Colorado: State land added to Rocky Flats wildlife refuge

Rocky Flat National Wildlife Refuge. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.

$9.4 million deal was years in the making

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A key tract of Front Range land with important habitat for the threatened Preble’s meadow jumping mouse and a remnant stand of tall-grass prairie will be added to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

The Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners this approved the first step in a $9.4 million deal to transfer ownership of the majority of the Rocky Flats School Section 16 to the federal government. (more…)

Weekly headline roundup

New maps released as part of a draft plan identify potential areas for solar energy development.

Renewable energy, skiing and endangered species were some of the popular topics among Summit Voice readers this past week

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Renewable energy could get a big boost from a federal plan to streamline permitting for solar power plants in six western states. The draft plan is currently under a 90-day public comment period. A local ski story on the earliest ever opening of Montezuma Bowl also picked up significant web traffic, as the report on new critical habitat for the endangered Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Read the rest of the week’s top stories below by clicking on the headlines, and be sure to share them via your favorite social network.

More headlines from the past week after the break. (more…)

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