Conservation Actions: Fall 2024
In the past months, the CFO Conservation Committee has been engaged in the following actions.
Conejos River Restoration
The 2024 Colorado Birding Challenge raised over $13,000 for the Conejos River Restoration Project. Part of the project was to protect and enhance the habitat along the Conejos River in southern Colorado. Birds of particular conservation concern in this area are the Southwest Willow Flycatcher and the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Recent updates on the project can be found on Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project.
Partners in the Outdoors
For the second year in a row, CFO is on the planning committee for the 2025 Partners in the Outdoors conference that will be held in April. This year the theme is Resilience: Building Strength and Sustainability for the Future of the Outdoors.
The Partners in the Outdoors Conference is Colorado’s foremost opportunity to cultivate common ground, explore best practices of partnering, and design collaborative solutions with diverse voices and stakeholders to conserve Colorado’s outdoor heritage.
CFO’s representative is on the Keynote Address and Sessions subcommittee. More details will be forthcoming as the conference approaches in the springtime. Do you have an idea for what should be discussed? Session proposals for the conference are due to CPW by November 25th!
Dolores Canyons National Monument
Colorado Field Ornithologists has joined the effort to protect the Dolores River Canyonlands by supporting its designation as a national monument. This initiative aims to encourage Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to advocate for President Biden to take action. The campaign has garnered widespread support, including from Audubon Rockies and several local chapters. You can learn more and sign the petition on the Protect the Dolores website.
Colorado’s State Wildlife Action Plan
As an organizational member of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Wildlife and Habitat Roundtable, CFO is following actions surrounding the updating and review of the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan.
The purpose of the State Wildlife Action Plan is to outline, guide, and prioritize the state’s fish and wildlife conservation needs. It will outline which species and habitats are the most vulnerable. From there, CPW can determine which conservation actions they and other Colorado organizations can take to address the primary threats. This is necessary for CPW to receive federal State Wildlife Grants.
North American Grassland Conservation Act
On October 8, 2024, the North American Grasslands Conservation Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Nancy Mace (R – S.C.), Sharice Davids (D – Kan), Brian Fitzpatrick(R – Penn) and Mike Thompson (D – Calif).
Once passed, the legislation will be one of the most significant steps for grassland conservation efforts in the 21st century. More than 70 percent of America’s tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies have vanished, followed by the precipitous decline of grassland bird populations – more than 30 percent since 1966. Additionally, grazing lands that have sustained generations of ranchers are dwindling and species from bobwhite quail and pheasants to monarch butterflies and elk are struggling to navigate landscapes they used to call home. Learn more about the North American Grasslands Conservation Act, learn how you can take action, and see who has endorsed the bill at actforgrasslands.org.
The CFO Conservation Committee will discuss and vote on endorsement at an upcoming meeting.
Thank you to everyone who volunteers their time and effort on the CFO Conservation Committee working for the health and long-term conservation of wildlife and habitats throughout Colorado. If you are interested in being part of CFO’s conservation efforts, please contact us.
Compiled by Philip McNichols, Chair, CFO Conservation Committee