Rocky Mountain National Park Undergoing Eco-alteration

Northern Colorado’s crown jewel is a few years from its first century, but a new era is already beginning for Rocky Mountain National Park.

Although no one can say what the park’s next 100 years will look like, there’s little question that changes are already under way thanks to a global phenomenon: climate change.

Last week, the National Park Service and the Center of the American West, a think tank at the University of Colorado-Boulder, released the results of a a two-day workshop last fall on the ecological implications of climate change for Rocky. At first glance, the anticipated changes appear drastic and long-lasting.