DENVER -- A Colorado woman living in Rocky Mountain National Park is one step closer to finding out whether she gets to stay in her home for good.

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted Wednesday morning to approve a bill that would allow 83-year-old Betty Dick to live the rest of her life in her home.

Twenty-five years ago, Dick and her late husband made a deal with the Park Service that allowed them to live in the home. Her husband had bought the 23 acres before the national park expanded and then signed a 25-year lease with the National Park Service after his ex-wife reportedly sold the land to the government without his permission.

Both Dick and her late husband believed the 25-year agreement would outlive the couple. Fred Dick passed away in 1992 but Betty Dick remains at the property. The agreement expired July 16.

Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard suggested letting her stay on 3 to 5 acres for $1,000 a month, but Dick rejected those terms.

The bill that was passed Wednesday was introduced by Sen. Ken Salazar. Salazar's bill lets Dick stay the rest of her life on 8 acres for $300 per year.

"I am pleased that Betty Dick ... will be able to continue to live in her family home for the remainder of her days," said Salazar. "A home is not just a building, it is a place with memories of family, friends and loved ones. Mrs. Dick will be able to keep those memories alive with this legislation."

"The 25-year lease was apparently based on the faulty assumption that Mr. and Mrs. Dick would not survive the term of that lease. We owe it to Betty Dick to correct that faulty assumption. We now know, and my bill recognizes, that Betty Dick has outlived the Park Service's original incorrect assumptions. This bill, far from setting a new precedent, simply corrects faulty assumptions," Salazar said.

Salazar's bill will now go on to the full Senate for consideration. The House this summer passed a similar measure by Colorado Rep. Mark Udall.

This compromise is supported by both the National Park Service and Dick. The deal states that after Dick's death her children and grandchildren will have no right to occupy the property, and the cabin and property will then be managed by the Park Service.

More Information:

Tell your Colorado Senators how you feel about the issue, contact Sen. Wayne Allard or Sen. Ken Salazar.