News about RMNP via rmnpforums.com http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/index.php Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:35:06 +0000 180 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18954-rocky-mountain-national-park-biennial-research-conference/
Researchers will present for 20 minutes each.  Talks are organized into sessions covering related subjects.  Tuesday’s sessions will focus on Social Science, Forest Health, Water and Air.  Morning sessions in social science will include melting glaciers and bison bones, human connections to Longs Peak, and the history of the Little Buckaroo Ranch barn in the Kawuneeche Valley.  Morning forest health presentations will explore
conserving the genetic diversity of limber pines, forest regeneration in beetle disturbed areas, the fungus among us and the implication of managing natural disturbances in Rocky Mountain National Park’s sister park, Tatra National Park. Tuesday afternoon will focus on water and air topics including nitrogen deposition and ozone health warnings.  A highlight of this session will be results of the annual park wide water quality snapshot
survey, dubbed the waterblitz.

Wednesday will include an all day session on wildlife research, including research on butterflies, bighorn sheep, pika, beaver, amphibians and elk.  One project focuses on the family relationships among migrating
broad-tailed hummingbirds.  Another will feature the anatomy of elk bugling.  Wednesday morning’s vegetation topics will cover the invasion and expansion of cheatgrass, restoring the Lulu City wetland, and vital sign monitoring of the park’s wetlands and alpine tundra.

In addition to presentations, twenty posters will be presented during lunch on Wednesday.  A multi-disciplinary study of the park’s shuttle bus system along the Bear lake corridor will be presented on Wednesday afternoon.  The study looked at noise levels, visitor impacts to vegetation and timing of the buses.

The conference is free and open to all interested members of the community.  No registration is required. The conference begins on Tuesday, March 30, at 8:00 a.m.  Sessions will end by 4:00 p.m. each day.  A complete schedule is available at: www.nps.gov/romo/parkmgmt/research_conference.htm

The Town Board Room is in the Estes Park Municipal Building, 170 MacGregor Avenue.  For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park’s information office at (970) 586-1206.

View the full article]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:35:06 +0000 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18954-rocky-mountain-national-park-biennial-research-conference/ http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18955-temporary-closures-to-protect-nesting-raptors-in-rocky-mountain-national-park/
Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One.  These closures include the named formations as well as areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation.  The perimeter around Alligator Rock extends for 200 yards in all directions.  Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations.  Check the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm for updated information on raptor closures.

The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that are critical for raptors also appeal to climbers.  The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals is essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.

View the full article]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:31:29 +0000 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18955-temporary-closures-to-protect-nesting-raptors-in-rocky-mountain-national-park/ http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18758-new-online-accessibility-information-for-rocky-mountain-national-park/ www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

What makes this website unique are the site-specific photographs and information they have provided. The website shows what accessible features currently exist at Rocky Mountain National Park. The website highlights the beautiful accessible trails, the parking areas and the accessible campsites in the park. Removing "the unknown" with accessible information allows the traveler to decide whether or not a location works for them,
prior to traveling. The Wilmers have worked with three other national parks so far including Glacier National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Rocky Mountain National Park hopes that the Disabled Traveler's Companion website will be an excellent source of information between the national park and individuals with a disability.

View the full article]]> Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:33:41 +0000 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18758-new-online-accessibility-information-for-rocky-mountain-national-park/ http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18644-happy-95th-birthday-to-rocky-mountain-national-park/ http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100126/LOVELAND01/100126001

--Aaron ]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:52:26 +0000 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18644-happy-95th-birthday-to-rocky-mountain-national-park/ http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18520-estes-park-voters-disband-urban-renewal-authority/
But resident Bill Van Horn, who helped spearhead the campaign against EPURA, and others claimed the authority had outlived its mission and was being used to fund projects without public consent."
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14184511#ixzz0caY02cHX

--Aaron ]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:19:12 +0000 http://www.rmnpforums.com/forums/topic/18520-estes-park-voters-disband-urban-renewal-authority/