RMNP seeking your opinion on day-use restrictions and timed-entry
EDITOR’S NOTES: This News Release was provided by RMNP. We have broken it down into specific areas to chose from, to make your comments.
==Note== it shows a big increase in traffic in 2021, which was a COVID year, and that tilts the statistics. It is our understanding from an Opinion article in the Estes Park Trail Gazette that the number dropped in 2023. The Opinion column states: Did you know that for the month of June (the latest month for which statistics from the National Park Service are available) visitation to Rocky was down 8.2% from 2022? Year-to-date visitation in RMNP is up a modest 1.71% through June. In fact, we haven’t had this few people in RMNP through June since the summer of 2015 – 9 years ago. — To read this opposing side of the situation, read the OPINION column, 8/7/23. (The Lyons Recorder does not promote, discredit, or verify the Opinion column). The Lyons Recorder does support environmental protections of our national resources. Please do your own research and respond to the survey.
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Rocky Mountain National Park is seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the park’s long-range day use visitor access plan. This plan is needed to provide day use visitor access in a way that protects resources while creating opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences.
The park experienced a 44 percent increase in visitation from 2012 to 2019. In 2021, the park received 4.4 million visits. Even with a timed entry system in place the park received some of the highest visitation in its history. The park’s top five visitation years are as follows: 2019, 4.67 million; 2018, 4.59 million; 2016, 4.51 million; 2017, 4.437 million; 2021, 4.434 million.
Rapid growth in day use visitation and changing use patterns in the park have degraded natural and cultural resources, diminished quality of the visitor experience, increased visitor and staff safety concerns, and created a heavy strain on the park’s facilities and ability to perform daily operations. The goal of the plan is to identify strategies that will help protect park resources, offer varied opportunities for high quality visitor experiences, and enhance visitor and staff safety.
Based on public feedback and information gathered during the pilot programs, the preferred alternative described in the EA established two timed entry reservation systems, one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor and one for the rest of the park, similar to the 2021, 2022, and 2023 pilots.
WEBSITE PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Park staff invite members of the public to submit their comments via the park’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS beginning October 30, 2023, through December 14, 2023.
IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The park will host public open house on Monday, November 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Estes Valley Community Center in Estes Park, Colorado. These open houses will provide an opportunity to drop in, meet with National Park Service (NPS) staff, and learn more about the EA and the proposed alternatives.
VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The park hosted a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, November 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A recording of the meeting is on the park planning link below, with captions. https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS click on ‘Open for Comment’ on the left side of page to submit a comment.
MAIL IN COMMENTS
Comments may also be sent to the following mailing address:
Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, 1000 US Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517
CONFIDENTIALITY
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.
If you would like more information about the park’s long-range planning efforts please visit go.nps.gov/romo/duvas.
If you would like more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
The park will announce operational plans for summer 2024 in the coming weeks.
