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The Park Service already has won water rights for 25 parks in nine Western states, the last two for Colorado's Black Canyon and Great Sand Dunes. Eight more agreements are being negotiated.

This week's release of 16 billion gallons of water through the Black Canyon — designed to mimic the scouring rush of spring runoff — will begin the process of flushing sediment, algae, debris and vegetation.

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The economy was a shambles. Millions of Americans were out of work. Saying something drastic needed to be done, the newly elected president announced a massive economic stimulus package aimed at repairing the nation's sagging infrastructure and putting people back to work.

The first "emergency agency" established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the Civilian Conservation Corps, which eventually put 3 million men to work in the national park system.

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Amazing that Congress can approve a $700 billion bailout package in a matter of weeks, but it has taken more than 35 years to pass common-sense legislation that would designate much of Rocky Mountain National Park as a wilderness area.

…U.S. Reps. Betsy Markey, D-Fort Collins, and Jared Polis, D-Boulder, are correctly sponsoring companion legislation in the House.
 

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The Interior Department issued a proposed rule yesterday that would make it easier for mountain bikers and other cyclists to traverse the backcountry of national parks.

Environmentalists decried the rule, which is now subject to a 60-day comment period, saying it would spark conflicts between cyclists, who can travel at high speeds, and other park visitors who prefer to hike or ride on narrow trails.

…The Park Service did not issue a statement on the proposal, and its press office did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.

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In another regulatory action in the waning days of the Bush administration, the Interior Department on Thursday unveiled a new rule that challenges Congress’s authority to prevent mining planned on public lands.