[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2443-S2444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 2181. A bill to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National 
Park in the State of Colorado; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am today introducing legislation that 
would authorize the exchange of lands between the Muriel MacGregor 
Trust and the National Park Service, and to amend the boundary of Rocky 
Mountain National Park to include the newly acquired land.
  Rocky Mountain National Park was established by Congress on January 
26, 1915, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United 
States and to protect the natural conditions and scenic beauties of 
this portion of the Rocky Mountains. The park currently encompasses 
approximately 266,000 acres and has some of the most beautiful mountain 
scenery to be found anywhere in our country. Each year the park draws 
over 3 million visitors.
  The MacGregor Ranch, located near Estes Park, CO, was homesteaded in 
1873, which predates the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. 
In 1917, shortly after the establishment of the national park, the 
National Park Service built a residence for park employees just inside 
the park boundary, with access via a one-lane dirt road which crosses 
the MacGregor Ranch for about \3/4\ of a mile. This access was provided 
with the permission of the MacGregor family, but no easement, right-of-
way, or other legal document was ever recorded.
  The MacGregor Ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places and is owned by the charitable Muriel MacGregor Trust. The 
mission of the trust is to support youth education through the 
preservation and interpretation of the historic buildings and 
educational tours of this working high mountain cattle ranch. In 1980, 
the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park was amended to include 
much of the MacGregor Ranch, and in 1983 the National Park Service 
purchased a conservation easement covering 1,221 acres of the ranch. 
While the ranch is located within the authorized boundary of the 
national park, it remains private property.
  In the early 1970s, hikers and rock climbers began using the access 
road through the MacGregor Ranch to reach a small parking lot located 
just inside the park boundary. Known as the Twin Owls trailhead, the 
popularity of the area has grown steadily. In recent years, overflow 
parking has negatively impacted the ranch, and traffic on the one-lane 
access road has negatively affected the character of the historic 
homestead and has diminished the quality of the historic scene that 
visitors to the ranch come to experience.
  For several years, the National Park Service and the MacGregor Ranch 
have been working to find a solution to the traffic and parking 
problems. Several environmental assessments have been prepared to 
examine various alternatives and gather public input. In 2003, based on 
public input and an Environmental Assessment, the National Park Service 
decided to relocate the Twin Owls parking lot to the east end of the 
MacGregor Ranch, some distance away from the historic homestead. A new 
access road and a larger trailhead parking lot that can accommodate 80 
to 100 cars will be built at the new location.

  So that the rules and regulations governing Rocky Mountain National 
Park can be enforced at the new trailhead and along the access road, 
the land needs to be incorporated into the national park. To accomplish 
this, the MacGregor Trust and the National Park Service have agreed to 
a land exchange. The National Park Service will acquire three parcels 
of land containing 5.9 acres from the MacGregor Trust for the 
development of the new parking lot and access road. In exchange, the 
MacGregor Trust will acquire up to 70 acres from the National Park 
Service that will be used for

[[Page S2444]]

growing hay and cattle grazing. A conservation easement will be placed 
on the 70 acres that is transferred to the MacGregor Trust. The 
conservation easement will ensure that the property is used solely for 
ranching.
  The land exchange is intended to be an equal value exchange. One of 
the three parcels currently owned by the MacGregor Trust is zoned for 
residential development and has a high monetary value. A conservation 
easement will be placed on the 70 acres currently owned by the National 
Park Service, which will diminish its monetary value. If the lands 
currently owned by the National Park Service are of higher value, less 
than 70 acres will be transferred to the MacGregor Ranch. If the three 
parcels owned by the MacGregor ranch are of higher value, the Ranch is 
willing to accept the unequal value and will only receive a maximum of 
70 acres from the National Park Service.
  This legislation is needed to authorize the land exchange, and to 
amend the park boundary to include the new lands to be added to park.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2181

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Rocky Mountain National Park 
     Boundary Adjustment Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Federal parcel.--The term ``Federal parcel'' means the 
     parcel of approximately 70 acres of Federal land near 
     MacGregor Ranch, Larimer County, Colorado, as depicted on the 
     map.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map numbered 121/
     60,467, dated September 12, 2003.
       (3) Non-federal parcels.--The term ``non-Federal parcels'' 
     means the 3 parcels of non-Federal land comprising 
     approximately 5.9 acres that are located near MacGregor 
     Ranch, Larimer County, Colorado, as depicted on the map.
       (4) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Rocky Mountain National 
     Park in the State of Colorado.

     SEC. 3. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

       (a) Exchange of Land.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept an offer to 
     convey all right, title, and interest in and to the non-
     Federal parcels to the United States in exchange for the 
     Federal parcel.
       (2) Conveyance.--Not later than 60 days after the date on 
     which the Secretary receives an offer under paragraph (1), 
     the Secretary shall convey the Federal parcel in exchange for 
     the non-Federal parcels.
       (3) Conservation easement.--As a condition of the exchange 
     of land under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall reserve a 
     perpetual easement to the Federal parcel for the purposes of 
     protecting, preserving, and enhancing the conservation values 
     of the Federal parcel.
       (b) Boundary Adjustment; Management of Land.--On 
     acquisition of the non-Federal parcels under subsection 
     (a)(2), the Secretary shall--
       (1) adjust the boundary of the Park to reflect the 
     acquisition of the non-Federal parcels; and
       (2) manage the non-Federal parcels as part of the Park, in 
     accordance with any laws (including regulations) applicable 
     to the Park.
                                 ______