Colorado Parks and Wildlife has several programs to help fund projects developed or led by outside (non-CPW) personnel or groups. Programs are available to assist landowners with habitat conditions, to help communities build trails or improve fishing opportunities, to work with ranchers to reduce conflicts with big game, and much more. Focus areas, eligibility requirements, matching fund requirements and other aspects vary for each program. The following links will connect you with more details regarding these funding opportunities. We hope we can help make your wildlife project a reality.
This CPW program is a new grant opportunity for third party entities across Colorado to apply for funding for eligible pump-out station projects at boating reservoirs in Colorado. These funds may serve your efforts to provide improved amenities at your motorboat reservoir. Eligible applicants can apply and compete for federal financial assistance (Clean Vessel Act Fund Program) for specific projects. Applicants must match their Clean Vessel Act award with non-federal cash or volunteer (in-kind) services and/or equipment use.
Colorado the Beautiful funds projects through large trail construction grants and regional trails planning grants. The program is a unique opportunity that has goals, objectives, and criteria independent of the normal motorized and non-motorized CPW grants that run each fall.
The Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program is a state-wide program that supports Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s mission by offering funding opportunities for private landowners who voluntarily
protect important wildlife habitat, and/or,
provide sustainable wildlife-related recreational access to the public. The CWHP utilizes Conservation Easements, Public Access Easements, and in limited circumstances, Fee Title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife and public access goals.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Grants Program is a new program offered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to support wildlife rehabilitation efforts across the state. Grants are for a minimum of $1000 and require no match.
This unique program involves local communities in a three-way partnership with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Federal Sportfish Restoration Act monies. Eligible applicants can apply and compete for financial assistance for specific projects. Applicants must match their Fishing is Fun award with non-federal cash or in-kind services.
The Habitat Partnership Program is designed to help
alleviate crop, rangeland forage, and fence conflicts between big game animals and livestock on private and public lands. The program seeks to develop partnerships between landowners, land managers, sportspersons, the public and the Parks and Wildlife to resolve those conflicts.
The Colorado State Recreational Trails Grant Program funds projects for:
- Large recreational trail grants
- Small recreational trail grants
- Trail planning
- Trail support grants
Grant funds are used for trail maintenance to enhance and preserve the OHV trail systems.
Despite the many outdoor activities Colorado offers, some Colorado youth and their families face obstacles to accessing nature-based recreation. House Bill 21-1318 establishes a grant program for outdoor organizations focused on creating opportunities for underserved youth and their families to get involved in recreational activities and experiencing Colorado’s open spaces, state parks, public lands and other outdoor areas.
Ranching for Wildlife is a program initiated in 1985 by the Colorado Wildlife Commission. It provides incentives to large landowners for managing their lands for wildlife benefits. This program has opened up over a million acres of prime private wildlife habitat to limited public hunting! Landowners must have 12,000 contiguous acres that contains significant number of the species that they wish to hunt.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Shooting Range Development Grant Program provides matching grants to:
- Towns
- Counties
- Sportspersons and outdoor recreation organizations
- Shooting clubs
- Economic development agencies
and others for projects to establish, improve or expand shooting ranges, including archery, across the state. The Shooting Range Development Grant Program (SRDG) allocates up to $250,000 annually in matching funds through a competitive grant process.
To date, the SRDG Program has awarded funding to more than two dozen projects throughout Colorado - on the Eastern Plains, along the Front Range and on the Western Slope.
Colorado State Snowmobile Program registration fees fund:
- Trail grooming
- Trail maintenance and construction
- Trailheads
- Parking areas
- Trail signs
- Maps
It also enables law enforcement personnel to identify and return stolen vehicles, encourages safe and responsible snowmobile use, and promotes respect for public lands. Registration funds also enable local, state and federal land managers to better manage our natural resources.
Annually, more than $700,000 is granted for on-the-ground trail improvements and grooming.
The Colorado Wetlands Partnership is an endeavor to
protect wetlands and wetland-dependent wildlife through the use of voluntary, incentive-based mechanisms. Furthermore, the Wetlands Initiative embraces cooperation with private landowners, municipalities, other state and federal agencies, and other non-governmental organizations in the pursuit of voluntary wetlands protection.
CPW resources as match
CPW works with dozens of groups from across Colorado and the nation on important wildlife projects -- including Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), local and county governments, sportsperson organizations, land trusts, and many others. Our partners also often pursue outside funding (non-CPW) in support of wildlife or habitat work consistent with CPW goals and priorities. However, it is not uncommon that finding match for the outside funding is a challenge. In certain cases, CPW resources such as personnel time, volunteer time, equipment usage or CPW land may be eligible to count as match for the outside funding. An example might be a habitat improvement project in which previous or planned CPW work, or a conservation easement held by CPW, is eligible for use as match.
Any allocation of CPW resources for match will have to meet several requirements, including consistency with CPW priorities and state laws and requirements, no conflict with the resource being counted as match elsewhere, clear benefits to CPW's mission, no ongoing significant obligation or limitation on the CPW resource used as match, agency leadership review and approval and others. While it can be complicated, CPW resources can also make a valuable project possible, to the benefit of our partner, CPW and Colorado.
If you think CPW resources might be helpful to winning funding for a proposed project, in coordination with appropriate CPW staff involved with the proposed work, please email the CPW Grants Unit at DNR_CPW_Grants@state.co.us to discuss the project details and find out if we can provide assistance.
