A petition from the family of former Gov. Richard Lamm to rename Roxborough State Park in his honor has set up a showdown with advocates for the park who say the change would tarnish the “crown jewel” of Colorado’s state park system.
As reported by the Denver Gazette, family members and others submitted a citizen-initiated petition in July to rename Roxborough State Park to The Richard D. Lamm State Park at Roxborough. The petition was made public during a Sept. 2 meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.
As the 38th governor of Colorado, Lamm served three terms from 1975–1987. He died in 2021. His widow, son, daughter, and four members of his administration signed the petition, which also claims support from current Gov. Jared Polis.
The petition points out that Lamm oversaw the formation of Roxborough State Park and cites a 2021 Denver Post op-ed published after his death titled, “Dick Lamm’s true legacy is in Colorado’s vast wilderness.” The column details Lamm’s many contributions to Colorado’s state park system.
“Governor Lamm was particularly proud of this park,” the petition reads. “He visited it many times, worked with the Legislature to fund the Park’s acquisition, and pushed for its inclusion into the State Park system.”
Roxborough State Park pushback
The petition is not uncontested, however. A group of park advocates called Friends of Roxborough State Park, which formed in 1994 to protect the park boundary from threats by residential development, has been outspoken in its opposition to the proposed name change.
“While Governor Lamm was in office, he supported the formation of Roxborough State Park and several other state parks for Colorado. He helped create several of Colorado’s wilderness areas. He was a strong leader and proponent in protecting Colorado’s natural areas. However, Roxborough State Park has its own legacy that we want to protect,” reads the organization’s website.
The website lists 17 reasons why the group opposes the petition, ranging from the significant costs involved with a name change to the fitting nature of the name Roxborough, meaning fortress or village of rocks, “which perfectly describes the geology and nature of the park.”
The group does appear willing to find a compromise, however, writing, “The Friends of Roxborough State Park is firmly against this name change but is willing to work with the Lamm Family on identifying other significant ways to honor Governor Lamm’s legacy.”
At the time of this writing, the petition remains under review by the Parks and Wildlife Commission, which is accepting public comment on the proposed change here.
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