NOW OPEN: Spring 2024 Regional Partnerships Initiative Grant Program Application Period
Travis Duncan
DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited to offer grant funding to advance the Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) this spring 2024. The grant application period opens February 29 with Letters of Interest due April 5 and final proposals due April 30. "Colorado's distinct landscapes inspire healthy fun and exciting adventure for locals and visitors alike and continue to be a key economic driver for our economy,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “The Regional Partnerships Initiative grants provide essential funding for community-centered planning efforts that create a shared vision for recreation and conservation across the state, ensuring that everyone can enjoy them now and for generations to come.”
Coalitions are invited to join a network of Regional Partnerships working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing equitable and quality outdoor recreation experiences. Grant funding supports coalitions at all stages of development, including those just forming and those already funded under the RPI.
Since its inception in 2021, the Regional Partnerships Initiative Grant Program has awarded $3.5 million, supporting coalitions dedicated to preserving Colorado’s world-class outdoor recreation experiences in concert with the conservation of natural resources. With 18 funded coalitions, the Regional Partnerships Initiative covers about 70% of Colorado, offering new and innovative approaches to conserving Colorado’s outdoors for future generations. With this new grant round, CPW hopes to garner interest from Colorado’s northeast corner, southeast corner and additional gap areas as seen on this map.
The spring 2024 funding round is offering two types of grants:
- Partnership Capacity grants for up to $150,000 support new and existing coalitions working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing equitable access to quality outdoor recreation experiences. Coalition work focused on areas where there are no established Regional Partnerships is a priority for capacity funding -- see the RPI map.
- Planning grants for up to $250,000 support new and existing Regional Partnerships' work to complete regional conservation and recreation plans that complement Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, a collaborative vision for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable recreation. These grants can also include funding for capacity.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.