DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is pleased to announce the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP). The CWHP is a statewide program that supports CPW’s mission by offering funding opportunities to private or public landowners who wish to protect important wildlife habitat on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreational access to the public.
The CWHP is an incentive-based program which uses conservation easements, public access easements, and fee title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife conservation goals and/or public access goals. Priority is given to proposals for conservation easements and public access easements over fee title purchases (per CPW policy and Title 33-4-102.7 C.R.S.).
Funding for the 2021 cycle is approximately $11 million and is made possible by revenue generated from the sale of the Habitat Stamp, hunting and fishing licenses, and through a partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO).
To Apply
The landowner, or a third party representative, must complete a project proposal form (“Proposal”) that addresses one or more of the following Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2021 funding priorities:
- Public access for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing
- Big game winter range and migration corridors
- Protecting habitat for species of concern (specifically those Species of Greatest Conservation Need, as identified in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Statewide Action Plan)
- Riparian areas and wetlands
- Landscape-scale parcels and parcels that provide connectivity to conserved lands
All application materials will be available on Thu., Sept. 16, 2021 here: https://cpw.state.co.us/cwhp
All proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on Thu., Oct. 28, 2021.
Completed Proposals are to be emailed to: Wildlife.RealEstateProposals(at)state.co.us
Applicants will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of Proposals.
The CWHP funds conservation easements to be held by CPW or a certified third party holder. Certified third party conservation easement holders, such as a land trust, local government, or other conservation organization (collectively, “Third Party,”) may submit a Proposal on behalf of the landowner. Third Party holders must be qualified to hold conservation easements under federal and state law.