A product of the Cold War, this nuclear weapons production facility was the site of many protests and much controversy for decades. When production finally ceased, the long, hard work of plutonium cleanup began. Now this phase, too, is winding down.

In the midst of the environmental and social turmoil surrounding this site, there was at least one unintended blessing - much of the land was neither plowed nor developed. At-risk wildlife species like the Preble's meadow jumping mouse remained hidden in healthy riparian areas, and stands of tallgrass prairie left over from the last ice age flourished undisturbed. In 2001, in recognition of its importance as a large, intact grassland in the middle of Colorado's heavily populated Front Range urban corridor, the entire Colorado Congressional delegation supported the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Act of 2001. As the transition to National Wildlife Refuge status nears, Center for Native Ecosystems is supporting management that will protect the area's values as wildlife habitat and for the phasing out of mining activities on the site.