|
Wilderness...the word has different meanings
to different people, but here in Rocky Mountain National Park,
wilderness is something special. Of the park's approximate
265,770 acres, only 2,917 acres has been officially designated
by Congress as Wilderness, yet an additional 248,464 acres
has been recommended as wilderness since 1974. But what does
this mean? In 1964, the Congress of the United States passed
a law known as the Wilderness Act, which created a
National Wilderness Preservation System
to provide an "enduring resource of wilderness" for future
generations. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness
Act into law on September 3, 1964
|
Wilderness, according to the Wilderness Act,
"...in contrast with those areas where man and his own works
dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where
the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man,
where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Wilderness
Act goes on to describe wilderness as a place "retaining its
primeval character and influence" where there are "outstanding
opportunities for solitude". When the Wilderness Act established
the National Wilderness Preservation System, most of the wilderness
areas created under the Act were located in the west. Today,
there are designated Wilderness areas in 48 states.
|
Rocky Mountain National Park's Wilderness
Vision
|
Rocky Mountain National Park is recognized
internationally as one of the world's most outstanding natural
treasures. As a national park and wilderness, the Park's meadows,
forests, alpine peaks and tundra, and everything associated
with them, must be protected in perpetuity. Park managers
must carefully care for these natural and cultural resources.
Visitors should be educated about all that wilderness has
to offer in order to understand and appreciate wilderness
resources and values. It is RMNP's vision to be a world leader
and showcase for wilderness protection, management, and education.
|
A recommendation to officially designate
much of Rocky Mountain National Park as Wilderness, under
the Wilderness Act of 1964, was first introduced to Congress
by President Nixon on June 13, 1974. The original recommendation
consisted of 239,835 acres to be designated as immediate Wilderness,
and 479 acres to be managed as Potential Wilderness Additions.
Since 1974, legislation for official designation has been
introduced several times which included modifications to the
recommended boundaries and acreage due to changes in land
ownership, changes in the place of diversion or storage for
water rights and several boundary adjustments. In 1980, a
park boundary change resulted in 2,917 acres (1,181 hectares)
of existing wilderness within the designated Indian Peaks
Wilderness being transferred to Rocky Mountain National Park.
|
The park's wilderness areas offer outstanding
opportunities for solitude and recreation. Most park trails
are located in recommended wilderness giving visitors the
opportunity to explore and enjoy this unique resource. Extra
care should be taken when exploring Rocky Mountain National
Park's wilderness. Visitors who wish to experience these areas
should prepare their trips well in advance and should practice
the principles of
Leave No Trace so that the park's
wilderness is protected for future generations of adventurers.
|
|
|
|
Plants and Animals
Environment and
Landscape
History and Culture
Research
Fire
Wilderness
Weekly Tidbit
|