Category: News

  • GOGO and CPW award regional partnerships’ support grants

    GOGO and CPW award regional partnerships’ support grants

    Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced the $ 9.99 million in grant support awards for 19 regional partnerships in this round of funding. There grant awards are the first in a five-year annual grant cycles that help to support capacity and projects developed by the individual regional partnerships. Here is the Governor’s press release. They advance the north start goals in Colorado’s Outdoor Strategy guidance document to foster climate resilient conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation. Here are the projects:

    Outside 285, a regional partnership in which CWF actively participates was awarded a support grant for trail upgrades and sensitive habitat on iconic “fourteeners.”

  • CO Dept Public Health & Env. Issues Rules as good first step to better protect Colorado’s waters

    CO Dept Public Health & Env. Issues Rules as good first step to better protect Colorado’s waters

    CWF has been a party to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment rulemaking pursuant to the law passed in 2024. We are pleased with this first step to better protect Colorado’s waters due to the ruling last week. CWF also participates in a coalition of 26 wildlife-related and other conservation organizations, CO Protect Our Waters Campaign. Below is the coalition’s press release:

    Colorado Steps Up to Protect Wetlands and Streams

    DENVER —The Protect Colorado Waters Coalition is pleased Colorado took significant steps to protect vitally important wetlands and streams in the state that were under threat of unregulated development after federal rollbacks.

    The Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) on Wednesday evening issued rules setting the requirements for a dredge and fill permitting system that ensures most Colorado waters, including wetlands, can’t be destroyed without going through a state environmental review process.

    By adopting these rules, Colorado became the first state in the nation to develop a state permitting program after the Supreme Court limited the scope of the Clean Water Act.

    The coalition appreciates the WQCC’s work setting up a comprehensive dredge and fill program for Colorado’s waters. 

    The coalition helped secure key provisions concerning the scope of waters that are protected, compensatory mitigation, and language regarding ditches and alternatives. The rules also streamline the permitting process and provide important clarity for project proponents. 

    These rules are even more critical given efforts to continue rolling back federal protections. Just last month, the federal government proposed further limiting the Clean Water Act such that it would no longer protect 97% of Colorado’s remaining wetlands and 68% of the state’s stream miles. 

    This would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of Speaker Julie McCluskie, Representative Karen McCormick, and Senator Dylan Roberts toward passing HB24-1379.

    While the rules are not everything the coalition sought, this is an important first step for Colorado’s environment and economy. Because of the hard work of the state legislature, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Commission, Colorado’s waters are better protected.  


    The Protect Colorado Waters Coalition is made up of 26 organizations, working on freshwater conservation and representing more than 200,000 Coloradans. The coalition collaborated with the Colorado General Assembly in 2024 to enact strong bipartisan protections for Colorado waters and wetlands after a significant2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened decades of federal clean water protections. This was the most substantial erosion of provisions of the Clean Water Act since it was enacted in 1972.

  • Zinke, Beyer Introduce bill to reauthorize Wildlife Crossings Program

    Zinke, Beyer Introduce bill to reauthorize Wildlife Crossings Program

    On November 18, 2025, Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced a bi-partisan bill to reauthorize the Wildlife Crossings Program. The bill would authorize funding through 2031. Colorado and many other states have received grants under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This important Program was developed to reduce highway collisions between vehicles and wildlife, saving lives, improving road safety, and safeguarding wildlife migration corridors. For example, it enabled Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to design and construct the overpass project on I-25 south of Castle Rock, at the Greenland interchange. CDOT provided the required match. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confers with CDOT on highway crossing projects. 

     https://www.codot.gov/projects/i25greenlandwildlifeoverpass

    The bill first will need to be heard by the House Transportation Committee.

  • CPW completes its work on the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan

    CPW completes its work on the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife has completed its work on the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan and has submitted the Plan to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, as required. The purpose of the Plan is to guide conservation actions for species of greatest conservation need and to identify species of greatest information need. The Plan updates the 2015 version. CWF provided public comment as the plan was developed. The dashboard is comprehensive, providing information on each species in Colorado.  See https://cpw.state.co.us/state-wildlife-action-plan

    The Plan is a key plan under the umbrella of the Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy guidance document. See https://cpw.state.co.us/coloradosoutdoorsstrategy

    Implementation of the Plan is necessary to conserve Colorado’s wonderful biodiversity. CWF is evaluating the role we will undertake in this process. 

  • Dept. of Interior Proposes Rescinding 2024 Public Lands Rule

    Dept. of Interior Proposes Rescinding 2024 Public Lands Rule

    On  September 10, 2025, the Department of the Interior announced it proposes to rescind the 2024 Public Lands Rule.  The purpose of the BLM’s Public Lands Rule was to elevate conservation so that it would be fully considered an essential equal element in the agency’s work to balance multiple uses. CWF had applauded the Rule because it enabled conservation to gain equal footing among the array of multiple uses BLM must manage. It emphasized ecosystem resilience, intact and connected landscapes, and on setting priorities for restoration of degraded lands. The Rule had been finalized April 18, 2024.

    Department of the Interior views the Rule as providing ” an outsized priority on conservation or no-use at the expense of multiple-use access, threatening to curtail grazing, energy development, recreation and other traditional land uses.” The press release also characterizes its removal as the elimination of unnecessary barriers to energy development. It complements Sec. Order 3418 February 3, “Unleashing American Energy.”   DOI Press release

    We note that in the BLM Colorado third quarter 2025 lease sale on Tuesday, September 9, all of the 14 parcels listed for sale were sold. Results of Lease Sale

    Further, Congress is working to use a Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn BLM Resource Management Plans in 3 states (Alaska, North Dakota and Montana). This could create mass uncertainly for public lands management throughout the West if it begins to erase BLM management plans because they govern the land use on the lands it manages. Stay tuned and we will update.

     

  • Senate withdrawal of public lands sell-off in budget bill

    Senate withdrawal of public lands sell-off in budget bill

    On June 28, Senator Mike Lee, Utah, announced that he has withdrawn his public lands sell-off provision from the Senate budget reconciliation bill, after several tries to include it in the bill. At least the disposal threat in this bill has ended. We thank Rep. Hurd for his work in the House to help ensure a similar provision was defeated before the bill moved to the Senate. We also thank our Senators for their work during this threat to Colorado’s public lands.

  • Senator Lee’s 3rd iteration of language to sell off some BLM lands

    Senator Lee’s 3rd iteration of language to sell off some BLM lands

    Senator Lee of Utah, has introduced a third version of his language to sell off some public lands in the Senate version of the budget bill. It focuses on BLM lands.  Obviously it would exact a large impact on wildlife and recreation opportunities for communities and we oppose it. If this language survives in the Senate, then we need ask Rep. Hurd to stand strong with Rep. Zinke and push back as it would be devastating to local communities. [As the bill in the Senate differs from what passed the House, the bill would return to the House if it passes the Senate.]

  • Sale of public lands provisions struck from budget bill in Senate

    Sale of public lands provisions struck from budget bill in Senate

    On June 24, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the sale of federally managed public lands (BLM and USFS) provisions may not be included in the budget bill. We are watchful in case Utah’s Senator Lee makes another attempt to insert such provisions.

    As the bill is is a reconciliation bill, the Parliamentarian stated that policy matters may not be included in the bill. The bill is confined to revenue and spending measures. Colorado’s Representatives Hurd and Neguse issued a joint statement touting the removal of the provisions that would have enabled sale of public lands.  Stay tuned.

  • A portion of CO public lands at risk in Senate Budget bill

    A portion of CO public lands at risk in Senate Budget bill

    The Senate’s version of the budget bill by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources places at risk of sale a portion of federally managed public lands -managed by Bureau of Land Management and by the US Forest Service. As you know this type of provision that would have impacted Nevada and Utah was eliminated from the House bill before the bill passed. This Senate Committee proposal would impact public lands in Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  The stated purpose for the public land sales is local housing and the Secretary of the Interior would be directed to sell at fair market value “not less than 0.50 percent or more than 0.75 percent” of BLM lands and US Forest Service lands from these states. Priorities for disposal are “adjacent to existing developed areas, have access to existing infrastructure, are suitable for residential housing, reduce checkerboard land patterns, or are isolated tracts inefficient to manage.”  As to housing, note that if current BLM/USFS parcels in the wildland-urban interface were developed then the state likely would face additional wildfire risk. There already are processes under existing law for specific disposal of public land parcels when merited. We value our public lands. This budget bill draft must be rejected by the Senate !!!  Please ask our Senators to speak with those colleagues who have not opposed selling off public lands. 

  • Public Lands sell-of stripped out of House reconciliation bill!

    Public Lands sell-of stripped out of House reconciliation bill!

    The public lands sell-off provision was removed by the House from its budget reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on May 21!  The provisions in the amendment passed earlier by the House Natural Resources Committee on May 6 that would have included selling off some public lands in Utah and Nevada were stripped out. Proposals to sell off public lands would have resulted in significant harm to the wildlife, people, and communities that rely on them.  Also removed are the prohibition of implementing the BLM resource management plans for the Colorado River Valley Field Office and Grand Junction Field Office. Great news! There are other major problems in the bill to oppose in the Senate.