Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Rocky Flats grapples with radioactive past, recreation future
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Wednesday August 13, 2025
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado; Source: USFWS/Flickr ([link removed])

The Rocky Mountain Greenway aims to connect 80 miles of trails ([link removed]) 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 ([link removed]) 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 ([link removed]) , with nearby cities pulling their support due to contamination concerns and groups like Physicians for Social Responsibility filing lawsuits ([link removed]) to block trail construction. While a judge denied an injunction in 2024, ([link removed]) 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 ([link removed]) 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 ([link removed]) . Look out for events in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction ([link removed]) next week.


** Quick hits
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Foreign tourism is down in Moab; local businesses feel the pinch of fewer visitors

Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])

Heat streaks are becoming more frequent and intense across the Mountain West

KUNR ([link removed])

Officials say they are making progress on Colorado's Lee fire, despite it ballooning to over 120,000 acres

Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])

After turmoil and no-confidence votes, Sierra Club terminates leader Ben Jealous

Inside Climate News ([link removed])

The world’s largest wildlife overpass will soon span I-25. Here’s how it will help animals and drivers

KUNC ([link removed])

Conservation groups ask BLM to reverse approval of drilling near Ash Meadows

Nevada Current ([link removed])

Yellowstone-area wolves observed moving pups to follow elk, upending scientific assumptions

WyoFile ([link removed])

Feds discard expansion plan for Texas Panhandle wildlife refuge in rare move

Houston Chronicle ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” 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 ([link removed]) .


** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Tucked away in the remote high desert of southeastern Oregon, the Owyhee Wild & Scenic River is a breathtaking stretch of canyons, desert cliffs, and untamed wilderness.

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

@blmoregonwashington ([link removed])

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