-We’re not very receptive to charges that the park is
“wimping out,” “””says Rocky Mountain National Park spokesman
Doug Caldwell. But critics say the park did just that – by
permitting a crew of soil scientists to take a helicopter ride in a
wilderness study area.
Last summer, the park in
northeastern Colorado sent a group of scientists from the federal
Natural Resources Conservation Service to study sites in the remote
Paradise Park area and the Mummy Range. But the scientists went by
helicopter, not by foot or horse. The reason? An internal park
document obtained by the Washington, D.C.-based group, Public
Employees for Environmental Responsibility, says the scientists
found packing in “unacceptable.”
“Admittedly,
the (Conservation Service) folks are not the “outdoor enthusiasts’
that many of the park staff are,” says the document. “Their agency
culture and their individual backgrounds do not lend towards days
of hiking and camping without the normal accoutrements.”
Wilderness program specialist Tim Devine opposed
the park’s decision, commenting that the scientists’ “personal
comforts should not override our responsibility and mission to
protect park wilderness resources.” His arguments were
overruled.
“The Wilderness Act does give public
land agencies some latitude in these decisions,” responds Caldwell.
He says the helicopter was only used in remote, trailless areas,
where pack animals would have damaged the
terrain.
Jackie Taylor of PEER’s Rocky Mountain
office remains unconvinced. “This destroys the wilderness
experience,” she says. “Helicopter use should be the exception
rather than the rule – and the park needs to be careful in the
precedent it sets.”
*Michelle
Nijhuis
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Scientists get a free ride.
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