The Montana Standard recently published an article that highlights the many problems that the sequester is having — and will have — for the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is a land system already cut to the bone and heavily reliant on volunteers to get much of the work done. The article focused on how [...]

The Environmental Magazine had an article in their January/February 2013 issue about how Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, which is northeast of Denver, is trying to recover from its toxic past as a chemical weapons production site, as well as a weapons disposal site.

According to the FWS, a three-pronged approach was needed to deal [...]

The Bitterroot Star reports that the Friends of Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge recently donated $10,000 to the Bitter Root Land Trust, which partners with conservation-minded landowners to help them complete conservation easements on land near the refuge.

“Our partnership with the Friends of Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge has been extremely valuable for farm [...]

The Loveland Reporter-Herald recently reported that a land exchange has added 1,200 acres to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado, which increases the refuge’s size by nearly one-third and will connect it with the region’s open space and trail system.

The land exchange will give the protections of the National Wildlife Refuge System to [...]

The Great Falls Tribune reports that families are enjoying watching impressive elk from the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, in Montana.

But during the rut, hundreds of the state’s most beloved big-game animal regularly gather at the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area at the Charles M. Russell National [...]

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar recently announced the formal establishment of the Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area as the nation’s 558th unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, thanks to the donation of a nearly 77,000-acre conservation easement in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains bordering the San Luis Valley by noted conservationist Louis Bacon.
Bacon, a [...]

The Valley Courier in Colorado reports that with help of volunteers from the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges, the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in southern Colorado has reopened. Since reopening, the Center has received hundreds of visitors from at least five countries.
The highlight of the Center is the [...]

The Kansas City Star reports that Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas, along with Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, are experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in 20 years, leaving much of the marsh dried up.

Each has thousands of acres of shallow water intermixed with lush marsh plants, making them the favored resting places for [...]

Refuge Watch has reported about the ongoing controversy regarding the involvement of the Consolidated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in the management of the National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge in Montana. From May 15 through June 15, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accepted comments on an Environmental Assessment, which will be prepared regarding the [...]

The Wichita Eagle reports that two tornadoes hit Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas. The tornadoes created paths up to a half-mile wide through the refuge. The refuge staff report that many roads are blocked on the 22,000-acre refuge due to fallen trees and power lines.
It also appears that the only bald eagle nest [...]

Happy visitors enjoy snowshoeing at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. Many refuges provide fun activities for visitors during the winter months. Be sure to check out your local refuge for upcoming events, and have a happy holiday season.

The Denver Post reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a land swap that will create a land bridge between Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado and the mountains to the west.
From the Denver Post:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managers this morning said the plan to cross Colo. 93 at [...]