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Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists received a mortality alert for female gray wolf 2514-BC on April 20. The agency, in cooperation with the National Park Service, has confirmed the mortality took place in Rocky Mountain National Park. As a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating. A final determination of the cause of death will not be made until the investigation is completed, including the necropsy, a foundational component of the overall investigation process. 2514-BC was part of the group of wolves translocated to Colorado from British Columbia. No additional details are available at this time.
Wolf survival in Colorado is within normal margins for a wolf population in the Rocky Mountains. Any reintroduction effort includes eventual mortality levels and these were incorporated into the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. Mortality is a factor that plays a role in all natural populations. The average lifespan of a gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains is generally 3-4 years.
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Based upon the potential for favorable weather and conditions, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to conduct a prescribed burn on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Firefighters plan to burn approximately 60 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit. This burn unit is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which includes mainly grasses and small shrubs, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation. Due to the proximity of burn operations near the road, U.S. Highway 36 inside Rocky Mountain National Park will be temporarily closed from just west of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to the Beaver Meadows Entrance between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. During this time, visitors will need to enter and exit the park through the Fall River Entrance on US 34. Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, RMNP’s Wilderness Office and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store, located inside the visitor center, will be open as regularly scheduled.  The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fire and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping the fire from jumping Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road. If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Tuesday, April 15. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire, on www.nps.gov/romo and on Rocky Mountain National Park’s official social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @RockyNPS. Smoke may be visible both inside and outside the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park. Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. No trail or road closures are anticipated but visitors passing through active burning areas may be escorted by fire personnel to ensure their safety. Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any fire management operation. For more information, please contact the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.  Celebrate National Park Week, National Volunteer Week, Earth Day, and National Junior Ranger Day at Rocky Mountain National Park. What is National Park Week? This is a week-long celebration of our national parks that takes place annually in the month of April. This year, National Park Week begins on Saturday, April 19 and continues through Sunday, April 27, 2025. Rocky Mountain National Park will be celebrating in person and online. On Saturday, April 19: National Park Week kicks off with a fee free day. All park entrance fees will be waived on this date. Camping, overnight wilderness backpacking, and all other administrative fees remain in effect. Join us at Rocky’s Earth Day & National Junior Ranger Day Events!
Additional park ranger-led programs and activities will be happening all week long! On Sunday, April 20: Join us on the east side of RMNP at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at 2 p.m. for the program “Efforts to Restore Boreal Toad Populations in RMNP,” presented by Jonathan Lewis, Conservation Biology Program Manager for Rocky Mountain National Park. This special program is the final presentation in Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s 2025 Winter Speaker Series. To learn more, visithttps://rmconservancy.org/ For RMNP’s full National Park Week program schedule, visit the park’s webpage at https://go.nps.gov/romo/npweek Unable to visit in person? Join Rocky’s digital celebration! Visit our webpage and check out RMNP’s page on the NPS App. Follow us @RockyNPS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We’ll be sharing fun and interesting facts and stories related to this year’s program theme “Your National Park Playlist.” To learn more about Rocky Mountain National Park and to plan for your next trip, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/romo, download the NPS App, or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.  National Park Week Booth, Courtesy RMNP
Pd is an invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that impacts bats. This fungus can spread rapidly, primarily through bat-to-bat contact.
WNS does not cause illness in humans, but humans are able to spread the fungus to new places. To protect yourselves and conserve bat populations, we recommend visitors: Report dead/injured bats to park personnel. To protect yourself and bats, never touch or pick up a bat. Although WNS does not cause illness in humans, a small percentage of bats can be infected with other dangerous diseases, such as rabies. Decontaminate. Ensure you properly decontaminate your gear and outerwear after visiting a cave or other bat habitat. Earlier this year, swabs taken from bats in the Holzwarth area of the park found a probability of Pd. Following this probable result, National Park Service wildlife biologists at the park collected bat guano from locations in the Holzwarth Historic Site area for follow up testing to verify the results. The results of these tests have positively detected Pd. Any new detection of Pd is worrisome because bats are vital for healthy ecosystems. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to nine known species of bats, five of which have been found living in areas above 11,000 feet. WNS has been blamed for millions of bat deaths nationwide since its initial detection in New York State in 2006. In July 2022, the first confirmed case of WNS was reported in Southeastern Colorado. Pd and WNS have also been confirmed in Larimer County, Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the USGS, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, have been conducting WNS surveys for over a decade, monitoring bats for presence of Pd. Colorado is home to 19 native bat species, at least 13 of which may be susceptible to this disease. Colorado's native bats are all insect eaters and use various habitat types across the state. They are most active during the summer months and spend the winter either hibernating in underground roosts throughout the state or migrating south. The National Park Service and other state and federal agencies will continue to monitor bats throughout Colorado. To learn more about White Nose Syndrome and how it impacts bats, visit https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/ During activities within Rocky Mountain National Park on February 17 and March 1, park rangers received reports of a vehicle driving recklessly with disregard for the safety of others. Rangers are investigating these reports and are seeking information from the public, including any photographs or video material. At this time, no further information will be provided regarding this ongoing investigation. If you have information that could help investigators, please contact us. You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. Please contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line 888-653-0009, or submit a tip online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or Email [email protected]  Courtesy RMNP
“We’re delighted to add Diane and Darla to the Conservancy leadership team as we look ahead to the financial and operational challenges facing Rocky Mountain National Park and our other public lands,” said Walt Borneman, board president. “Each brings lifelong experience and passion in leading beloved public organizations and serving their constituencies.”
Originally from the state of New York, Goddard graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas. She retired from the university in 2020 but advises campus leaders on budget reviews and optimization practices with the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Diane, husband Stephen, and their three children, vacationed in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park every summer for 35 years. Because of their love of Rocky and the many outdoor activities in the park and connection to the Estes Valley, they purchased a home in Estes Park in 2016 where they now live full time and regularly enjoy hosting their lifelong friends. “We enjoy watching our four grandchildren discover all the magic of Rocky Mountain National Park and develop their own deep love of nature as well as the understanding of the need to protect and conserve this amazing natural resource,” said Goddard.
Sidles began her federal career as a Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteer in the North Cascade mountains in Washington State. She worked summers as a U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger while obtaining her business degree at the University of Texas at Arlington and then completed graduate school at Western Washington University.
Sidles’ 37-year career spanned numerous national parks and sites across the country including Arches and Zion in Utah; Big Bend in Texas; Denali in Alaska; NPS headquarters in Washington, D.C.; Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia; Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California; Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and Saguaro National Park in Arizona; and, finally, the last seven years at Rocky where her leadership was critical in navigating challenges including the pandemic and historic wildfires. Sidles and her husband reside primarily in Arizona but regularly return to the Rockies where she says, “the park and its communities remain firmly in my heart.” Joining Borneman as returning board president and Goddard as the new treasurer, are Christina Kraft serving as vice president and Rich Fedorchak returning as secretary. In addition to Sidles, other board members are Brian Ross, Greg Danielson, Timothy Davis, Liza Grant, Laurie Mathews, Claudine Perrault, Jim Pickering, Kim Skyelander, and Zachary Wiebe.  Courtesy RMNP - Firefighters Managing Prescribed fire on the Headquarters Unit, November 1, 2024 Based upon the potential for favorable weather and fuels conditions, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to conduct a prescribed burn beginning on Monday, March 10, 2025. Firefighters plan to burn approximately 50 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit. This burn unit is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which include mainly grasses, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation. The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads. If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Monday, March 10. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Fire operations near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP may cause brief delays or temporary road closures. Traffic may be diverted through Fall River Entrance. Motorists should watch for fire vehicles on the roads and allow extra time for entering and exiting the park. Traffic control will be in place on U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb athttps://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire and on RMNP’s official social media channels.  RMNP Map - Headquarters Unit of the Frontcountry Prescribed Fire For the safety of visitors and firefighters, park visitors will not be allowed to stop along U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Visitors will also not be able to walk within the burn area.
Smoke may be visible both inside and outside the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park. Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as part of any fire management operation. For more information please contact the park Information Office at (970) 586-1206. Rocky Mountain National Park and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy are accepting applications for the 2025 Bailey Research Fellowship. This program provides opportunities and support for qualified graduate students to conduct research inside the park and share their work with the public. Graduate student researchers are important contributors to the field of science and to our understanding of Rocky Mountain National Park. Past Bailey Research Fellows have conducted projects focused on the following topics: habitat selection of white-tailed ptarmigan, disease susceptibility among boreal toad populations, elevational occupancy by pika subspecies, plant physiology and riparian ecosystem recovery, and risk analysis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil and water. Staff with Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy are proud to support the next generation of park scientists and stewards through the Bailey Fellowship. Who can apply? Bailey Fellowship applicants must be currently enrolled graduate students, show excellence in research, have a career interest in work with public lands, and be able to communicate effectively with public audiences. This fellowship includes housing inside RMNP, a living stipend, and financial support for research supplies and professional conference attendance. Areas of research can include wildlife management, vegetation and riparian studies, fire ecology, cultural sciences, archeology, historic structures preservation, as well as topics in the fields of botany, zoology, geology, history, and ecology. All projects should aim to promote the informed decision making and adaptive management of Rocky Mountain National Park or the education of NPS staff to promote professional development and growth. For application guidelines and to apply, visit https://rmconservancy.org/work-with-us/bailey-research-fellowship/ Applications will be accepted through Sunday, February 16, 2025.  Bailey Fellow collecting water samples in RMNP. Courtesy RMNP For many, winter is their favorite time of year to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Often, the park is less crowded. For those who are prepared, winter is an enchanting time to experience the beauty of the southern Rockies. A great way to explore the wonders of the park in winter is to participate in one of Rocky’s ranger-led winter activities. Programs will take place on both the east and west sides of the park, weather and snow conditions permitting. Programs will be offered beginning in January 2025 through mid-March. New to Snowshoeing? East Side of RMNP (Near Estes Park, CO): Are you new to snowshoeing? Step into the basics and learn what snowshoeing is all about. Along the way, learn about plants and wildlife that call Rocky home. This beginner snowshoe walk is great for the whole family! Participants of all ages are welcome. Beginning on January 25, these programs will take place on Saturdays at 2 p.m. and they are 1-hour in length. For additional program details and to register, visit https://rmconservancy.org/rmnpsnowshoe/ West Side of RMNP (Near Grand Lake, CO): Join a family-friendly snowshoes walk! Designed for families with children ages 5 and older, these programs offer a great way for the whole family to get outside and explore the wonders of winter in Rocky. Family-friendly snowshoe walks will take place at 1 p.m. on the following Fridays: February 7, 14, 21, and 28. To make a reservation, call 970-586-1513. Looking for a More Adventurous Snowshoe Hike? East Side of RMNP: Enjoy an afternoon of winter exploration! Participants will travel across hilly, uneven, snow-covered meadows and forest areas 9,400-9,700 feet in elevation. Snowshoe hikes are 2-hours in duration. Along the way, participants will learn about plants and wildlife that call Rocky home. Beginning on January 28, snowshoe hikes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. For details and to register, visit https://rmconservancy.org/rmnpsnowshoe/ West Side of RMNP: Enjoy the quiet of winter in Rocky as you walk across a snow-covered landscape with a park ranger. Along the way, learn about plants and wildlife that call the park home. These programs are two-hours in length and participants will walk through hilly, uneven, snow-covered meadows and mixed conifer forest areas. These snowshoe walks are considered moderately strenuous and take place at 8,700-9,300 feet in elevation. Ranger-led snowshoe walks take place on Saturdays & Sundays at 1 p.m. To make a reservation, call 970-586-1513. To Participate in a Ranger-led Snowshoe Program, What Do I Need to Know? To attend any of RMNP’s ranger-led snowshoe programs, know that these programs are free (park entrance fees are required) and advanced reservations are required. No prior experience is needed. These programs are very popular and space is limited to 20 participants per program. Reservations can be made up to 7 days ahead of a scheduled program. All snowshoe programs will fill quickly. Due to poor weather or snow conditions, all programs may be cancelled last minute. If cancelled, participants will be notified. For all snowshoe programs happening on the west side of RMNP, snowshoes are provided for the duration of the program. For all snowshoe programs happening on the east side of RMNP, participants must bring their own snowshoes or rent them outside of the park. For the more adventurous snowshoe hikes, participants must have a baseline fitness level that allows them to snowshoe approximately one mile over hilly terrain at high elevation. Programs take place at higher elevations and may not be suitable for people sensitive to altitude. To Participate in one of Rocky’s Snowshoe Programs, What Do I Need to Bring? For your comfort and safety, appropriate clothing is essential. Recommended items include waterproof winter jacket, snow pants, warm socks, waterproof boots, gloves/mittens, a hat, and sunglasses or goggles. All participants should bring their own snacks and water. Enjoy Additional Ranger-led Activities This Winter East Side of RMNP – Experience Ice Fishing: Sprague Lake may be frozen, but the fish are still biting! Bundle up and give ice fishing a try. Beginning on January 19, join a ranger guide at Sprague Lake anytime from 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays and Fridays. Weather and conditions permitting, these programs will continue through mid-March. Ice fishing programs are drop-in programs and participants are welcome to come at any time and stay as long as they choose. Ice Fishing programs are free (park entrance fees are required) and no prior experience is needed. A valid Colorado fishing license is required for all persons 16 years of age or older who plan to fish. Due to icy conditions along the trails and walkways, all participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own, or rent, traction devices before arriving at the park. West Side of RMNP – Enjoy Ranger-led Cross-Country Ski Tours Do you like to go cross-country skiing? Would you like to go skiing with an experienced ranger guide? Beginning on Saturday, January 18, Ranger-led Cross-Country Ski Tours will be available on Saturdays at 10 a.m. Weather and snow conditions permitting, they will continue through March 15. To participate, some cross-country skiing experience is required and participants must be 16 or older. Advanced reservations are required. Space is limited to 12 people per program and the park’s ski tours are expected to fill quickly. To make a reservation, call 970-586-1513. Participants must bring or rent their own skis and appropriate clothing. Equipment rentals are available outside of the park. For More Information Thank you to Rocky Mountain Conservancy for their support of programs like these. For more information on Rocky’s winter activities, visit https://go.nps.gov/romo/winter-programs For information on Rocky Mountain National Park, call the Information Office at 970-586-1206 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/romo  Ranger-led Cross Country Ski Tour, Courtesy RMNP Based upon the potential for favorable weather and fuels conditions early next week, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to burn either a 60-acre section of the Headquarters Prescribed Fire Unit or conduct a pile burning operation near Wild Basin which will be visible from Highway 7 beginning on Monday, December 9, 2024. Fire managers will be actively monitoring weather and fuels conditions between now and Monday morning to determine which fire operation will take place.
Last month, NPS fire staff worked with several partner agencies to burn 100 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Prescribed Fire Unit. If conditions remain favorable, the 60 acres the park plans to burn next week make up the second section of this unit. Fire managers would burn in an area located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which include mainly grasses and small shrubs, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation. If fire managers decide that conditions are more conducive for a pile burning operation, the park plans to burn up to 500 slash piles located inside Rocky Mountain National Park near the Wild Basin area in the southern part of the park. Slash from several fuels reduction and hazard tree removal projects have been cut and piled by park fire crews and contractors over the last two years. These piles are now dry enough to burn. Pile burning operations only occur when weather and conditions allow. The primary goal of both of these burn operations is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and to NPS infrastructure by reducing the amount of fuels available on the landscape. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads. If conditions are favorable for a prescribed fire, ignitions are planned to occur on Monday, December 9. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of either operation and will patrol throughout the day and overnight. Fire operations near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP may cause delays or road closures. If closures take place, inbound and outbound traffic will be divered through Fall River Entrance. Motorists should watch for fire vehicles on the roads and allow extra time for entering and exiting the park. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb athttps://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire and on RMNP’s official social media channels. NPS staff will be available at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to answer questions. For the safety of visitors and firefighters, park visitors will not be allowed to stop along U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Visitors will also not be able to walk within the burn area. Smoke from either burn operation may be visible both inside and outside the park. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park. Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as part of any fire management operation. For more information, contact the park Information Office at (970) 586-1206. |
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