Contracts & RFP

The FFRWR in partnership with the US FWS have embarked upon a new era. In the spring of 2021, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was designed a Flagship Urban Refuge, an amazing national honor. With the honor came a commitment to working closely with the communities surrounding the RMANWR.

The first step is to lay the foundation for revitalized neighborhood relationships based on coordination, collaboration, and interdependence with the traditionally under-served communities around the refuge. We want visitors to feel safe and welcome at the refuge and know that the refuge is the community asset that the neighbors want. To be an asset, the refuge will offer programs and recreational opportunities that meet the needs of the surrounding communities.

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The FFRWR is managing several key grants that will fulfill the vision of the refuge.

 

Federal Awards

Increasing Inclusivity in Volunteer Programs

The primary objective of this award is to provide opportunities for volunteers to support the work of the Refuge while focusing on ensuring that our programs are drawing from the community in an inclusive way. A new volunteer coordinator was hired by FFRWR to recruit more neighbors and friends of the refuge. The year showed strong growth in volunteer numbers as well as number and diversity of organizations involved in volunteer efforts. In FY22/23 we had volunteers primarily supporting work at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR and a smaller number engaged in Rocky Flats NWR. For Rocky Mountain Arsenal FWS this included 118 people attending as organized groups and 36 individuals who were repeat volunteers supporting Nature’s Nest Gift Store and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Visitors Center information desk. The organized groups worked particularly with adaptive anglers, trash pick-up, butterfly monitoring, and bio volunteers. In total we had a total of 154 individual volunteers for a grand total of over 5,000 volunteer hours during the reporting year (or the equivalent of almost 3 fulltime staff). Specifically volunteer efforts directly supporting the Refuge activities (not including the work in the Visitor’s center and the Nature’s Nest Gift Store). Wildlife and habitat efforts – 617 hours; Maintenance (Invasive removal, trail maintenance, trash pick-ups, building benches etc.) – 184 hours; Wildlife-dependent recreation – 74 hours; Other activities – 15 hours The award supports the work of our Volunteer Coordinator Kimberly Lopez who started in this role in November 2021. As a native Spanish speaker, Kim is active in engaging with diverse groups of local organizations. Among our growing list of organizations are; Non-Profits Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Environmental Learning for Kids, Colorado Young Leader, Mile High Youth Corps Community Organizations: Latino Outdoors, Genesis Health Clubs, Black to Nature City Partners: Community Service of Aurora Corporate Partners: Frontier Airlines, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Colorado Rapids Soccer Club.

Listening to the Community

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) in partnership with the Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuge (FFRWR) have made creating equitable and sustainable partnerships with local communities a priority. Fundamental to that effort is the ‘Listening to Community” focused on local communities. The award has three key linked components which are reported here separately: Social Science Research, Audio Visual and GIS, GenWild NEMC Youth Council. Social Science Research. Lacy Consulting Services submitted a final report to FFWR which summarized their demographic analysis in the RMANWR key neighboring communities of Commerce City, Aurora, Montbello and Gateway-Green Valley Ranch. As an Appendix to that final report Lacy included a GAP analysis which took the data from the demographic work as well as conducting public discussion, to analyze and understand the existing challenges to building equitable partnerships with the communities neighboring the refuge. This provided a roadmap for USFWS and FFRWR to develop a strategy to enhance our efforts to reach out to the community. Audio Visual and GIS. The SE Group developed an approach to engage the local community while also providing mapping and multimedia content that encourages the utilization of the refuge. A priority is to produce content that is appropriate, effective in reducing barriers and deterrents to use and access, and most of all – inspiring. The SE Group were heavily involved in the design of Earth Day event at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal held in April 2023. SE Group produced a short video shot at the event which highlights the community value of the Refuge. GenWild NEMC Youth Council The Generation Wild Northeast Metro Coalition Youth Council operated from the Fall 2022 to the Spring 2023 with ten students. The students were actively engaged in three main areas: Support to the GenWild NEMC partners; Career building; and Fun.

Supporting Regional Equity 

One grant supports the equity research of Metro DNA. Another grant engaged a social science research firm to look at local demographics to determine if the refuge was providing meaningful programs and activities for the neighbors. The period from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, was a very productive time. Two major reports were part of the success: The Regional Conservation Assessment and the Equity Assessment. Metro DNA in partnership with the Nature Conservancy finished the Regional Conservation Assessment, which focused on identifying high-priority places to protect, connect, restore, and enhance. The Nature Conservancy prototype mapping tool went live in March of 2023. Going forward, the prototype mapping tool will be shared with community partners to collect feedback on usability, areas of improvement, and areas of success. Metro DNA produced the final draft of the Equity Assessment, which is designed to examine data in the region regarding equity, social vulnerability, and access to nature and apply findings to the development and implementation of programs on the ground that consider both social equity and conservation impacts. The Equity Assessment Working Team (15 active members representing a range of diversity) developed the ‘Equity in Nature Definition’ and ‘6 Dimensions of Equity in Nature’ for the first draft of Equity Assessment.

In partnership with the University of Denver, stories of barriers to accessing nature were collected and processed in March of 2023. These stories will be incorporated into the final Assessment. Metro DNA has also partnered at the University of Denver to create storymaps that uses stories and metrics to showcase lived experiences related to the ‘6 Dimensions of Equity in Nature’. Together, these projects support creating and achieving a Regional Vision for People + Nature, Metro DNA’s guiding star since day one. This vision, and the work and networks behind it, will be an asset for land managers and recreation providers that supports more efficient, effective, and equitable approaches to conservation and outdoor recreation locally, regionally, and statewide.

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Grants and Foundation Support

 

• Friends was awarded funding from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to support veterans and the community outdoors.
• Friends received support from the Quality Community Foundation (QCF)of Commerce City to support an art project in collaboration with local middle and high school students to install art near Lake Mary.
• Thanks to funding from the American Academy of Dermatologists (AAD) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Partners in the Outdoors, Friends has contracted the installation of an archery shade structure.

Friends Receives Shade Structure Grants for Archery Range

American Academy of Dermatologists (AAD)

Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges has been awarded a Shade Structure Grant from AAD. The grant will enable a permanent shade structure to be built over the Archery Range located at RMANWR that will protect children and adults each day from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Protection from the sun is incredibly important at our refuge due to the intense UV rays and lack of trees surrounding the archery range.

Since its launch in 2000, the AAD’s Shade Structure Grant Program has awarded funding for more than 450 shade structures, which provide shade for more than 3.5 million individuals each day. Board-certified dermatologist Dr Dellavalle, a member of the AAD, and two University of Colorado Anschutz medical students, Kenzie Hanigan and Ferdos Abdulkader sponsored Friends’ grant application.

According to the AAD, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and it only takes one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence to nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, later in life. Seeking shade is an easy way to reduce the risk of skin cancer, along with covering up and wearing a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

The Shade Structure Grant Program is part of the AAD’s SPOT Skin Cancer™ campaign to reduce the incidence of skin cancer by educating the public about effective skin cancer prevention tips. To learn more about the Shade Structure Grant Program or for ways to prevent and detect skin cancer, visit SpotSkinCancer.org.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Partners in the Outdoors

For this project Friends would worked with Urban Rangers to set up summer dates in June and July for groups to contribute towards archery range improvements. This project incorporates local youth organizations’ assistance in expanding the archery range targets and lanes and adding crusher fine material. The Friends will also invite residents from neighboring communities and an interested corporate sponsor to help with installation of a storage shed and picnic tables. Price quotes for the shade structure indicate that securing a sail shade design and construction are achievable within the scope of this grant while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic within the Refuge. Construction is  anticipated by May 30, 2024. With the installation of a shade structure participants will be able to utilize the archery range more often without the concern of extreme weather. The archery range came from area youth feedback as to how to bring a “fun factor” to the Refuge. These improvements will further establish the range as an outdoor gathering space that is important for community health. Groundwork Denver, Mile High Youth Corps, Scout groups, school groups, and neighbors can come together and participate in archery during the heat of summer.