COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — As the government shutdown continues, a popular wildlife refuge not far from Denver is feeling the heat, having lost out on thousands of dollars of revenue and furloughing most of its staff.
It’s not just the national parks impacted by the shutdown; the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City also employs federal workers, only two of whom were deemed essential to keep on. As the shutdown continues, they worry the hole in their budget will continue to grow as well.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge sits tucked about halfway between downtown Denver and the airport. Its sweeping views of the Rockies are now the backdrop for an uncertain future.
“Our Nature’s Nest store has lost about $13,000 in revenue to date,” Vanessa Thurk, executive director of Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges.
That’s the gift shop in the visitor’s center operated by nonprofit partner Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges. The doors have been locked for more than two weeks since the federal government shut down.
“That funding does support our staff, and then it also supports environmental education programs,” Thurk said.
While the animals in the refuge are doing just fine, it’s the community service, Thurk says, that is a big loss. She says those education programs are vital, like the new Nature Play area they’re raising money to build next year.
“Outdoor recreation, and especially unstructured outdoor play, is something that these urban youth are missing out on,” Thurk said.
The refuge is also facing a loss of funding after the shutdown eventually ends, thanks to money determined by the hours spent by volunteers.
“We aren’t able to log those volunteer hours, which will reduce the funding we receive for the volunteer program,” Thurk said.
Thurk says donations to their nonprofit right now are much appreciated, anything to keep the stress of an unknown future at bay.
“One thing that we’ve really held close to our hearts at this time is that you can’t stress over things that you can’t control,” Thurk said. “So we take things as they come and we respond accordingly.”
While the visitor’s center is closed, there are still plenty of places at the refuge that remain open, including a portion of the wildlife drive, all of the hiking and biking trails, as well as the archery range and fishing locations. You can donate to Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges by clicking here.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
