Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge

The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a 5,237-acre (21.19 km²) National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, located about 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Denver, Colorado. It lies west of the cities of Broomfield and Westminster and north of Arvada. Today, it is a home to many animals, including a herd of about 150 elk, occasional black bear, mountain lions, moose, badgers, bats, coyote, two kinds of owl, mule deer, northern flicker, white pelican, black-tailed prairie dog, and porcupine. The refuge also has around 630 different kinds of plants.

Before it became a wildlife refuge in 2007, this land was used for a very different purpose. From the 1950s until 1992, the area was a large manufacturing complex that made parts for nuclear weapons. Today, visitors can enjoy the refuge for its natural beauty and wildlife.

History

The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is part of a large group of lands in the United States set aside especially for animals and nature. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is found along the Front Range of Colorado where three counties meet.

Before the 1800s, Native American people used the land sometimes. In 1868, a family named Scott settled there and used the land for cattle. Later, another family, the Lindsays, also raised cattle there.

In 1951, a big area of land was bought to make a place called the Rocky Flats Plant. This plant made parts for nuclear weapons. It operated for many years but stopped in the early 1990s. After that, a big effort was made to clean up the land.

In 2001, the land was turned into a wildlife refuge while cleanup work was still happening. Today, the refuge offers trails for people to enjoy, and it was officially opened to the public in 2018. The land has been checked and is considered safe for people and animals to use.

Status

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan focuses on protecting animals and their homes, allowing some public activities that depend on wildlife.

In April 2015, a court allowed a land swap that happened in 2011. This added more than 600 acres to the refuge and got rights to land under the refuge, trading for a road nearby. The refuge began offering guided hikes in September 2015 and fully opened to the public on September 15, 2018.

Controversy

Main article: Radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant

The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge was created after a big cleanup effort that cost $7 billion. Lots of tests were done to check the soil, air, and water, and the results showed that the area was safe enough for people to visit. In 2007, the land was officially turned into a wildlife refuge.

Even though the cleanup was finished, some people still worry that it wasn’t done well enough. In 2017, some local groups tried to take legal action, but a court decided that their concerns were not new and did not have strong enough support. In 2018, some school districts in Colorado decided not to let students go on school trips to the area, and some leaders also suggested closing the refuge to visitors.