[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 9, 1992]
[Pages 1784-1785]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge 
Act of 1992
October 9, 1992

    I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 1435, the ``Rocky Mountain 
Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act of 1992.'' This Act provides for 
the future establishment of a national wildlife refuge at the Rocky 
Mountain Arsenal immediately outside of Denver, Colorado. The refuge 
will be a unique addition to the National Wildlife Refuge System, for 
both the natural resources it supports and the fish and wildlife-related 
public uses it provides for Denver residents and all Americans.
    The 26 square miles of land at the Arsenal have provided valuable 
wildlife habitat for many species since the Arsenal was established in 
1942. Despite some of the land being contaminated by military and 
industrial use, the Arsenal continues to host wildlife populations 
rarely found in such proximity to a major urban area.
    A significant population of endangered bald eagles, averaging nearly 
100 birds, winters there, along with an extraordinarily high number of 
hawks. Extensive prairie dog towns cover over 5,000 acres at the 
Arsenal, and deer, coyotes, burrowing owls, migratory waterfowl, and 
other species are readily observable.
    An essential objective of this Administration is to develop 
increased opportunities for urban populations to learn about wildlife 
and the environment. Approximately 50,000 visitors have toured the 
Arsenal in the past 2 years to view its wildlife and learn about the 
ongoing contaminant cleanup. Once the refuge is established, the site 
will educate and enthrall thousands more.
    We have done an outstanding job to date of implementing the 
remediation process at the Arsenal while preserving its wildlife. This 
legislation, the result of close and bipartisan cooperation between the 
Administration and members of the Colorado congressional delegation, 
builds on that effort.
    The Act ensures that the ongoing Superfund cleanup process will 
fully protect humans and the environment and will not be altered by the 
ultimate designation of the area as a wildlife refuge. Once the 
Environmental Protection Agency certifies that the remediation process 
is complete, the Arsenal will officially become the Rocky Mountain 
Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
    The Act also acknowledges the need to coordinate management of the 
refuge with the operation of the nearby Denver International Airport, 
which will open next year.
    The very idea of converting the Rocky Mountain Arsenal into a 
national wildlife refuge would have been inconceivable a few years ago. 
Our success in doing so demonstrates that, when we focus on 
opportunities rather than problems, we can match the resilience of 
nature with human ingenuity. In signing H.R. 1435, I applaud this 
approach to resolving the Nation's environmental problems and urge its 
application to other challenges that confront us.

                                                             George Bush

[[Page 1785]]

The White House,
October 9, 1992.

                    Note: H.R. 1435, approved October 9, was assigned 
                        Public Law No. 102-402.