Colorado Parks and Wildlife to flood $1.2 million into wetland, riparian projects
The agency has opened applications for the annual grant program
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Applications are now open for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s decades-old Wetlands for Wildlife grant program.
The wildlife agency will award over $1.2 million in the latest grant cycle to projects that aim to either improve the distribution and abundance of ducks and opportunities for waterfowl hunting, or support declining or at-risk species.
According to the press release, applications supporting waterfowl hunting and duck populations, “should seek to improve fall/winter habitat on property open for public hunting (or refuge areas within properties open for public hunting) or improve breeding habitat in important production areas (including North Park and the San Luis Valley in Colorado) and other areas contributing ducks to the fall flight in Colorado.”
Projects supporting the second goal “should seek to clearly address habitat needs of these species,” the release states.
Parks and Wildlife refers applications to Colorado’s 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan, which represents the latest review and determination of which of the state’s wildlife species are at the most risk.
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According to the plan’s habitat data hub, Colorado is home to more than 40 species of greatest conservation need that utilize riparian and wetland ecosystems as their primary habitat. This includes species like boreal toads, American kestrels and greater sandhill cranes.
“Wetlands are so important,” said Brian Sullivan, the wetlands program coordinator at Parks and Wildlife, in the release. “They comprise less than two percent of Colorado’s landscape, but provide benefits to over 75% of the species in the state, including waterfowl and several declining species. Since the beginning of major settlement activities, Colorado has lost half of its wetlands.”
The money for the wetland habitat grant comes from the Great Outdoors Colorado, funded by Colorado Lottery proceeds, and Colorado Waterfowl Stamps, which are sold with waterfowl hunting licenses.
Since 1997, the wetlands grant program has dedicated over $40 million toward projects that have preserved, restored, enhanced or created more than 200,000 acres of wetlands and adjacent habitats. In the past two years, the grant has funded 18 projects across Colorado in partnership with private landowners, federal agencies as well as local governments and nonprofits.
Grant applications can be submitted online at CPW.State.CO.US/Wetlands-Wildlife-Grants through Tuesday, Feb. 24.
