A unified front: federal and state agencies partner to secure Hayden Park

DENVER — William F. Hayden Park is a scenic public park on the side of Green Mountain in Lakewood, Colorado, attracting nearly 500,000 visitors annually.

Prior to its existence as a public park, this stretch of Green Mountain was known by the Army National Guard as the Camp George West Artillery Range.

The former Camp George West Artillery Range was established in 1903 by the Colorado Army National Guard and was used for a variety of training, including small-arms and artillery training.

Green Mountain was leased from the Hayden family periodically between 1903 and 1939 for use as a live-fire artillery range.

Munitions debris found at the site in 2010 sparked concern among park visitors.

Following the discovery of munitions and explosives of concern, or MEC, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Army National Guard Bureau to complete fieldwork that identified additional projectile debris on the northern face of Green Mountain.

The precise locations of firing points are unknown, requiring in-depth investigations to properly identify the locations of additional debris of concern.

The discovery of MEC started the investigative process in 2010, resulting in a Record of Decision in June 2020 that established a formal commitment to clean up the 466-acre response site.

Currently, project partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the city of Lakewood, have begun drafting the Munitions Response Quality Assurance Project Plan and the Land Use Controls Implementation Plan.

“This site was identified by the Army National Guard Bureau as the number one priority to get funding this year due to the nature of the site,” said Walter F. Gee II, cleanup program manager for the Army National Guard.

In late April, these project partners met to discuss the Land Use Controls Implementation Plan, balancing the requirements for a multiyear cleanup effort with the city’s desire to keep the park open and minimize impacts on the public.

As part of the April meeting in Denver, the project team conducted a site visit to Hayden Park to ensure signs were correctly posted to warn park visitors to stay on existing trails.

The work done so far by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its partners has ensured that the trails are safe for park visitors; going off-trail is where the danger lies. Signs posted at every entrance to Hayden Park urge visitors to stay on designated trails to reduce the risk of encountering munitions debris.

Visitors are also informed of the “Three Rs” of munitions response: Recognize, Retreat, Report.

“When it comes to munitions and explosives of concern, public safety is our absolute top priority, but we cannot accomplish that mission in a vacuum,” said Randy Schneider, Omaha District lead ordnance and explosives safety specialist. “Working hand in hand with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the city of Lakewood has allowed us to effectively implement vital safety measures, like the ‘Three Rs’ educational signage, ensuring the community stays safe on the trails without needing to close the park down completely.”

The deployment of advanced geophysical classification systems by contractor partners to identify and remove surface and subsurface munitions requires significant coordination between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its partners.

Officials pointed to strong partnerships as a driving factor behind the project's success.

“The level of collaboration we have seen on the Green Mountain project is truly exceptional,” said Jason Blair, Omaha District military munitions remediation program manager. “Balancing a complex, multiyear munitions cleanup with the safety of nearly half-a-million annual visitors requires everyone to be aligned. Our partners at the city of Lakewood and the state of Colorado have been incredible every step of the way, making this one of the most effective federal-state partnerships I’ve had the pleasure of managing.”

Consistent coordination has allowed project partners to keep sections of the park open while heavy remediation occurs nearby.

“The success we’ve had in keeping this beautiful park open to the public while advancing our environmental cleanup goals is a direct result of the strong, transparent communication between USACE, the National Guard Bureau and our local and state counterparts,” Blair added.

This, along with the successful implementation of environmental use restrictions, will ensure the restoration of safety to Green Mountain without closing it off completely to the public.