Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP)

The Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program buys conservation easements, public access easements and, in some circumstances, fee title from Colorado landowners who want to protect important wildlife habitat or open their land to public hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. The landowner is the applicant, though a land trust, local government, conservation organization or other third party may submit a proposal on the landowner's behalf. Proposals are scored by CPW staff and the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp Committee, and the Parks and Wildlife Commission approves awards.

• The landowner is the applicant; a land trust, local government, conservation organization or other representative (third party) may submit a proposal on behalf of a landowner.

• If the proposal involves a third party conservation easement, the third party must be qualified to hold conservation easements under federal and state law.

• 2026 funding priorities: significant public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing; big game winter range and migration corridors; habitat for Species of Greatest Conservation Need; riparian areas and wetlands; landscape-scale parcels; connectivity to other conserved lands.

• 2026 funding preferences: lesser prairie-chicken habitat; biodiversity; CPW Habitat Conservation and Connectivity Plan priority landscapes; public right of way to landlocked public land; working farms and ranches; properties that support wildlife crossings.

Priority is given to conservation easements and public access easements over fee title per CPW policy and title 33-4-102.7 C.R.S. Proposals are evaluated October 2026 - February 2027, the Commission votes in May 2027, and CPW begins negotiations and due diligence in June 2027.

Published amounts: The 2026 CWHP budget is at least $11,000,000. No per-project minimum or maximum published.

Download and complete Parts 1-3 (Proposal Form, Budget Form, Supplemental Information) using the Proposal Instructions and Submission Instructions. Email final proposals to Wildlife.RealEstateProposals@state.co.us with the proposal title followed by "CWHP 2026 Proposal" in the subject line; Part 1 must be submitted in Word format. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their local CPW Area Wildlife Manager before submitting.

Deadline text on the page: The deadline to submit is October 15, 2026 at 5:00pm MST. (Submission Instructions PDF: Proposals will be accepted Monday, June 15, 2026, through Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 5pm.) Applicants will be notified of the Commission's final award decisions following the May 2027 Commission meeting.