Colorado Natural Resources Matching Grants Program

The Natural Resources Matching Grants Program, administered by the Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB), is designed to assist Colorado Conservation Districts in "Good Standing" (those meeting minimum statutory and CSCB requirements) with implementing on-the-ground conservation projects and educational activities on private lands. This competitive program provides matching state funds to cover project and activity costs within each Conservation District. Applications are scored by a committee of government and private conservation experts based on: focused approach with measurable outcomes; conservation impact; feasibility; district involvement; and partner involvement. The program is funded by a severance tax from oil & gas entities as mandated by the state legislature. For the 2026 cycle, CSCB awarded a total of $689,182.00 to 32 Conservation Districts across Colorado. Approved projects focus on education, water quantity & quality, soil conservation, rangeland health, forest health, invasive species management, and wildlife habitat.

Eligible applicants are Colorado Conservation Districts in "Good Standing" (those meeting minimum statutory and CSCB requirements) and their partners.

Conservation Districts and their partners are required to leverage additional funding, as half of the state award must be matched with hard cash. Application and operational materials are available on the CSCB District Operations site.

Who applies — the Conservation District, not the landowner. This grant is written for districts: it "is open to all Colorado Conservation districts that are in 'Good Standing' (meeting minimum standards as required by state statute and the CSCB)" and pays for projects the district then delivers on private land. If you are a producer who wants one of these projects on your ground, your route is your local Conservation District, not CSCB.

Route — a downloaded document package submitted to CSCB. There is no online portal. The CDA program page says only that "Materials are available on the District Operations site." That package — the item linked to this record as a form — lives on CSCB's District Operations site under Matching Grants: https://sites.google.com/state.co.us/cscb/grant-applications-and-operational-materials/matching-grants . Go there directly: the "District Operations site" link on the CDA page actually lands on the District Conservation Technician page, which is a different grant.

What is in the package, and what each piece is for. CSCB posts the round as a set of separate downloads:

• Matching Grant Application Guidelines and Checklist — read this first; it defines the requirements and the match.

• Matching Grant Scoring Rubric — how your application will actually be scored, against "focused approach with measurable outcomes, conservation impact, feasibility, district involvement, partner involvement."

• Exhibit A: General Information — the cover/identification form.

• Exhibit B: Matching Grant Application Narrative — the project write-up.

• Exhibit C: Measurable Deliverables — published in two versions, Technical Projects and Educational Projects; submit the one that matches your project type.

• Exhibit D: Matching Grant Application Budget — the budget template, where the cash match has to reconcile.

• Matching Grant Key Points — a short orientation document.

Also on that page are the Operational Guidelines, Cost-Share Agreement, Reimbursement, Quarterly Report and Final Report forms. Those are post-award administration for districts that have already been funded, not part of the application — though CSCB does ask you to read them before applying: "Please be sure to read the Application Guidelines and Operational Guidelines or Matching Grant Key Points before submitting your application to ensure full understanding of the requirements and commitment involved."

The match is a hard gate, not a preference. "half of the state award must be matched with hard cash (see Application Guidelines)." Line up committed partner cash before writing the narrative; in-kind will not substitute for the cash half.

Timing — an annual round, due June 1 every year. CSCB's grant FAQ answers "When are applications due?" for the Matching Grant with "Applications are due on June 1st of each year." The most recently posted cycle, covering the 2027 grant year, matched that: "Applications are Due June 1, 2026" — a date that has now passed. So the next round to aim at is June 1, 2027, for the 2028 grant year; confirm it against the Matching Grants page, which is where CSCB posts each year's materials and due date. Plan around the contract calendar while you write, because it is fixed: "Matching Grant contracts begin on January 1st of each year, and the projects must conclude by November 20th. Final reports and reimbursement requests are accepted until December 20th." Do not use the July 1 due date that appears on the same FAQ page — that one belongs to the District Conservation Technician grant, a different program.

Who to ask. The grant administrator: CDA_CSCBGrants@state.co.us ("Contact the Grant Administrator at CDA_CSCBGrants@state.co.us with any questions or concerns"). On program questions CSCB also says to "Contact the CSCB main office or your regional CSCB Field Specialist" — Colorado State Conservation Board, 305 Interlocken Parkway, Broomfield, CO 80021, (303) 869-9030.