ESTES PARK, Colo.—A 17-mile ditch that delivers water to farms in Larimer and Weld counties could muddy plans for a proposed wilderness designation in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Colorado’s congressional delegation has introduced a measure to further define bans on mining, timber harvesting, and new roads and construction on 250,000 acres in the park. The Grand River Ditch would be omitted from the designation.
Katherine Stevenson, acting assistant director of business services for the National Park Service, told a Senate subcommittee meeting Thursday the measure could leave the agency legally liable if the ditch failed or flooded.
If negligence could not be proven, Stevenson believes the federal government would pay costs for any damage associated with problems related to the ditch’s operation.
“This could set a dangerous precedent for all national parks and other public lands, with implications far beyond the boundaries of Rocky Mountain National Park,” she said.
The compromise measure is scheduled next for a hearing before the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
