The Rocky Mountain Greenway aims to connect 80 miles of trails from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver International Airport to Rocky Mountain National Park, passing through the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, which was once a nuclear weapons plant. The project has been plagued by controversy for years due to concerns about lingering radioactive contamination. State and federal officials say radiation levels there are far below safety limits, but health advocates say that no amount of plutonium exposure is safe for humans.
Local distrust has slowed the project, with nearby cities pulling their support due to contamination concerns and groups like Physicians for Social Responsibility filing lawsuits to block trail construction. While a judge denied an injunction in 2024, litigation over the trail continues. The debate over Rocky Flats highlights the question of whether lands contaminated by nuclear waste can ever be restored safely for recreation.
Join us in Denver tonight!
The Center for Western Priorities is kicking off our Keep Parks Public roadtrip tonight with a live podcast taping tonight at the Patagonia store in RiNo. Podcast guests include Scott Fitzwilliams, former supervisor of Colorado’s White River National Forest, Kelly Nordini, CEO of Conservation Colorado, and Kara Matsumoto, public lands policy director at the Conservation Lands Foundation. Beer and snacks will be provided by Patagonia and Tocabe. RSVP here. Look out for events in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction next week.
Quick hits
Foreign tourism is down in Moab; local businesses feel the pinch of fewer visitors
Heat streaks are becoming more frequent and intense across the Mountain West
Officials say they are making progress on Colorado’s Lee fire, despite it ballooning to over 120,000 acres
After turmoil and no-confidence votes, Sierra Club terminates leader Ben Jealous
The world’s largest wildlife overpass will soon span I-25. Here’s how it will help animals and drivers
Conservation groups ask BLM to reverse approval of drilling near Ash Meadows
Yellowstone-area wolves observed moving pups to follow elk, upending scientific assumptions
Feds discard expansion plan for Texas Panhandle wildlife refuge in rare move
Quote of the day
The history of Rocky Flats is that our community, the Denver-area community, for more than 40 years, was engaged in manufacturing plutonium bombs capable of destroying our human species, and even though the buildings are gone, the products of Rocky Flats remain with us.”
—University of Colorado professor emeritas Len Ackland, Colorado Sun.
Picture This
With over 120 miles protected, this river system is a haven for bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and adventure-seekers. Whether you’re into rafting wild waters, hiking through ancient lava flows, or just craving solitude under a sky full of stars — you will find adventure here. 🚣♀️🦅🌌
📸South of Rome near Birch Creek Ranch takeout; Ben Hoke, Bureau of Land Management
Feature image: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado; Source: USFWS/Flickr