$3.1 Million in Grants from the RESTORE Colorado Program Announced by NFWF

Denver, CO (September 27, 2023) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $3.1 million in grants to advance conservation across the state of Colorado. The grants will generate $2.3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $5.4 million.

The grants were awarded through the RESTORE Colorado program, a partnership between NFWF and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Gates Family Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Cargill and Oxy.

“The range of projects made possible by this year’s RESTORE Colorado awards truly represent the wide variety of conservation activities taking place across Colorado to preserve and restore both wildlands and working lands,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These organizations are doing incredible work to benefit both people and wildlife, and NFWF and our partners are thrilled to support their efforts this year.”

The projects supported by the 11 grants announced today will improve wetlands and floodplains, restore black-footed ferret habitat, remove barriers to big game migration and mitigate wildfire risk. Conservation activities include removing wildlife-unfriendly fencing, masticating invasive plants to allow for native understory growth, and reintroducing prairie dogs and bison to restore grasslands.

“Since its inception, the RESTORE program has proven to be an effective funding model for advancing meaningful fish and wildlife habitat stewardship and conservation work throughout the state of Colorado,” said Dan Gibbs, executive director, Colorado Department of Resources. “The Colorado Department of Natural Resources remains committed to the program and we’re grateful for the efforts by so many community, financial and non-profit partners who’ve contributed to the program’s ongoing success.” 

“Across Colorado, land managers are tackling incredible, broad-scale restoration projects,” said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. “GOCO is proud to support this program, which is a model for collaborative conservation funding, and its project outcomes that are so critical to protecting Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife.”

Stretching from the rolling shortgrass prairies of the Great Plains to the crest of the Rocky Mountains, and into the canyons of the desert Southwest, Colorado hosts some of the most impressive landscapes and wildlife habitat in the country. At the same time, a rapidly growing human population and increasing demands on public and private lands has strained wildlife and their habitats in the region.

“A healthy ecosystem directly impacts everyone’s quality of life and safeguards the resources we rely on,” says Jason Sevin, president and general manager of Oxy Rockies. “Oxy is honored to support the RESTORE Colorado program and its conservation efforts, which play a crucial role in protecting and restoring our state’s natural treasures, from water to wildlife.” 

Restoration and Stewardship of Outdoor Resources and Environment (RESTORE) Colorado funds at-scale habitat restoration, expansion and improvement projects across priority landscape types in the state. These include river corridors and wetlands, grasslands of eastern Colorado, sagebrush and big game winter range.
    
The RESTORE Colorado 2024 Request for Proposals is now open. To review the RFP and apply, please visit https://www.nfwf.org/programs/rocky-mountain-rangelands/restore-colorado-program/restore-colorado-2024-request-proposals. For a complete list of grants awarded through RESTORE Colorado this year, click here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $8.1 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org. 

About Great Outdoors Colorado
GOCO invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,600 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.

About Occidental
Occidental is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. We are one of the largest oil producers in the U.S., including a leading producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and offshore Gulf of Mexico. Our midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of our oil and gas. Our chemical subsidiary OxyChem manufactures the building blocks for life-enhancing products. Our Oxy Low Carbon Ventures subsidiary is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow our business while reducing emissions. We are committed to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world. Visit oxy.com for more information.

About the Colorado Department of Natural Resources
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources mission is to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. Our diverse agencies work together to meet the recreational and resource needs of all Coloradans. To learn more go to: dnr.colorado.gov 

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Contact: 

Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org