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Rocky Mountain National Park, in cooperation with the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest, is preparing a management plan for the Highway 7 Corridor near Estes Park, Colorado. Highway 7 runs along the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park and also provides access to lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The plan will focus on three key locations: Lily Lake, the Longs Peak trailhead, and the Meeker Park Campground. The purpose of the plan is to identify future visitor services and facilities that may be needed at the three locations. The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service will jointly prepare the Higway 7 Corridor Management Plan and an accompanying Environmental Assessment.
Final Elk and Vegetation Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement
Research reveals that elk numbers in and around Rocky Mountain National Park are high and outside the natural range of variability. High elk numbers on the winter range are having an adverse impact on plant communities, particularly aspen and willow. The Elk and Vegetation Management Plan examines alternatives for managing the elk population and restoring vegetation communities to their natural range of variability to the extent possible.
The National Park Service is examining ways to continue to manage the native Greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki stomias) and control nonnative fish that hinder its survival east of the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Brown trout (Salmo trutta) are invasive nonnative species that have displaced the Greenback cutthroat trout throughout much of its native range. The Greenback cutthroat trout is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The National Park Service (NPS) is considering four alternatives for managing Greenback cutthroat trout (GBC).
In August 2006, new information was received regarding the distribution of the greenback cutthroat trout in the park. Genetic information has revealed that some populations that were previously classified as pure greenback cutthroat trout are not so.
The accurate distribution and purity of greenback cutthroat trout in the park must be known before we can make informed management decisions. In light of this new development the Greenback Cutthroat Trout Management Plan and EA has been postponed until the park can determine the accurate distribution and purity of populations that may be affected by management actions.
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