Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a United States
National Wildlife Refuge
located adjacent to Commerce City, Colorado
, approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) northeast of downtown Denver
. The facility is on the grounds of the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal
(a United States Army
chemical weapons manufacturing facility) and more than 330 species of wildlife
inhabit the Arsenal including deer
, coyote
s, white pelican
s and owl
s. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
and was designated in 1992 by the United States Congress
. The refuge will be 17000 acres (6,879.7 ha) when remediation of Rocky Mountain Arsenal is complete and the land is transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
s, then an endangered species
, was discovered on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in 1986. The Fish and Wildlife Service soon realized that it contained more than 330 species of wildlife
. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by then President George H. W. Bush
. It stipulated that the majority of the site would become a National Wildlife Refuge under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service when the environmental restoration is completed. The Act also provides that to the extent possible, parts of the Arsenal are to be managed as a Refuge in the interim.
were introduced to an enclosed 1400 acres (566.6 ha) section of the refuge in March 2007 as part of the USFWS Pilot Bison Project. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range
in Montana
http://www.pmrma.army.mil/involve/PressReleases07/RMABison.html The Refuge is now home to 52 bison.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
located adjacent to Commerce City, Colorado
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
, approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) northeast of downtown Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. The facility is on the grounds of the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal
Rocky Mountain Arsenal
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado...
(a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
chemical weapons manufacturing facility) and more than 330 species of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
inhabit the Arsenal including deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, white pelican
White Pelican
The Great White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or White Pelican is a bird in the pelican family...
s and owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
and was designated in 1992 by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. The refuge will be 17000 acres (6,879.7 ha) when remediation of Rocky Mountain Arsenal is complete and the land is transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Development of the National Wildlife Refuge
A winter communal roost of bald eagleBald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, then an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, was discovered on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in 1986. The Fish and Wildlife Service soon realized that it contained more than 330 species of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by then President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. It stipulated that the majority of the site would become a National Wildlife Refuge under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service when the environmental restoration is completed. The Act also provides that to the extent possible, parts of the Arsenal are to be managed as a Refuge in the interim.
Developments Since 2004
Although the arsenal comprised 17056 acres (6,902.3 ha) at the beginning of remediation in 1997, 5976 acres (2,418.4 ha) of the Arsenal have been determined to meet cleanup requirements and are no longer part of the National Priorities List. Of that, approximately 4927 acres (1,993.9 ha) were transferred by the Army to the USFWS in April 2004. An additional 7200 acres (2,913.7 ha) were transferred to the USFWS in October 2006, making the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge one of the largest urban refuges in the United States. The refuge currently comprises 12500 acres (5,058.6 ha). Implementation of the remedy for the estimated 3800 acres (1,537.8 ha) remaining is ongoing and is scheduled for completion in 2011.Public use
Congruent with the outline of the June 1996 USFWS Comprehensive Management Plan, RMA will be available for public use through both community outreach and educational programs (as provided by the Visitor Access Plan and the USFWS). This public availability will be implemented while simultaneously supporting the remediation effort and the USFWS activities.Bison
A small herd of 16 bisonAmerican Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
were introduced to an enclosed 1400 acres (566.6 ha) section of the refuge in March 2007 as part of the USFWS Pilot Bison Project. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range
National Bison Range
The National Bison Range is a National Wildlife Refuge located in western Montana established in 1908 to provide a sanctuary for the American bison. The NBR is one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. The size of the bison herd at the NBR is relatively small, numbering...
in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
http://www.pmrma.army.mil/involve/PressReleases07/RMABison.html The Refuge is now home to 52 bison.