Funding Opportunities Late February

The Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund page is updated with 2022 submission materials and the application is live. The lead applicant should be a local community-based organization, which could include conservation districts. The CHRF is not intended for federal, state or municipal governments, but their participation is encouraged. The deadline for submissions is March 30th, 2022. Apply now!

The Metro Roundtable provides guidelines for WSRF grant applications to encourage projects of statewide and local basin significance that address existing and future municipal and industrial demands while preserving the long-term sustainability of agricultural economies and the natural environment. Grant applications that meet one or more of these priority areas and which further the goals of the South Platte Basin Implementation Plan are encouraged to apply! Initial Proposals are due March 15, 2022. Click here to apply.

Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, Clint Evans, announced the 2022 application cut-off dates for eligible entities to participate in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) in Colorado. There are two signups. Application packages are due on Friday, January 7, 2022 by 4:00pm MST for funding consideration in Signup 1 and on Friday, February 25, 2022 by 4:00pm MST for funding consideration in Signup 2. Ranking pools offered for parcel applications are General, Grasslands of Special Significance (GSS), GSS Gunnison Sage Grouse, and GSS Greater Sage Grouse. For more information click HERE.

The Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, is pleased to announce its call for applications for Dissertation Fellowships for 2022. These awards of $10,000 support Ph.D. students at universities in the U.S. and Mexico who are conducting dissertation research that builds on, and contributes to, the integration of land and water policy to advance water sustainability and resilience, particularly in the Colorado River Basin. Babbitt Dissertation Fellowships are an important link between the Lincoln Institute’s educational mission and its research objectives by supporting scholars early in their careers. For more information, including the application guidelines click here. Contact Zach Sugg if you have any questions. The application deadline is March 1, 2022.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board is pleased to administer a $2,000 one-year scholarship for a Colorado high school student interested in western water issues planning to attend a public institution of higher education in Colorado. Applications are due April 1, 2022. Read More

Upper Gunnison SPP Funding. Please see the attached solicitation for project proposals from CDPHE's Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division for the Upper Gunnison River Basin. The deadline for proposal submission is April 1, 2022.

NEW - PFAS Grant Program. The PFAS Grant Program provides money to eligible entities through three project categories:

  1. Sampling - for standard sampling and independent environmental studies.

  2. Emergency Assistance - for communities and water systems affected by PFAS.

  3. Infrastructure - treating existing PFAS and strategies for preventing upstream sources of PFAS.

 Drinking water providers can apply to test their treated drinking and source waters. Each PFAS grant program category has different criteria. Review the 2022 Request for Applications and apply on the PFAS Projects webpage. The application period ends April 2022.

The Colorado River District’s Community Funding Partnership was created in 2021 to fund multi-purpose water projects on the Western Slope in five project categories: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency. Funding for the program was approved by Western Colorado voters as part of ballot question 7A in November 2020. These funds provide a catalyst for projects that are priorities for residents in the District to receive matching funds from state, federal and private sources. Click here for more information and to apply.

The Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) was created after the devastating 2020 fire season by the Colorado legislature through the bi-partisan supported SB21-258 in the summer of 2021. COSWAP is designed to quickly move $17.5 million state stimulus dollars to start on-the-ground work on fuels reduction projects and increase Colorado's capacity to conduct critical forest restoration and wildfire mitigation work that will increase community resilience and protect life, property and infrastructure. Learn more about these opportunities here.

HUD: Authority to Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research Partnerships Notice. HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) has the authority to accept unsolicited research proposals that address current research priorities. HUD is making up to $2 million available for Lead and Healthy Homes Research Partnerships and approximately $1 million available for Research Partnerships for other topics. HUD is interested in increasing participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) of higher education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in all program areas. To learn more, click here.

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has launched the Resilient Communities Program (RCP). The $15 million program aims to fund one-time, immediate needs or opportunities that have emerged in direct response to the pandemic. It will help partners advance outdoor recreation, stewardship, and land protection projects in a manner that best reflects community needs and priorities at this moment in time. Capacity and operations support, stewardship efforts, projects that support community vitality, and urgent and emergent land acquisition opportunities will be considered. For more information, including eligibility criteria and application forms, click HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Supply Reserve Fund (WSRF) Program provides grants and loans to assist Colorado water users in addressing their critical water supply issues and interests. The funds help eligible entities complete water activities, which may include competitive grants for: Technical assistance regarding permitting, feasibility studies and environmental compliance; Studies or analysis of structural, nonstructural consumptive and nonconsumptive water needs, projects or activities; and structural and nonstructural water projects or activities. Basin Account application timelines vary by basin. Statewide Account applications are brought before the board in March and September. For more information click HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board offers numerous loans and grants to water providers and other entities statewide for a variety of water-related projects, studies, planning documents, awareness campaigns and other activities. Click HERE to find out more about the CWCB’s funding programs.