money from park license sales, passes and permits will go towards improving Colorado parks, lands and recreation. The bill also requires annual reporting of how fee increases are used; the 2019 Future Generations Act Report is available on the CPW website.

As the state’s population grows, so does the pressure on our natural resources. The vehicle fee increase is a helpful step to protect our natural resources for future generations, and ensure appropriate funding and programming for the conservation of our park lands.

For more information on choosing the right parks pass for you and your family, visit CPW’s Park Entrance Pass Information page.

Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Major Road Work In Rocky Mountain National Park Will Require Nightly Closures On 3 Mile Section Of Road

Beginning this May through September, major road construction will occur on US 36 inside of Rocky Mountain National Park. The work will take place on a 3-mile section of US 36, just west of Bear Lake Road junction to east of Deer Ridge Junction. Beginning in May, this section of road will be closed nightly from 7 pm to 7 am, Sunday nights through Friday mornings. There will be no nightly closures on Friday and Saturday nights.

When the road reopens each morning at 7 am to traffic, motorists should expect delays and a rough surface. Bicyclists and motorcyclists should avoid this section of road this summer and enter the park through the Fall River Entrance.

The entire depth of asphalt will be removed and a new surface will be installed. Many curves will be reconstructed to bring them into compliance with federal highway standards. Visitor pull offs will be formalized and curbing will be added where necessary to protect vegetation.

Upper Beaver Meadows Road will also be inaccessible during nightly closures.

For further information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

Rocky Mountain National Park Biennial Research Conference - Continual Change, Collaborative Stewardship

Rocky Mountain National Park’s 2020 Biennial Research Conference “Continual Change, Collaborative Stewardship” will be held on March 10-11 in the multi-purpose room at the Estes Valley Community Center. The park hosts one of the largest research programs in the National Park System, with nearly 100 research permits active each year. Park research partners come from other federal agencies, the State of Colorado, and universities around the world. Last year, citizen scientists volunteered thousands of hours to research projects. In addition, hundreds of students participated in field data collections and lab analysis. More than one-hundred scientists are expected to attend this two-day meeting to discuss a variety of research projects.

The conference is free and open to all interested members of the community. No registration is required. The conference begins on Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 a.m. Sessions will end by 5:00 p.m. each day. A complete schedule is available at: http://www.nps.gov/rlc/continentaldivide/research-conference.htm

Researchers will present for 20 minutes each. Talks are organized into sessions covering related subjects. Tuesday sessions will focus on wildlife challenges, forest and wetland change, and cultural connections to the park. The day will end with a poster session highlighting 26 research and public engagement activities in and around the park.

Thursday sessions will include monitoring change and collaborating for resource management. In addition to presentations, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in small discussion groups exploring a variety of park issues during the mid-morning Conversation Café.

The 2020 Research Conference celebrates research at Rocky Mountain National Park, promotes collaboration between the park and its partners, provides a forum for researchers and park staff to share discoveries, highlights the current issues relevant to park management, creates opportunities for young professionals and scientists to engage with park staff and the public and encourages dialogue between the park, the public, students and scientists.

The multi-purpose room is in the lower level of the Estes Valley Community Center, 660 Community Drive, Estes Park, CO. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. Highway 36 between Lyons and Estes Park will be closed during the conference dates. Highways 7 and 34 will be open.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Paid Parking is Coming to Estes Park this Summer

The town of Estes Park recently published the following information concerning paid parking within the town:

Beginning June 1, seven parking areas (60 percent of the parking in downtown) will have a fee of $2 per hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The remaining 40 percent of downtown parking will be free or will be transitioned into employee-only parking through October 18. Even with the introduction of seasonal paid parking in 2020, nearly 70 percent of all public parking will remain free. Additionally, parking between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. will remain free in all parking areas.

Seasonal paid areas (June 1 - Oct. 18, 2020)
* Town Hall parking lot (portion)
* East Riverside parking lot
* Riverside parking lot
* Weist parking lot (portion)
* Post Office parking lot
* Tregent parking lot
* Bond Park public parking areas

Free areas (year-round)
* MacGregor Avenue
* Big Horn parking lot
* W. Riverside parking lot
* Davis parking lot
* Performance Park parking lot
* Spruce parking lot
* On-street parking located along W. Elkhorn, E. Riverside, Big Horn, Moraine, and W. Riverside
* Parking structure
* Events Complex park-n-ride

For more information, please click here.