The natural habitat of eastern Colorado was
the shortgrass prairie. Over the past 150 years, much of the land was used for agriculture. Much of the remaining 40 percent of shortgrass prairie is degraded and fragmented due to neighboring cities, towns, and farms.
Reintroduced black-footed ferrets In 2014, 59 endangered
black-footed ferrets, whose main source of food is
prairie dogs, were reintroduced in the area. On July 2, 2025,
sylvatic plague was confirmed in the prairie dogs on site, threatening the primary food source of the ferrets.
Reintroduced bison In 2015, genetically valuable bison from
Yellowstone National Park were introduced onto the contiguous lands of Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space. The Natural Resources Department of Larimer County recognized that grazing was important for soil, vegetation, and overall ecological balance and that
bison were the primary historical grazers before being
extirpated. The managers wanted to create a herd that could act as a seed herd that would help establish bison with heritage genetics. Establishing a conservation herd became a collaborative effort of Larimer County, the City of Fort Collins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and
Colorado State University. Ten bison were released into a . By 2021, the herd had grown to about 120 and were grazing on approximately of shortgrass prairie. In cooperation with partner organizations, some of the bison have been sent to
Native American tribes in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota, where they are important for cultural endeavors and
food sovereignty, to start their own herds. ==Archaeological site==