Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§198 Exclusive Jurisdiction; Assumption by United States; Saving Provisions

Title 16 › CHAPTER 1 — NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › SUBCHAPTER XXI — ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK › § 198

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States accepts Colorado’s February 19, 1929 act and takes exclusive control of Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado still may serve civil and criminal papers inside the park for cases or crimes tied to acts outside the park, may tax people and businesses and their property there, and people living in the park keep the right to vote in county elections. Those on privately owned park land keep access to their land and all state citizen rights. Colorado also keeps all its existing water rights and related rights-of-way, including irrigation ditches and conduits. Federal laws that apply where the United States has exclusive control apply in the park. People who flee to the park to escape justice are handled the same as fugitives found elsewhere in Colorado.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §198

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The provisions of the act of the Legislature of the State of Colorado, approved February 19, 1929, ceding to the United States exclusive jurisdiction over the territory embraced and included within the Rocky Mountain National Park, are accepted, and sole and exclusive jurisdiction is assumed by the United States over such territory, saving, however, to the State of Colorado the right to serve civil or criminal process within the limits of the aforesaid park in suits or prosecutions for or on account of rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes committed outside of said park; and saving further to the said State the right to tax persons and corporations, their franchises and property on the lands included in said tract; and saving also to the persons residing in said park now or hereafter the right to vote at all elections held within the county or counties in which said tracts are situated; and saving to all persons residing within said park upon lands now privately owned within said park access to and from such lands, and all rights and privileges as citizens of the State of Colorado; and saving to the people of Colorado all vested, appropriated, and existing water rights and rights-of-way connected therewith, including all existing irrigation conduits and ditches. All the laws applicable to places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States shall have force and effect in said park. All fugitives from justice taking refuge in said park shall be subject to the same laws as refugees from justice found in the State of Colorado.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 198

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102