Hello,
The Department of Natural Resources-Executive Director’s Office is pleased to announce $4 million available for the 2024 Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) Workforce Development Grant. COSWAP is a permanent state program designed to address the urgency and need for wildfire mitigation work on the ground and to provide training opportunities for workforce development. This Workforce Development Grant funding can be used on all land ownership types across the state. This grant is designed to increase the number of people supporting Colorado’s wildfire mitigation workforce, primarily by supporting the workforce development partners listed below. Projects and training must be completed by December 31, 2025.
The Workforce Development Grant offers four separate opportunities, all of which are described in detail in the attached Request for Applications (RFA). We encourage everyone to read through the RFA before contacting us with specific questions regarding your project proposals. If you are uncertain about which funding opportunities you are eligible for, visit page six in the Request for Applications for a detailed chart. You can also visit our website for more information on Strategic Focus Areas and eligibility. The applications are available for download directly from COSWAP’s website under the ‘2024 Release’ section.
The COSWAP workforce development program offers four separate grants:
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Wildfire mitigation work completed by a CYCA accredited conservation corps. Projects must fall within the Strategic Focus Areas described in the eligibility section. This is a crew time award and an optional cash grant for project expenses.
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Wildfire mitigation work completed by an independent conservation corps. According to The Corps Network, (conservation) corps are locally-based organizations that engage young adults (generally ages 16 – 30) and veterans in service projects that address recreation, conservation, disaster response, and community needs. Independent conservation corps must be located in Colorado. Projects must fall within the Strategic Focus Areas described in the eligibility section. This is a cash grant. Please contact COSWAP staff if you have questions about whether an organization you are requesting to work with is a conservation corps.
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Wildfire mitigation work completed by DOC SWIFT crew(s). Project work is completed by the Department of Corrections State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT). DOC SWIFT crews are only available within a three hour drive from the Four Mile Correctional Facility in Cañon City (E US Highway 50 & Evans Rd, Cañon City, CO 81212). The SWIFT crews are fully scheduled June-September 2025; only projects that fall outside of this time window will be eligible for funding in this round. This is a crew time award and an optional cash grant for project expenses.
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Wildfire mitigation workforce training. To better develop Colorado’s current workforce COSWAP will fund training opportunities for fuels mitigation and prescribed fire. These trainings are available statewide. This is a cash grant.
How to Apply
Each of the four grants has a separate application that can be found on COSWAP’s website. Applicants should submit a completed application combined into a single pdf file to coswap with “COSWAP-Application-Your Project Name” in the subject line. Hard copies will not be accepted. You should receive an email confirmation of your submission within 1 week. If you do not hear back about your application within 1 week, please contact Roberta Anderson, roberta.anderson.
Timeline
September 9, 2024 – COSWAP Workforce Development Grant Release
October 9, 2024 – First round review for CYCA related applications
November 1, 2024 – Deadline to submit all applications
December 2024 – Grants awarded and contract administration begins
December 31, 2025 – Deadline to complete projects or training
Resources: https://dnr.colorado.gov/divisions/forestry/co-strategic-wildfire-action-program.
If you have questions or would like to set up a 15 minute meeting please send an email to both Courtney Young (courtney.young) and Roberta Anderson (roberta.anderson). We expect a high number of questions in the next couple of weeks so we ask for your patience during this time. We look forward to seeing your applications!
Cheers,
Courtney A. Young, Forest Health & Wildfire Mitigation Program Administrator
Executive Director’s Office
courtney.young I dnr.colorado.gov
C: 720-762-6176
