'Mount John Denver' Plan Is Probably Illegal, Thankfully
Look, I'm don't want to disparage John Denver, but does the man really need a mountain named after him? That's one college professor's plan. J.P. McDaniel gathered some 2,300 signatures to rename the eastern peak of Mt. Sopris after the folksy John Denver, but now it turns out that might violate the Wilderness Act of 1964. More from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
Based on its interpretation of the Wilderness Act of 1964, "The board just feels that applying any more new names to features in wilderness areas detracts from the wilderness experience that future generations will have and it … won't do it unless the proponent makes an overriding case," [executive secretary of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, Lou] Yost said.
Seriously, just leave Mt. Sopris alone. Otherwise visitors, locals, whomever will be stuck having to explain the change along the lines of, "Hey kids, that there mountain over yonder is called 'John Denver.' It's named after a man who fancied dream catchers and purple bell bottoms." Yeah. Please scrap that.
