That's OK, the court challenges will take that long anyway.
Yes especially if we discover ANY kind of life there. Remember the snail-darter? Just imagine the FUROR from 'Green' types starting "Save the Martian Mud-Microbe" campaigns LOL.
Maybe we should just SKIP Mars and colonize Europa...that would be kind of 'poetic' if it was The US who led the way; "America settles the New World of Europe-a" eh? ;-)