Board defers vote to rename Mount Evans

Unexpected twist in process

BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN

In an unexpected twist on March 9, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names deferred a vote that would have changed the name of Mount Evans.

Many had expected the federal board to approve a new name, Mount Blue Sky, proposed by many Native American tribal leaders and representatives, Gov. Jared Polis, a Colorado renaming board and other community members.

But March 9 before the federal board’s meeting, Jennifer Runyon, executive acting secretary for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, said the federal board had “received a request from a tribal government for government-to-government consultation,” and that a decision had been made to defer a nal vote. e U.S. board did not initially say which tribe asked for the request.

At the start of the meeting ursday, the federal board noti ed attendees that no decision would be made and there would not be any discussion about the pending proposals for Mount Evans.

If the federal geographic renaming board had voted, the organization’s decision would have marked the end of a lengthy process to give the prominent 14er, visible from Denver, a much less controversial label.

“As you know, the proposals that have been submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the name of Mount Evans have been added to the docket for a vote at today’s meeting. However, the BGN (Board on Geographic Names) and the Department of Interior have received a request from a tribal government for federal government-to-government consultation and in accordance with the

Department of Interior department manual 512 DM 5.5.A.6, titled ‘Intergovernmental Relations: Procedures for Consultation with Indian Tribes,’ the decision is made to defer today’s vote on the Mount Evans name change,” said Susan Lyon, vice chair of the board.

“ e manual states, ‘A tribe may request that the department initiate consultation when the tribe believes that a bureau or o ce is consider-