Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have announced the opening of the 2025 Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program’s Workforce Development Grant process. This year, $6.8 million is available for conservation corps, including those associated with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA), and Department of Corrections State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT). The funding will support wildfire mitigation projects and provide training in natural resource management and wildfire risk reduction.
“In Colorado we are no stranger to devastating wildfires that hurt communities across our state. I am excited to continue our work investing more than ever in wildfire reduction tactics and training forestry personnel to keep Colorado communities safer, and more resilient when fire season strikes,” said Governor Polis.
The Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) was established after the severe 2020 fire season as a joint effort between DNR, the Colorado State Forest Service, and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control. Its goal is to speed up efforts to reduce wildfire risks through workforce development and large-scale fuels reduction projects. Since its start in 2021, COSWAP has funded 88 workforce development projects totaling $14.5 million, along with 29 landscape resilience investment projects worth $25.8 million.
“I am excited to announce the largest round of funding available for our Workforce Development Grants offered through COSWAP. In previous years, the demand for funding has exceeded our capacity to award. It’s proof that there is a need for programs like COSWAP which focus on reducing wildfire risks and improving forest health near our homes, communities and critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, Colorado mega-fires returned in force this year and we need to do all we can to create more fire resilient forests while protecting lives and property. This program is an important part of the solution and I encourage eligible organizations, including Government entities, nonprofits and utilities to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources.
This marks the fourth round of COSWAP Workforce Development funding. Two types of awards are available: crew time grants—where COSWAP pays directly for mitigation work by CYCA-accredited or DOC SWIFT crews—and cash grants for grantees working with independent conservation corps or covering project management expenses or workforce training costs such as firefighting basics or chainsaw operations.
“This continued collaboration between DOC’s State Wildland Inmate Fire Team (SWIFT) and the Department of Natural Resources has proven invaluable in protecting Colorado communities. Beyond the immediate impact on wildfire response, we’ve seen participants gain confidence, purpose, and career pathways that extend well beyond their time in the program,” said Mitch Karstens, Interim Director of Finance and Administration at Colorado Correctional Industries.
Grants are open statewide but must be located within specific strategic focus areas if involving independent or CYCA-accredited conservation corps; these include Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, La Plata, Teller counties as well as Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative focal areas. DOC SWIFT crews operate from Four Mile Correctional Facility in Canon City within a three-hour radius; trainings are available throughout Colorado.
“Wildfire is now a year-round threat to Colorado communities, and our solutions must rise to that scale. The partnership between COSWAP and Colorado’s conservation corps delivers exactly what is needed to protect the lives and livelihoods of Coloradans in our most fire-vulnerable areas. At the same time, this program will build the next generation of wildland firefighters to help keep our state safe in the years to come,” said Scott Segerstrom, Executive Director at CYCA.
A new partnership with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps under CYCA will allow additional crew time awards this cycle; Ancestral Lands works with tribal communities on conservation service projects.
Another change is that grant cycles will now occur every other year instead of annually; applicants should propose two-year projects since funding will not be available again until 2027.
“The chainsaw training grant we received through COSWAP has allowed our partnering agencies to address the need to increase a skilled workforce to perform mitigation treatments across the region. The members trained under these grants have moved into a variety of positions with our partnering agencies… We are grateful to COSWAP for this opportunity,” said Josh Roberts from Larimer County Office of Emergency Management.
Applications can be submitted via the official program website. Details about eligibility requirements as well as application forms are provided online; applications close November 3rd with decisions expected by year’s end.
