The Colorado Wetlands for Wildlife Program is a voluntary, collaborative, and incentive-based program to restore, enhance and create wetlands and riparian areas in Colorado. Funds are allocated annually to the program - and projects are recommended for funding by a Parks and Wildlife committee with final approval by the Director.
New Funding Available for 2023 - APPLY NOW!
Competitive grant funding opportunities for wetland/riparian restoration, enhancement and creation are available! The application deadline is Monday, February 6th, 2023.
Supplemental Documents
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Available Funding
Up to approximately $1.121 million. Funding sources are Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado waterfowl stamps.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) seeks applications for wetland and riparian restoration, enhancement, and creation projects to support the two primary goals of its Wetlands for Wildlife Program:
- Improve the distribution and abundance of ducks, and opportunities for public waterfowl hunting. Applications supporting this goal 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).
- Improve the status of declining or at-risk species. Applications supporting this goal should seek to clearly address habitat needs of these species. See species list on the Wetlands Priority Species page. Also see the identified threats, recommended conservation actions, and progress to date for these species in the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Conservation Dashboards.
What's new for 2022-2023:
- This cycle, CPW may fund a limited number of shallow wetland development projects that benefit primarily Tier 1 duck species and other wildlife, but where hunting is not allowed. E.g., Urban or "community" wetland projects on city or county open space properties. These projects should emphasize educating the public on the value of wetlands for wildlife and other ecosystem services, equitable access, and benefitting traditionally underserved constituents.
- Habitat Scorecards are no longer required as part of a grant application. However, review of the priority species fact sheets and scorecards during application development is strongly encouraged. Scorecards must be submitted by successful grant applicants before funds will be released.
Previous Wetland/Riparian Grant Awards
