Colorado is putting real money behind its effort to keep black bears out of neighborhoods and trailhead parking lots. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has opened a fresh round of competitive grants totaling $1 million to help communities cut down on human-bear conflicts, the agency announced Friday.
The Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant Program will accept applications through May 29, with awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. The money is geared toward communities that do not have the cash to install bear-resistant trash systems, launch public education campaigns or test new deterrent ideas. State officials say projects that can be copied and scaled across Colorado will rise to the top of the pile.
State Leaders Emphasize Prevention Over Reaction
Governor Jared Polis is framing the grants as a two-for-one deal, pitching them as investments in both public safety and wildlife conservation. He has argued that the funding will help head off dangerous encounters while protecting the outdoor lifestyle that draws people to Colorado in the first place.
The administration has described the program as a practical tool to keep both people and bears safer while preserving access to high-country recreation. In a statement released through the Colorado Governor's Office, Polis praised the grants for boosting community-level solutions to a problem that keeps landing on local doorsteps.
Data: Thousands Of Reports And Trash As The Main Attractant
Wildlife managers say the conflicts are not just a handful of unlucky incidents. Colorado Parks and Wildlife logged 5,299 bear sightings and conflicts in 2025, and more than 2,400 of those reports involved property damage. Since the agency launched its bear reporting system in 2019, it has recorded more than 32,000 reports statewide and estimates Colorado’s black bear population at roughly 17,000 to 20,000 animals.
The number one culprit is not mysterious. More than 57 percent of conflicts last year were tied to trash and dumpsters, a trend officials have flagged as a prime target for grant-funded projects, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Who Can Apply And What The Money Pays For
The state is casting a wide net for applicants. Local governments, homeowner associations, non-profits, tribes, businesses, universities and even individual residents are eligible to seek grants between $50,000 and $500,000. Applications are due May 29, at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, and CPW staff will be available to help prospective applicants through the spring review process.
The grants are meant to cover cost-effective, durable measures like bear-resistant trash carts, secured dumpster enclosures, public outreach campaigns and pilot projects that test new deterrent technologies. As reported by CBS Colorado, interested applicants can contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant staff directly for guidance.
Where Last Year’s Grants Went
CPW’s 2025 awards, nearly $1 million spread across 22 projects, offer a preview of the kinds of efforts the agency likes to back. For a full rundown, see the Colorado Parks and Wildlife list of 2025 recipients and local coverage of last year’s awards.
Past grantees included Colorado Springs Parks and Rec, which received $110,000 for bear-resistant cans in public spaces, Beulah Fire, which was awarded $88,000 for residential trash carts, and the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, which picked up $73,000 for dumpster enclosures. That blend of hardware, enforcement and education lines up with CPW’s guidance that changing human behavior, especially when it comes to trash and other attractants, is the most effective long-term strategy for reducing conflicts, per Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
