Coloradans have always had a vested interest in the great outdoors, and now there's a chance to directly influence the future of the state's wildlife. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is currently on the hunt for public input on the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). This plan is not just a document; it's a blueprint for conservation and the key to federal funding that helps protect our most vulnerable species and their habitats. According to CPW, the input collected will be used to shape the strategies and actions that will guide the future of wildlife conservation in the Centennial State.
The process to update the SWAP, a requirement every 10 years, is already in motion, and CPW is partnering with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) to get it done. The draft for the new SWAP has to arrive on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's desk by September 2025. However, CPW is determined not to simply complete this task, but to effectively gather a plethora of perspectives and insights from across the state. To accomplish this, they've created a digital avenue for residents to voice their opinions online at the EngageCPW website, with the current window for feedback running from July 8 to August 8.
"This type of public engagement helps our agency increase awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation projects, align conservation priorities among stakeholders, and improve access to the SWAP development process and its implementation," Kacie Miller, State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator, stated in content obtained by CPW.
Public participation is not a new concept for CPW, which grew its wildlife management purview exponentially from 960 to over 96,000 species, including native invertebrates and rare plants. The impact of these collective efforts is significant, with CPW's work injecting an estimated $6 billion annually into Colorado's economy. This round of feedback marks the fourth and final opportunity for the public to weigh in. CPW views each comment as a valuable contribution, essential to refining and ultimately to successfully implementing their comprehensive 2025 SWAP. The plan is described as a proactive document, a "Call to Action" for partners as well as a reflection of decades of conservation efforts.
