Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) & Front Range Air
Quality
"Health Standard" Exceeded at Rocky Mountain National
Park
May 2006, Rocky Mountain National Park
— Recent peer-reviewed scientific research conducted by the
National Park Service has determined that the air pollution
levels in the park are more than 60% higher than the ecosystem
can sustain, resulting in causing direct injury to natural
resources and the ecosystem.
RMNP Fact Sheet (PDF
97 KB)
Background
Denver/Boulder Metro area air emissions impact not only the air quality
of the communities in which we live, but also the surrounding wilderness.
Many recent studies indicate increases in harmful emissions are directly
impacting scenic places like Rocky Mountain National Park.
For a number of years, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has expressed
serious concern about visibility degradation, increasing ground-level
ozone concentrations, and nitrogen/acidic deposition. The sources of these
pollutants are cars and trucks, industrial activities, coal-fired power
plants, and agricultural and livestock operations.
Twenty years of sampling and monitoring data that substantiates the loss
of species diversity in mountain lakes and streams, a shift from alpine
wildflowers to grasses, and other signs that the pollutant load in the
park is greater than the wild ecosystems can sustain.
To get involved, check the
Air Quality Control Commission website to find out when the next
Stakeholder meeting is, and attend. Everyone is welcome, and time is
reserved at every meeting for public input. You can also protect our local
and park air quality by reducing energy use, driving less, and refraining
from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
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