Colorado Wetlands for Wildlife Grants

Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Wetlands for Wildlife grants pay for on-the-ground wetland and riparian restoration, enhancement and creation projects that improve duck abundance and public waterfowl hunting or help declining and at-risk species. Private landowners cannot apply directly: a local government, Tribe, nonprofit habitat conservation organization, agency or private company applies and manages the grant on your land, often arranged through your local wetland Focus Area Committee. Rounds open each winter; CPW expects the next round to open in February 2027.

• Eligible: local governments, other state and federal land management agencies, tribes, non-profit habitat conservation organizations, and private companies.

• Ineligible: private landowners (directed to local Focus Area Committees, USFWS private lands biologists or Farm Bill programs) and previous recipients with a project behind schedule.

• Projects must improve duck distribution/abundance and public waterfowl hunting, or the status of declining or at-risk species.

Eligible costs include restoration labor, materials, equipment rental, planning and engineering, monitoring and beaver-related habitat manipulations. Ineligible: fee title or easement acquisition, water rights, mitigation-bank wetlands, most equipment purchases, routine O&M. Quarterly progress reports required. Improvements should last at least 10 years.

Published amounts: Up to approximately $1.121 million available. There is no minimum or maximum grant award; small requests (<$25,000) are discouraged. Indirect costs should not exceed 10% of the request.

Contact the Wetlands Program Coordinator before applying; submit the application electronically to the coordinator as a single file (PDF and MS-Word) under 20MB, listing a Project Manager and a CPW Project Sponsor.

Deadline text on the page: 2026 cycle: RFA announced December 30, 2025; applications due February 24, 2026. "Applications are closed. The next round of grant applications is expected to open in February 2027."