As you arrive at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, you'll be greeted by the "gar-oo-oo" of sandhill cranes, the quacks of mallard ducks, and the vibrant whistling songs of western meadowlarks. It's natures way of saying "Hello and Welcome!" You will also find beautiful vistas of wetlands and meadows that make up great portions of the Refuge. As a backdrop to the Refuge's many scenic vistas, visitors can also enjoy amazing sunrises and sunsets provided by the nearby San Juan Mountains.
Notice of Cattle Grazing Opportunity on the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge – "MV Cattle Grazing Site"


 

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Cattle Grazing Opportunity on the 

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge – "MV Cattle Grazing Site"

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking to permit selected agricultural operator(s) for a Cooperative Agricultural Program at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (MVNWR). The refuge is located in southcentral Colorado, near the west extent of the San Luis Valley.  Under this permit agreement, selected operator(s) will fulfill prescriptions for specific intensities of cattle grazing for a period of up to 5 years (2024-2028).  The acres available for grazing will vary annually based on habitat and environmental conditions, and management needs.  The MVNWR is proposing to graze up to approximately 1500 acres (MV Cattle Grazing Site) each year for a period of up to 5 years (2024-2028). Cooperator(s) will be selected through an open, transparent, and competitive process where applicants will be scored and ranked based on a combination of competitive bids, reference checks, flexibilities, ability to provide in-kind services, and relevant experience.

MV Cattle Grazing Site Bid Package, with detailed information, applications, and bid forms, can be obtained at the Refuge Complex Office, 7824 El Rancho Ln, Alamosa, Colorado 81101, online at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov),  or electronically by emailing Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee at dean_lee@fws.gov.   

Applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29th, 2024. (Postmarked by Friday, March 29th, 2024, if mailed)

Hand delivers or Mail to:                                                           Email to:

San Luis Valley NWR Complex                                   Dean_Lee@fws.gov with subject line 

Dean Lee                                                                     “2024-2028 MV Cattle Grazing”

Attn:  2024-2028 MV Cattle Grazing                                       

7824 El Rancho Lane

Alamosa, CO 81101

MV Cattle Grazing Sit Information Packet

Supplemental Application & Bid Sheet MV Cattle Grazing Site

Special Use Permit Application 3-1383C

For More Information Contact:

Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee

(719) 589-4021 Ext. 1008

Dean_Lee@fws.gov

Visit Us

Wildlife Viewing & Events (3/5/2024)

Sandhill Cranes, and various other waterfowl, are flocking to the Monte Vista Refuge in great numbers. Several thousand cranes can be observed loafing, feeding, and dancing on the refuge. Best places and time to view these birds are along the Wildlife Drive and Refuge Observation Pullouts in the morning and late afternoons.  Our "Sandhill Crane Viewing Guide", link below, gives excellent information on how to find these pullouts and general information about Sandhill Cranes.  Additionally, several Bald Eagles, and other raptors, have been seen on the refuge as of late, as well as our local elk herds. 

As a Reminder: Please respect all Refuge Boundaries, Rules & Regulations, and Closed Areas. These areas are there for wildlife and resource protection. If found inside closed areas or violating refuge regulations, Refuge Officers can and will issue citations.       

Sandhill Crane Viewing Guide 

Monte Vista Refuge General Information Brochure

The small office and visitor contact station at the Refuge is located at the start of the Wildlife Drive. The visitor contact station is operated by volunteers and may not be open on a regular schedule.  All brochures and refuge information will be posted in the kiosk located near the entrance of the Wildlife Drive.  

For more information, please call us at 719-589-4021 or by email at alamosa@fws.gov.

Monte Vista Refuge General Information Brochure 

You can also contact  Friends of the San Luis Valley Refuges for more information.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      About the Refuge

      Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is located in the San Luis Valley, a high mountain basin located in south-central Colorado. It’s one of three national wildlife refuges in the Valley that provides crucial feeding, resting, and breeding habitat for over 200 bird species and other wildlife. Alamosa and Monte Vista Refuges are located at the south-central end of the Valley and Baca Refuge is located at the north end.

      About the Complex

      The San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex is made up of the Alamosa, Monte Vista, and Baca National Wildlife Refuges and is an area set aside for migratory birds and resident wildlife. These Refuges are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service specifically for wildlife. The Refuge System is a living heritage, conserving wildlife, and habitat for people today and generations to come.

      The 12,026 acre Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge includes wetland areas, riparian riparian
      Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

      Learn more about riparian
      corridors, wet meadows, and river oxbows. The wetland and river habitats provide a wildlife oasis in this dry region. These habitats support a variety of wildlife, including songbirds, water birds, raptors, deer, beavers, coyotes, and more.

      The artificially created wetlands on Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge’s 14,804 acres are intensively managed to provide habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl and other water birds. Mallards, pintails, teals, and Canada geese are common, as are American avocets, killdeers, white-faced ibises, egrets, and herons. Irrigation canals and wells provide precious water to maintain this important habitat.

      The 93,000 acre Baca National Wildlife Refuge is a highly diverse combination of shrublands, grasslands, wet meadows, playa wetlands, and riparian areas. This Refuge was set aside not only as a haven for migratory birds and resident wildlife, but also as an important piece in a broader conservation effort to protect the wildlife, habitat, and water of the north and eastern portions of the San Luis Valley.

      The Valley, sitting at 7,800 feet, extends over 100 miles from north to south and 50 miles from east to west. Three mountain ranges surround the Valley – the Sangre de Christo to the east, the San Juan to the west, and the Saguache to the north. At sunset, the highest peaks of the Sangre de Christo range take on a blood red glow which inspired the Spanish explorers to name them after the “Blood of Christ.” 

      The surrounding mountains feed the arid valley with precious surface water and replenish an expansive underground reservoir. The mountain snow melt and artesian wells provide needed water to the agricultural community and to the rivers, creeks, and wetlands that thread across the valley floor.

      These Refuges contribute to over 560 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System – a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service specifically for wildlife. The Refuge System is a living heritage, conserving wildlife and habitat for people today and generations to come.

      What We Do

      U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

      San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex

      7824 El Rancho Lane

      Alamosa, Colorado 81101

      For Immediate Release

      3/13/2024

      Prescribed Burns Planned

      Alamosa, Baca, & Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges

      Contact:  Dean Lee, (719) 589-4021 x1008, Dean_Lee@fws.gov

      Alamosa, CO – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be conducting prescribed fire operations on the Alamosa, Baca, and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges to remove old and matted vegetation to improve wildlife habitat. Additionally, slash piles of natural materials will be burned as conditions and needs exist.  Professional fire personnel from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mid-Plains Fire Zone, State, and Federal Partners will conduct the fire operations. Planned target dates for burning will be during the months of March and April and again in October and November 2024. The Refuges’ Auto Tour Routes and Walking Trails may be temporarily closed to the public during fire operations for safety concerns.  For your safety, please avoid these areas!  Areas will re-open as soon as possible based on fire activity and safety.

      Smoke will be visible to local residents, towns, and highways during the day and may last for a few days following burning operations. Signs will be posted along the nearest major roads and all burns will be monitored until they are declared completely out. 

       For up-to-date information, you may contact Alamosa and Monte Vista Refuge Manager Suzanne Beauchaine (719) 589-4021 x1003 or Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee (719) 589-4021 x1008, or Baca Refuge Manager Ty Benally (719) 256-5527.

      Additional information can be found on our San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SanLuisValleyRefugeComplex

      Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

      – FWS –

      -------------------------------------------------------------------

      PUBLIC NOTICE

      Notice of Cattle Grazing Opportunity on the 

      Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge – "MV Cattle Grazing Site"

      The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking to permit selected agricultural operator(s) for a Cooperative Agricultural Program at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (MVNWR). The refuge is located in southcentral Colorado, near the west extent of the San Luis Valley.  Under this permit agreement, selected operator(s) will fulfill prescriptions for specific intensities of cattle grazing for a period of up to 5 years (2024-2028).  The acres available for grazing will vary annually based on habitat and environmental conditions, and management needs.  The MVNWR is proposing to graze up to approximately 1500 acres (MV Cattle Grazing Site) each year for a period of up to 5 years (2024-2028). Cooperator(s) will be selected through an open, transparent, and competitive process where applicants will be scored and ranked based on a combination of competitive bids, reference checks, flexibilities, ability to provide in-kind services, and relevant experience.

      MV Cattle Grazing Site Bid Package, with detailed information, applications, and bid forms, can be obtained at the Refuge Complex Office, 7824 El Rancho Ln, Alamosa, Colorado 81101, online at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov),  or electronically by emailing Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee at dean_lee@fws.gov.   

      Applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29th, 2024. (Postmarked by Friday, March 29th, 2024, if mailed)

      Hand delivers or Mail to:                                                           Email to:

      San Luis Valley NWR Complex                                   Dean_Lee@fws.gov with subject line 

      Dean Lee                                                                     “2024-2028 MV Cattle Grazing”

      Attn:  2024-2028 MV Cattle Grazing                                       

      7824 El Rancho Lane

      Alamosa, CO 81101

      MV Cattle Grazing Sit Information Packet

      Supplemental Application & Bid Sheet MV Cattle Grazing Site

      Special Use Permit Application 3-1383C

      For More Information Contact:

      Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee

      (719) 589-4021 Ext. 1008

      Dean_Lee@fws.gov

      Services
      Cattle grazing at a USFWS refuge

      The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is seeking to permit a selected agricultural operator or operators for a Cooperative Agricultural Program at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge for cattle grazing for up to five years on approximately 4,000 acres (Unit 4 Grazing Site) of Monte Vista...

      Our Organization

      A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.

      Our Species

      Sandhill Cranes

      Each year, thousands of Sandhill Cranes descend upon the wetlands and agricultural fields of the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge during their biannual migration to rest and fuel up for the next leg of their journey.  During the spring migration, the refuge will host ninety-five percent, 18,000-21,000, of the Rocky Mountain population of the Greater Sandhill Cranes and another 5,000-6,000 Lesser Sandhill Cranes.  This stop-over at the Monte Vista Refuge is critical for the cranes during their migration. At this time of year, most food sources and quality crane habitat are either under snow or are frozen.  However, on the refuge, wetlands are filled, and grain fields are mowed to provide the cranes the two elements needed for their migration… food and roosting cover.  The peak migration period of cranes on the Monte Vista Refuge is around the first week of March and again around the second week of October.