Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Bill to protect Rocky Mountain National Park moves forward, but hurdles remain

A bill that would grant wilderness protection to Rocky Mountain National Park moved closer to becoming law on Wednesday -- despite an unresolved issue that will likely stall the bill's progress for the coming months.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday in what Sean Conway, chief of staff for Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said was merely a move to keep the bill from dying in committee.

Conway said that Allard and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., allowed the bill to move past committee with the stipulation that no further action would be taken without an agreement over the Grand River Ditch -- a hotly contested issue in the designation process thus far.