Rocky Mountain National Park

1. Rocky Mountain National Park

2. History • The snow-mantled peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park rise above verdant subalpine valleys and glistening lakes. 1/3 of the park is above tree line, and here tundra predominates –a major reason why these peaks and valleys have been set aside as a national park.

3. Wildlife • Rocky Mountain National Park visitors have a passion for viewing wild animals, especially the big ones. • With an elk herd numbering more that 3,000 and approximately 800 big sheep, numerous mule deer and a small population of moose calling the park home, it is no surprise that wildlife watching is the number one activity. • Despite good intentions some wildlife watchers are loving park animals to death. Feeding junk food to wildlife reduces its ability to survive the long mountain winter. Harassing or feeding wildlife is illegal in all national parks.

4. Climate • The Rocky Mountains have unpredictable weather which can change rapidly. As with other highland climates, the climate changes with increasing altitude. In general, the Rockies have mild summers, cold winters and a lot of precipitation. • The Rockies have very different seasons. In the winter there is deep snow, high winds, and sudden blizzards are common. At night it can get to -35û F or below! In the spring there is unpredictable weather. It could be wet or dry, cold or warm. In the summer there are sunny mornings, afternoon thunderstorms and clear nights. In the fall there are cool, crisp days, wind and decreasing precipitation • The average precipitation per year is 14 inches. The average for winter is 1.4 inches. The average precipitation for the season of spring is 4.2 inches. For summer it is 5.9 inches and for fall it is 2.6 inches. In the winter there are some snowstorms and blizzards. It snows later in the fall and there is decreasing precipitation. There is a lot of thunder and lighting in the summer. It rains and snows in the spring.

5. Air Quality • Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park marvel at the deep blue skies, cotton clouds, and fresh air. Park managers aim to maintain high standards of air quality. Unfortunately, studies has shown that the quality of the park’s air is affected by air pollution and that most of our pollutants come from outside the parks boundaries. • Rocky Mountain has an array of air quality initiatives underway, including research and monitoring.

6. Landscape The landscape of the Rocky Mountain National Park is the steepest in the United States. Sixty mountains peak over 12,000 feet high result in world –renown scenery and provide challenges for hikers and climbers. The extreme topography creates an amazing range of ecological zones within a short distances, similar to the changes that would be seen in a drive from Denver to northern Alaska.

7. Preserving the Rockies • In 1903, F. O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, came to Estes Park for his health. Impressed by the beauty of the valley and grateful for the improvement in his health, he decided to invest his money and his future there. In 1909, he opened the elegant Stanley Hotel, a classic hostelry exemplifying the golden age of touring. • Largely due to Stanley's efforts, the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association was established to protect local wildflowers and wildlife and to improve roads and trails. "Those who pull flowers up by the roots will be condemned by all worthy people, and also by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association," they warned. It was the start of a conservation ethic that has become increasingly important and complex. • Even more important to the future of the area was Eons Mills, who came to the Longs Peak area in 1884 when he was 14 years old. A dedicated naturalist, he wrote eloquent books about the area's natural history. Not long after his arrival, Mills bought the Longs Peak Inn and began conducting local nature trips. • In 1909, Mills first proposed that the area become the nation's tenth national park to preserve the wild lands from inappropriate use. It was his vision that you would arrive here years later to experience the wonderful Rocky Mountain wilderness he knew. "In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park," he proclaimed.

8. Preserving the Rockies Con’t • Unleashing his diverse talents and inexhaustible energy, he spent several years lecturing across the nation, writing thousands of letters and articles, and lobbying Congress to create a new park that would stretch from the Wyoming border south to Pikes Peak, covering more than 1,000 square miles. Most civic leaders supported the idea, as did the Denver Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Mountain Club. In general, mining, logging, and agricultural interests opposed it. The compromise drafted by James G. Rogers, the first president of the Colorado Mountain Club, was the establishment of a smaller park (358.3 square miles). On January 26, 1915, under President Woodrow Wilson, it was declared Rocky Mountain National Park. • Today, the park stands as a legacy to those pioneers who looked beyond its harvestable resources to its more lasting values

9. Threats to the Area • Parks takes local actions bark beetles are native insects that have shaped the forests of North America for thousands of years. The effects of bark beetles are especially evident in recent years on Colorado’s western slope, including Rocky Mountain National Park with a severe epidemic of mountain pine beetle. • Although water quality is high in park waters relative to much of the country, threats do exist. Nitrogen deposition is a factor influencing soils and waters in the park. In lakes and streams, the impacts of nitrogen deposition grow worse over time as the natural buffering capability of the soil and rock is used up. Eventually chronic acidification can lead to the loss of many aquatic organisms and entire fish populations. • Fires were thought to be harmful and were put out. With fire suppression, montane forests became denser and more susceptible to severe crown fires. The health of the forest declined. Growing in dense stands, trees did not receive the nutrients, sun, or water necessary for vigorous growth. Weakened trees became more susceptible to pests such as spruce budworm and mountain pine beetle.

10. Conservation Efforts • Fuels reduction projects are designed to combat both the intensity and available fuel for fires. Fuel breaks alone are not enough to prevent wildfires, but will allow for more effective fore management and can be valuable in community protection efforts on the wild land urban interface. • In order to help restore natural processes, the National Park Service has and will continue to reintroduce fire into the ecosystem where possible. • 2010/2011 Hazard Tree Removal Projects: Providing for visitor safety means park managers must mitigate potential hazards(cut down trees), or close a site. In order to keep as many park facilities open as possible, crews will continue to mitigate hazardous trees in high visitor use areas. This is an enormous and costly task, with over 350 locations identified for potential hazard tree mitigation. Several projects are scheduled for 2010/2011 which will involve temporary site closures during hazard tree mitigation operations. The majority of the planned project sites are located on the west side of the park where the beetle impact has been most severe.

11. Works Cited • "Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/romo/>. • Rocky Mountain National Park. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.rocky.mountain.national-park.com/>. • Rocky Mountain National Park. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.rocky.mountain.national-park.com/>. • "Rocky Mountain National Park - Environmental Factors (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/environmentalfactors.htm>. • "Rocky Mountain National Park - Fire (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/fire.htm>. • "Rocky Mountain National Park - Scenic Vistas (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/scenicvistas.htm>. • "Rocky Mountain National Park - Animals (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/animals.htm>.