Conferences and Events Late August

In Del Norte on the fishing/promenade boardwalk

AUGUST 24th - 26th, 2016: The Colorado Water Congress Summer Conference and Membership Meeting. The 2016 conference will be held at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort. A don't miss event for those who wish to stay informed about water issues in Colorado while engaging in numerous professional development activities. Registration is now open.

AUGUST 24th, 2016: The Colorado Corn Administrative Committee will host a Tour of Research Projectsin Fort Collins, beginning at 5 p.m. at the new CoBank Center for Agricultural Education. From there, the group will trek to various sites out at Colorado State University's Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC). Dinner will be provided. They ask those who are wanting to attend to RSVP before Aug. 17 by calling (970) 351-8201, or by sending an email to Ann Cross at across@coloradocorn.com. CCAC will host a second tour on Oct. 5 in Wray to tour research projects in that area. For more information visit their website at www.coloradocorn.com.

AUGUST 25th, 2016: 85th Disaster Conference in Denver at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. Disasters can cost lives and millions of dollars in loss for your business. How soon can your business return to 100% productivity after a natural or man-made disaster? To name a few; fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, active shooters, and cyber security are all common events disrupting our lives and continuity of doing business. For more information and to register visit www.disasterconferences.org.

AUGUST 27th, 2016: The Tamarisk Coalition’s 3rd Annual Raft the River. Join them and local river experts for a fun, educational float trip and dinner along the Colorado River in Fruita, Colorado from 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm. This one-day float trip will provide you with a “behind the scenes” look at the work being done to rejuvenate the treasured riparian (riverside) area in the Grand Valley.  Talk with local river experts and explore past, current, and future riverside restoration sites and reclaimed wildlife areas at a few stops along the river.  Discussions may also include the tamarisk beetle, fish, and other wildlife. After the float, you will be greeted with an acoustic set from Jack+Jill, delicious dishes donated from local Grand Valley restaurants, drinks, and prizes. For more information visit www.tamariskcoalition.org.

SEPTEMBER 11th – 14th, 2016: Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association’s 2016 RMSAWWA/RMWEA Joint Annual Conference in Keystone, Colorado. This conference focuses on providing relevant, accurate information and insight into the processes used during water studies, design, construction, and operation. This year they plan to address treatment, collection & distribution, water reuse, managing water resources, energy management, watershed management, laboratory, stormwater, small systems, alternative delivery, instrumentation/controls, environmental challenges, conservation, regulations, water quality, administrative/managerial challenges, construction, and operations. For more information and to register go towww.rmwea.org.

SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2016: Join the Colorado Foundation for Water Education to tour exemplary collaborative water management projects in the Roaring Fork watershed. Come together with a diverse group of decision makers, water professionals and interested citizens to learn how multiple public and private entities are working together on water quality, water quantity, and riparian habitat improvement projects. See first-hand how community leaders from multiple interests are putting the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan into action. Learn more and register at www.yourwatercolorado.org.

SEPTEMBER 12th – 14th, 2016: The Colorado Open Space Alliance (COSA) Annual Conference.COSA is a statewide organization of publicly funded local and regional open space programs, working cooperatively to share information, create public awareness and foster partnerships needed to protect and preserve the special places of Colorado. The 2016 conference will be in Estes Park at the Rocky Mountain Park Inn. This year's theme "Navigating Change" is a nod to the many variables our organizations wrestle with, including organizational change, climate change, and changing demographics, to name a few. For more information and to register visit the COSA website, www.coloradoopenspace.org.

SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2016: Toward a Natural Forest: The Forest Service in Transition, book tour and reading with Jim Furnish. Former USFS Deputy Chief Jim Furnish discusses the future of our National Forests and his new memoir, from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom, University of Colorado School of Law. This event is free and open to the public. You must be registered to attend. Registration available at this LINK.

SEPTEMBER, 16th, 2016: Colorado River Waves Of The Future: Fitting The West To The River’s New Normal. The Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar from 9:00am – 3:30pm. This year’s program includes speakers and discussions on how rising temperatures matter, the Lower Basin’s water-use-water-supply structural deficit, planning to deal with low reservoir levels at Lake Powell and the potential loss of hydropower, Water Banking and System Conservation programs directed at agricultural water savings, a discussion of “Use It or Lose It” and a panel discussion of what comes next with Colorado’s Water Plan. For more information visit coloradoriverdistrict.org.

SEPTEMBER 16th, 2016: The Greenway Foundation Blue Moon After Party on the Bridge will be held on the Historic 19th Street Bridge, one night after The Greenway Foundation's annual, Noble Energy Gala on the Bridge. The 2016 event featuring eats, cocktails, and amazing live music - all included in the ticket price! Proceeds from the Blue Moon After Party on the Bridge support The Greenway Foundation's longstanding efforts to protect and enhance the South Platte River and its tributaries, and to engage the Metro Denver community with their river through educational programming and free cultural events. For information and tickets click HERE.

SEPTEMBER 17th, 2016: 8th Annual Clear Creek Watershed Festival with the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation and Colorado State University Extension | Clear Creek County. Discover what's in your watershed! This is a hands-on learning experience. Start at the Festival Passport Check-in and begin your journey visiting with 25+ environmental stations. This festival features live music, climbing tower, snowmaking, goldpanning, fishing, fly-tying and a celebrity appearance with Woodsy Owl of the U.S. Forest Service. After visiting all of the passport stations you receive a free lunch. For more information visit www.clearcreekwater.org.

SEPTEMBER 22nd, 2016: Careers in Natural Resources Summit. Your organization will learn how to develop training modules tailored for your participants to build pathways to careers in natural resources. Attending organizations will receive a toolkit including hard copies of the career manual, “A How-To Guide for Pursuing a Career in Natural Resources” and digital resources including training activities, presentations, and more! This event is FREE and lunch will be provided due to support from Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, and US Forest Service. Registration will open this summer. For more information go to the Colorado Youth Corps Association.

SEPTEMBER 23rd - 25th, 2016: Colorado Annual Student Water Field Conference hosted by Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colo. Itinerary includes dinner at Fruita State Park, a tour of river restoration and diversions along Colorado River’s Riverfront Trail in Grand Junction, followed by a farm tour and a farm dinner in the lower Grand Valley. Students work in groups to develop plans for sharing what they have learned when they return home. For additional information, contact Gigi Richard at: 970.248.1689, grichard@coloradomesa.edu.

SEPTEMBER 24th, 2016: Colorado Tree Coalition 2016 TOUR DE POUDRE BIKE RIDE from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm. The Tour de Poudre is a one-day bike ride offering 35 and 60 mile routes, you choose! The bike ride starts and finishes at Swingle Lawn, Tree and Landscape Care’s office in Fort Collins, Colorado. This ride will raise money for tree planting and tree research. Costs (non-refundable): $60 per person or $110 per couple, $50 per person for a team of 3 or more people. Fee includes commemorative event tee shirt for the first 50 participants, as well as lunch and drinks for all. Ride start/finish: 1805 E Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins, CO. Registrations must be submitted by September 10, 2016. Click HERE for more information and to register online. 

GREENWAY FOUNDATION SPREE Fall Family Events. Looking for free family-friendly fun this fall? Join SPREE for:

Family Fall RiverSweep: September 24th, 2016
Family Fishing Day: October 8th, 2016
Pioneering on the Platte: November 5th, 2016

Events are free, but registration is required. Sign up HERE!

SEPTEMBER 25th – 28th, 2016: Geological Society of America (GSA) 2016 meeting to be held in Denver.GSA’s mission includes: Scientific Research, Scientific Communication, Geologic Time, Technological Innovation, Geologic Hazards, Sustainability, and Natural Resources. Registration, technical programs, poster sessions, and exhibits will be held at the Colorado Convention Center. GSA Field Trips will also depart from the Colorado Convention Center. The Hyatt Regency Denver at CCC is the headquarter hotel where the majority of non-technical events will be held. Meeting abstracts are due July 12. For more information click HERE.

SEPTEMBER 29th, 2016: The Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) will host the quarterly Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC) meeting in Denver. The meeting will focus on behavior change methods and strategies to prevent water contamination from contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). At this meeting, IES will provide an introduction to community-oriented preventive strategies for confronting chemical contaminants at their sources, and the natural and social science foundations on which these strategies are built. They will present IES’s proposed 2016 Save Our Water Initiative project. For more information go to creec.net.

OCTOBER 7th, 2016: 2016 West Slope Environmental Education Conference - Bringing Colorado's EE Plan to Life. This conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Ridgway State Park Group Event Facility, located in Pa-Co-Chu-Puk area of the park. Join environmental education (EE) providers and supporters from agencies, nonprofits, schools, and environmental, nature, conservation fields for an engaging summit. Learn more about the Colorado Environmental Education Plan, network and share ideas, and find inspiration from innovative EE leaders. For more information and registration go to www.caee.org.

OCTOBER 11th - 13th, 2016: Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference: A River Runs Out of It: Building Strong Upstream Communities. The Colorado Watershed Assembly in partnership with the Colorado Foundation for Water Education and the Colorado Riparian Association hosts this conference focused on cooperation and collaboration throughout Colorado in natural resource conservation, protection, and enhancement. Registration Opens July 2016! Visit our Conference Page for more information.

NOVEMBER 2nd & 3rd, 2016: The Sixth Annual Upper Colorado River Basin Forum will be held at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. The theme is"Complex Systems in Flux: Changing Relationships between Water, People and the Environment." They have a CALL FOR ABSTRACTS on presentation proposals from water managers, policy makers, scholars and other stakeholders. The call for abstracts is available here.

Announcements for Early August

Endovalley picnic area along Fall River

The Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation is soliciting bids for an Upper Rio Grande Watershed Assessment. The hired contractor, in collaboration with the Upper Rio Grande Watershed Assessment Technical Advisory Team, will assess the ecological condition of the Upper Rio Grande watershed by collecting, compiling, and analyzing data characterizing riparian habitat, geomorphology, recreation, adjacent uplands, and infrastructure. Simultaneously, Project partners will assess the condition of aquatic habitat, flow regimes, and water quality through the collection of new data and the analysis of existing data. The Project will result in synthesized data detailing current conditions, causes of degradation, and prioritized projects and recommendations to increase resiliency in the Upper Rio Grande watershed. Bid Proposals will be due on August 24, 2016 at 5:00pm. Questions regarding the bid packet can be directed to Emma Regier Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation, Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project 623 Fourth Street Alamosa, CO 81101, (719) 589-2230, emma@riograndeheadwaters.org.

The Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC) is looking for Researchers in Behavior Change to Reduce/Prevent Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC). On September 29, 2016, the Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) will host the quarterly CREEC meeting (http://creec.net) in Denver. The meeting will focus on behavior change methods and strategies to prevent water contamination from CECs. At this meeting, IES will provide an introduction to community-oriented preventive strategies for confronting chemical contaminants at their sources, and the natural and social science foundations on which these strategies are built. They will present IES’s proposed 2016 Save Our Water Initiative project. They are looking for speakers to present current research and professional / community projects that include behavior change analysis or strategies to reduce and prevent CECs.  Suggestions for potential speakers will be most appreciated. Please contact Carol Lyons, IES Executive Director, by July 28 at Carol@i4es.org or 720-295-4437.'

Every year the Colorado Open Space Alliance (COSA) acknowledges outstanding projects through the Blue Grama (Colorado’s State grass) awards. They are asking you to nominate programs and people within the following four categories: 1&2) Outstanding Achievement for organization and individual; 3) Outdoor Recreation/Environmental Education Program; and 4) Ecological Management Program. Awards will be presented at the COSA annual conference in Estes Park, Colorado, September 12 - 14, 2016. Included below are the nomination rules for this year’s awards. The same nomination information is posted at the COSA website, www.coloradoopenspace.org.

To help celebrate National Lakes Appreciation Month, passengers at Denver International Airport (DEN) can connect with Colorado’s water through a new temporary art exhibit, “Water Brings Life to Land.” The exhibit, which can be seen at the southeast end of the Jeppesen Terminal on Level 5 through October, is a collaboration among the Barr Lake & Milton Reservoir Watershed Association and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Display cases feature different educational topics about water, including: watersheds; how too many nutrients degrade water quality; why it’s important to keep Colorado’s water clean; things to do at nearby Barr Lake State Park and other state parks; and different ways to safely enjoy Colorado’s water. The exhibit seeks to inspire travelers to be aware about living within or traveling to other watersheds, and why it’s important to protect water quality everywhere. Additional information about Barr Lake & Milton Reservoir can be found at http://www.barr-milton.org/ and Colorado Parks and Wildlife at http://cpw.state.co.us/

Help Protect Colorado's Rivers with a Colorado Trout Unlimited Protect Our Rivers License Plate. Whether you're floating, fishing, or just taking in their beauty, Colorado needs healthy rivers. With over 8,000 miles of streams and rivers its up to us- the stewards of those rivers- to protect them. By donating $25 to CTU at ProtectOurRivers.net, you can show your support to everyone on the road with your license plate!

The July 2016 Drought Update, a summary of the drought information presented at the July 19, 2016 Water Availability Task Force Meeting will be posted on the CWCB website.  All of the presentations from the meeting can also be found on the CWCB website.

Job Announcements for Early August

Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) is hiring a Database Coordinator will assist with maintenance of GOCO’s grant records, GIS databases, and electronic document management systems while also producing maps, reports and other products in support of GOCO’s grant programs, communications strategies and executive leadership. The incumbent will provide technical hardware and software support, and will be the primary resource within GOCO’s office tasked with data storage, analysis, representation, and dissemination that will advance the work of the organization. Resumes must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 11th, 2016, to be considered.  Download the full job description and application instructions.

The City of Fort Collins is hiring a Forestry Specialist. This position conducts, updates, and manages the GIS/GPS based tree inventory for the City. Other areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, contract development and implementation, clearance issues, project inspection, insect & disease identification and control, development review and field inspections, issuing permits and approving stock and planting locations, pruning/removal or other tree maintenance. Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 8/5/2016. For more information go to www.fcgov.csod.com.

The City of Colorado Springs is hiring a Forestry Technician. This position will plant, maintain, and remove trees in City-owned rights-of-way, parks, open spaces, and trails to enhance safety and improve aesthetics. You will also respond to tree-related hazards, emergencies, and storm events, some of which may occur outside of your normal work schedule. For more information go to www.coloradosprings.gov.

The Colorado Foundation for Water Education (CFWE) is hiring a Water Education & Leadership Program Manager. Since it was established in 2002, CFWE has cemented its reputation as Colorado’s leading water education organization. CFWE will look to this position to continue its track record of success in delivering engaging and effective water education and leadership programs, and convening their targeted audiences of decision makers, water professionals, educators and interested citizens throughout Colorado. CFWE’s existing suite of education and leadership programs will serve as a springboard for the next Program Manager to put his or her own imprint on the direction and work of the organization. The position is responsible for half of CFWE's program areas, including educational tours, professional development courses, workshops and leadership trainings. This is a full-time, salaried position based in Denver. It is posted on the CFWE website.

Mountain Park Environmental Center (MPEC) is hiring Environmental Educators for Forest School for Little Rangers Preschool Program. MPEC is pleased to be taking applications for two new part-time positions that will begin this September. This is a great opportunity to be a part of the start of what very well may become MPEC's next flagship program. If you love working with young children, love being outdoors, and have a flexible schedule, this may be an ideal position for you. Details on the job duties, qualifications and how to apply can be found by clicking HERE!

Trout Unlimited (TU) is hiring a Mine Restoration Project Manager in their Western Water and Habitat Program to facilitate and execute abandoned mine restoration and stream restoration projects in watersheds across Colorado. This project manager will take projects from start to finish: developing project concepts, obtaining project funding, and managing project implementation. The Trout Unlimited mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. TU has secured two years of funding for this position. The successful applicant will work with TU staff and stakeholders to secure additional funding for project activities and to cover core operational costs to sustain the program in future years. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to David Stillwell at dstillwell@tu.org. No phone calls please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Summit County Colorado has announced a position opening for an Open Space & Trails Resource Specialist. This position is responsible for volunteer program management, public outreach and broad open space management and planning. Develops sign program and manages historic resources on open space properties. The position will be open until filled. Submit cover letter/resume and application tosummitcountyco.gov (see “Employment”). For more information please call (970) 668-4060.

Boulder County Open Space is hiring a Parks and Open Space Department Director. This is a senior management level classification in Boulder County government. The Parks and Open Space Director performs a variety of duties in managing the Parks and Open Space Department, including budgeting, personnel management, policy development, and public interaction.  This position serves at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners, reports directly to this three-person board and is a member of the Commissioners senior management team. For more information go to their JOB POSTING.

Jefferson County Open Space is hiring a Community Connections Manager. The Community Connections Manager and Team promotes internal collaboration and seeks and provides opportunities for public engagement on a variety of projects, programs and management practices. Under limited supervision, the Community Connections Manager performs administrative and supervisory work supporting the JCOS Community Connections Team. The Community Connections Manager oversees and supports the establishment of, and adherence to, standards, procedures and performance metrics specific to their team. This includes building partnerships among agencies, coalitions, non-profits, county representatives and conservation organizations. For more information visit Jeffco.us.jobs.

Trainings for Early August

Green River and Canyons of Dinosaur National Monument

Join Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for their 2016 Listening Tour in August. Dates, locations, and links to RSVP can be found at www.goco.org/blog/2016-grant-writing-workshops-and-listening-tour. Each listening tour event is held in conjunction with a grant-writing workshop for our local government program, and is devoted to capturing your feedback about applying for and receiving GOCO funding. (Feel free to attend the feedback session only and skip the grant-writing workshop.) All grantees are encouraged to attend, and GOCO staff from multiple grant programs and the communications team will be there to answer questions and gather your input. Light refreshments will be served. Visit www.GOCO.org/grants for more information about GOCO grant programs.

2016 EMERALD ASH BORER DIAGNOSTIC FIELD TOURS. The Colorado Emerald Ash Borer Response Team and the City of Boulder’s Urban Forestry Division will host six van tours in August. They will visit infested sites around the City of Boulder to give attendees experience diagnosing EAB in the field by learning to assess symptomatic trees. Management considerations, biology, and regulation will also be discussed. Space is limited and RSVPs are required. Who should attend: City officials, municipal foresters, tree care professionals and anyone involved in the detection effort or in making management decisions regarding EAB. FOR QUESTIONS OR TO RSVP, PLEASE CONTACT Micaela Truslove City of Boulder Urban Forestry Division truslovem@bouldercolorado.gov , (720) 663-0430.

Tour Dates: (Please note: there are two separate tours per date)

• Tuesday, August 2nd 10:00 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 4th 10:00 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Monday, August 8th 10:00 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

AUGUST 18th, 2016: US Water Alliance One Water Webinar: Advancing Partnerships for Healthy Watersheds, 10:00 AM Pacific, 12:00 PM Central, 1:00 PM Eastern. Watersheds don’t fall into clear-cut city or county boundaries. To manage these systems, it can take more than one municipality or organization to design a holistic approach. Tackling multi-jurisdictional challenges requires defined goals, responsibilities and funding sources which can be difficult to handle without strong partnerships. What’s the ideal recipe for a successful watershed partnership? Ingredients include pinpointing specific geographic areas, targeting stressors and including grassroots organizations, all while steadily evaluating and communicating achievements. Hear from experts who have successfully advanced watershed partnerships through strategic collaboration and goal-setting. Event registration.

Stormwater Workshop Series with The Water Educator Network partnering with Earth Force and Denver Public Works. This full-day professional development workshop combines training in Earth Force’s award-winning, six-step Community Action and Problem Solving Process, with water quality monitoring protocols. The day will also include a storm drain hunt, hands-on use of enviroscape model, individual unit lesson-planning time, in-stream data collection, and visits from expert engineers and scientists. Each participant will go home with a Colorado-specific activity guide and access to ongoing assistance and resources to use with middle and high school students and adult community audiences. Click on each location below for more information and registration.

• August 16, Sterling 
• August 23, Durango 

AUGUST 23rd & 24th, 2016: Pollinator Short Courses hosted by Natural Resources Conservation Service, Xerces Society, and Partners. Over 30% of our food relies on insect pollination!  Honey bees support approximately $15 billion in crop production, while wild native bees supply an estimate $3 billion in pollination!  These invertebrates are amazingly important! Space is limited, so hurry and sign up now! 

• August 23rd, Pueblo Pollinator Short Course, Southeast Colorado Water Conservancy District, 31717 E United Ave, Pueblo, CO 81001. 
• August 24th, Lamar Pollinator Short Course, Lamar County Fairgrounds (Home Economics Building), 2206 Saddle Club Drive, Lamar, CO  81052

The Association for Fire Ecology has developed the Wildland Fire Professional Certification program to further ecologically-based fire science and management. The deadline to apply has been extended to September 1, 2016. Visit the AFE website for more information about their certification programs and to apply.

Funding Opportunities for Early August

South Platte River, near Deckers

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources announced funding for wildfire risk reduction projects, through their Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program (WRRG). Two types of projects will be considered through this grant program: 1) Fuels treatment projects located in Colorado that reduce the risk of damage to property, infrastructure, water supplies, and other high-valued assets as a result of wildfire and/or limit the likelihood of wildfires spreading into populated areas; 2) Projects that address unmet needs for capacity at the local level. These grants are designed to provide communities with equipment that will enable them to treat hazardous fuels on state and private lands going forward. Application deadline is August 8th, 2016. For more information go to CDNR.US.

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to announce the 2016 Barrett Foundation Business Concept Challenge to foster innovation in natural resource management. Founded by Craig Barrett, former Chairman and CEO of Intel Corporation and long-time Board Member of the NFF, the Challenge encourages and rewards innovative market-based solutions to natural resource issues affecting National Forests and Grasslands and hopes to cultivate a new generation of entrepreneurial natural resource and business leaders. The Barrett Foundation Business Concept Challenge offers a $75,000 cash award to the winning submission and a $25,000 cash award to the first runner-up. Submission Deadline is Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:59 pm MDT. Application instructions and more information can be found atwww.nationalforests.org.

Pitkin County's Healthy Rivers Fund is accepting grant applications for projects that benefit the Roaring Fork drainage and preserve water rights on the Western Slope. Applications are due Aug 31. Full details HERE. 

The V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation (VKRF) Invites Applications for Environmental Projects. VKRF was established in 1991 with an emphasis on strengthening environmental research. They work primarily in the United States, but only on national and international level issues. They favor projects that take stock of; the scale of the environmental problems, use a systems approach to achieve change, link policy, advocacy, and practical solution, have international significance and perspective – even if US based, and are based on original thinking and creative ideas The foundation typically supports small or midsize organizations with proven leadership in developing strategy, communicating a vision, and executing projects. The foundation does not provide general operating support. Letters of Inquiry must be received no later than September 14, 2016. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited by the foundation to submit a full proposal. For complete program guidelines, information about previous grant recipients, and application procedures, see the VKRF website.

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has announced a Habitat Restoration Grant opportunity. GOCO funding for habitat restoration aims to improve and restore Colorado's rivers, streams, wetlands, and critical habitat. The program offers $500,000 in available funding. Previous habitat restoration grants targeted river habitat, but the current program includes all types of ecosystem restoration and enhancement, from forests and grasslands to rivers and wetlands. Applications are available upon request. For more information about this grant visit the GOCO website. Applications are due on September 23, 2016.

The Grassroots Communities Mining Mini-Grant Program, sponsored by the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Western Mining Action Network, provides support to community-based organizations and tribes or tribal programs in the U.S. and Canada. The goal of the program is to support the capacity building efforts of mining-impacted communities to assure that mining projects do not adversely affect the human, cultural, and ecological health of communities. Requests must be project-specific for an immediate need such as legal assistance, organizing and outreach, development of campaign materials, etc. Grants of up to $3,000 are provided. Requests are reviewed three times per year; the next application deadline is October 1, 2016. Visit the Western Mining Action Network website to download the application form.

Conservation Alliance Invites Nominations for Conservation Projects. The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor businesses that seeks to protect threatened wild places throughout North America for their habitat and recreational values. As a group of outdoor industry companies, alliance recognizes its responsibility to help protect the wild lands and waterways on which our customers recreate and wildlife thrives. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded for projects that seek to secure permanent and quantifiable protection of a specific wild land or waterway. Priority will be given to landscape-scale projects that have a clear benefit for habitat. In addition, campaigns should engage grassroots citizen action in support of the conservation effort and must have a clear recreational benefit. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2016. Upon review, selected nominees will be invited to submit full proposals by December 1, 2016. Visit the Conservation Alliance website for program guidelines, information about how to be nominated by an alliance member, and application procedures.