Dear Reader,

Thanks to you, we’re going to hit our goal of 5,000 signatures before Sunday, July 4th. We’re just under 4,000 right now. Even if you share this with one person, it helps. And for those of you who’ve donated to support the petition with change.org, it’s making a huge difference.

Thank you!

Hopefully, our elected representatives will start to pay attention to what the people are saying. In the meantime, I’ve got some news for you this week. And what I hope is some helpful advice for the National Park Service on managing the real problem they face.

Hint: it’s not too many Americans visiting public lands, it’s how to manage ‘bad actors’ who create problems out of lack of information and education. But first…

The Freedom of Information Act Officer for the National Park Service in Denver contacted me last week. She had been away on vacation. She’s back now. She’s working with her colleagues here at Rocky Mountain National Park to try and fulfill our request ‘in the next week or two.’

This is good news. The NPS has admitted it failed to respond to the request in a timely way, as required by law. Rather than appealing this (which would create a whole new bureaucratic process), I’ve just asked that they provide as much information as they can before the July 19th deadline for public feedback on long-term restrictions. That’s 31 days away. I’ll keep you posted.

Second, the person in charge of granting permits for demonstrations larger than 25 people contacted me last week. She said our request for a permit on either Saturday, July 3rd or Sunday, July 4th should be ready to ‘review and sign’ in the next week.

That was last week. Hopefully I’ll hear back today. After that. I’ll let you know how you can join us for what I’m loosely calling a Rocky Mountain Freedom Hike. It may be the only way some of us can get a hike in that day! Stay tuned.

Finally, the Park’s public relations officer reached out. She wanted to remind me that the Park does want public input on a long-term system and that this is just the beginning of the process. She was concerned that we are creating the impression that long-term restrictions are imminent. And she pointed out that the short-term pilot programs are different to the long-term program.

I respectfully disagreed. The Superintendent has said publicly that these ‘pilot programs’ will help the NPS gather information on how to sculpt a long-term system. When the Park says it wants input, in wants input into what kind of system will become permanent. Not whether the public wants a system at all.

Visitors AND locals are both unhappy. Visitors don’t know about the restrictions and find that it unfairly discriminates against them. Locals are no longer able to make spontaneous trips into their back yard—the reason many of us chose to live in Estes Park or the Front Range. Or they have to pay an additional $2 fee for every reservation, on top of an annual or lifetime pass fee.

Clearly, things are not working well. The Superintendent has succeeded in uniting people from all over the country and all over the world who are against her plans. From the Park’s point of view, they’re being over-run by the public. They lack the resources to deal with big numbers. They’ve become defensive as a result (which creates a pretty negative visitor experience when you’re coming through the entry gate and you have a hostile welcome).

If ‘bad actors’ are responsible for many of the actions which the Superintendent thinks makes restrictions necessary, surely better education, better communication, and more information is the answer. That solves the specific problems they are worried about (we all love Rocky and want to see nature protected). But it doesn’t punish the entire American public for the actions of a few.

Let’s be sensible. After a night of camping in the back country near Lawn Lake earlier this week, I came up with a simple acronym that could be distributed to all NPS visitors to improve their experience AND preserve the Park. Better information. More education. Better communication. This is the way, as the Mandalorian says.

I call it: How to do your PART to keep RMNP open, beautiful, and pristine. Many people who visit RMNP will only do it once. And for many, it will be their only encounter with wildlife, big crowds, mountain roads, and hiking trails. I’m sure this could be improved on. But here’s how everyone can do their PART.

• P= People.  Be respectful and kind to everyone you meet. Volunteers, Rangers, and Park employees keep the Park open and safe for millions of visitors. They don’t deserve abuse (nor should they abuse visitors). Remember that the person driving in the car ahead of you may have never seen an elk before. And remember that everyone you see on your day in Rocky is having their own experience in 415 square miles of natural beauty. We can all enjoy this wonderful place respectfully.
• A= Animals. There are over 60 species of mammals in RMNP, including elk, big horn sheep, moose, and deer. There are over 280 recorded bird species, 142 confirmed butterfly species (amazing!),seven fish, six amphibians, and one reptile (the garter snake, which is harmless). This is their home and natural habitat. Respect it and protect it. Don’t try to pet a 700-pound adult male elk during rutting season, or his 500-pound partner after she’s given birth to a calf. You will lose that battle every time. Don’t leave trash the animals might eat. And if you want the perfect selfie with wildlife, do it safely (for the animal and you, and your fellow visitors).
• R= Roads. Traffic  is one of the main reasons cited by Superintendent Sidles for long-term restrictions. We think it’s a problem that solves itself. When you see something amazing you want a picture of, pull over to the side of the road (rather than blocking it). Keep in mind that everyone is trying to get somewhere and have a good experience on the Park’s 91 miles of paved roads and 28 miles of dirt roads. And keep in mind that not everyone has experience driving on high-mountain roads with great views but lots of vertical exposure. It can be scary. Try to be patient. Also, when you’re on vacation, you’re not in a hurry. And inexperienced or uninformed visitors will inevitably make mistakes that are frustrating to watch. Take a deep breath and be patient. We’ll all get to where we’re going.
• T= Trails. There are over 355 miles of hiking trails in Rocky. And over 250,000 acres are designated as ‘wilderness.’ That’s more than 94% of the entire National Park. There is plenty of room for everyone to get out on the trail and stretch their legs and enjoy the wildlife or the scenery. But there is no cleaning crew that comes in at night to tidy up . Stay on the trail. Don’t take shortcuts. If you’re on a steep trail, remember hikers coming uphill have the right-of-way (step off just to the side). Remember that many visitors come to the National Parks for peace and quiet and that electronic devices (music) disturb animals as well. Be mindful of the weather and all posted signs.

Sorry for the preaching! 

It’s not any of my business to tell you or other people how to hike and enjoy the National Park. But my point is that many of the simple problems the Park is trying to solve can be solved by better information and more education.

One of the reasons so many people are frustrated right now is how little information there is about the reservation system (local businesses are often left explaining what it is and how to navigate it). This creates a lot of negative 'visitor experiences' for everyone.

Imagine your disappointment if you drove all the way out here from Indiana and only then found out you needed a reservation and were then told by a Ranger (or the Superintendent) that you should have planned ahead. You’d be upset. Many people are.

Yet all these problems can be fixed. The RMNP’s resources can be safeguarded for enjoyment by future generations. And today’s public doesn’t need to be punished by a bad policy. Our elected representatives need to step in and help mediate a solution: more resources, better education, more information, better communication, and less blaming of the public.

More restrictions are definitely not ‘the way.’ You can understand—after a year of Covid-19 and two record forest fires—why the Park’s leaders would feel under siege and defensive. It’s human nature. But it’s still a bad policy coming from good people who have lost their perspective on the problem.

But the public is not the enemy here. We are your ally. And these are, after all, public lands. Let’s find a better way to achieve the two goals national parks were created for: preservation and public betterment.

To Superintendent Sidles we say: end the reservation system and halt the plans to make it permanent. Start over. Engage the public with an open mind on how to solve the problems you’re facing. They’re our problems too. Treat us as an equal partner who values these beautiful places as much as you. It’s time to do your part too.

Respectfully,

Dan

PS This week’s picture is Lawn Lake from above, taken from the trail to Crystal Lakes, at the base of Fairchild Mountain. There is still a lot of snow and running water on the trail right now. I’d wait to do it until later in the summer. And it’s a long one, over 14 miles round trip from the Lawn Lake trailhead in Endo Valley. I camped out the night before in Lower Tileston Meadows.

This IS the kind of trip that requires a permit and some planning ahead (I wasn’t prepared for the temperature change at night and shivered the dark away until sunup).  The vast majority of trips to Rocky, though, are not over-night or back-country stays. They shouldn’t require a reservation that discriminates against out of state visitors and locals alike.

Let’ hope common sense prevails. And let’s keep pushing until it does. Thanks for doing your part.