Colorado Parks and Wildlife invites landowners to request funding to protect wildlife habitat on their property
Joey Livingston
Ramah State Wildlife Area is one of 120 properties protected by the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program. Wayne D. Lewis/CPW
DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is pleased to announce the 2024 Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) application period is now open until Oct. 10, 2024. The CWHP is a statewide program that offers funding opportunities to landowners who wish to protect wildlife habitat on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreational public access.The CWHP is an incentive-based program that funds conservation easements, public access easements, and fee title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife conservation and public access goals.
Funding for the 2024 cycle was increased to $11 million and is made possible by revenue generated from the sale of the Habitat Stamp, hunting and fishing licenses, and through CPW’s partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado.
How to Apply
Landowners or third party representatives must complete the following application showing their proposal addresses one or more of the following funding priorities and preferences.
2024 funding priorities
- Acquiring significant public access for hunting, fishing, or wildlife viewing
- Providing big game winter range and migration corridors
- Protecting habitat for species of concern (specifically Species of Greatest Conservation Need, as identified in the Statewide Wildlife Action Plan)
- Providing riparian areas and wetlands
- Providing landscape-scale parcels and parcels that provide connectivity to conserved lands
- Properties that include lesser prairie chicken habitat
- Properties that exhibit biodiversity
- Providing public right-of-way across private land to provide access to landlocked public land
- Working farms and ranches
- Properties that support wildlife crossings
More information and application materials are available here at cpw.state.co.us/cwhp
Proposals must be received by Thurs., Oct. 10, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Applicants are advised to contact their local CPW staff and the CWHP manager before submitting an application. Local CPW office contact information can be found on CPW’s website.
Contact Information
For additional information about the CWHP or application process, please contact CWHP Manager Amanda Nims at 303-291-7269 or [email protected]
###
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.