The Colorado Nonprofit Association is extending support and clarity to you through their 2020 Ballot Measure Guide. The guide offers insight into all the amendments and referendum, and guidance to whether or not the issues are directly relevant to your work in the nonprofit sector. It is your go-to resource for making informed decisions on how these issues impact what you value most.
River Network compiled helpful information for your organization in regards to voting information in an article HERE.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife advises changing your clocks with your driving habits during daylight saving time can help prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife experts advise drivers that wildlife is on the move so be aware, drive with caution, and slow down especially at night.
Submit to RMFI's 8th Annual NATURE! Photo Contest through November 15th, 2020. Categories include Restoration, Mountains, Flora / Fauna, and Interaction! Youth submissions also accepted into a separate category. All finalists receive a $25 gift certificate from Mike's Camera. The Grand Prize winner will go home with a brand new pair of skis from Mountain Chalet! Learn more HERE.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is offering 250 tree-cutting permits through an online application draw event. The entry period for the permit draw will be open through November 15th, and only one permit will be granted per household. The cost for a permit is $35. Those wishing to apply for a permit can find the application and entry information by following the link on the Golden Gate Canyon State Park page or at cpwshop.com. Applications are not available or accepted by phone or in person. By cutting trees, permit holders will assist Golden Gate Canyon State Park in thinning overcrowded and dense vegetation. This selective thinning will improve the overall health of the forest and reduce the impacts of future wildfires.
Due to COVID-19, RiversEdge West's 19th Annual Conference will take place virtually over the course of two weeks, from February 16-19 and February 23-26, 2021. The conference will feature a mix of live sessions and panels with interactive discussion, pre-recorded presentations followed by live Q&A, field tours, and demonstrations, as well as plenty of virtual networking opportunities! Abstracts for oral presentations are due on November 19th, 2020. View the call for abstracts here and submit yours before November 19th.
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is launching a pilot program to take an in-depth look at training designed to strengthen volunteer stewardship within two Colorado Parks & Wildlife regions. They are seeking proposals for contracted professional services to perform the initial assessment within each of the two regions that will then help determine the required next steps of this pilot project. Anticipated services include data collection through remote gatherings, one-on-one and group interviews, and electronic survey(s) to ascertain aspects of regional capacities that lend themselves to sustained volunteer investments within outdoor stewardship organization and agency programs. The contractor will also provide a written final report by February 15th, 2021 with data-driven recommendations for what specific volunteer stewardship capacity efforts are needed to address each region’s stewardship priorities. Click here for the full RFP. Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. MST on Friday, November 20th, 2020.
Due November 30th, 2020: Call for papers! The SWAT (Soil & Water Assessment) special issue journal Sustainability: Sustainable Water and Land Management to Build Resilience against Climatic Shocks and Other Stressors is accepting submissions. You do not need to have presented at a SWAT conference in order to submit a paper.
The Call for Special Session Proposals for the AWRA Specialty Conference: Connecting Land and Water for Healthy Communities has been extended to February 1st, 2021. Hopefully this is a little relief for those who were planning to submit and will be incentive for those who wanted to submit but couldn’t due to the tight timeline.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is one of the most comprehensive environmental statutes in the United States. It seeks to protect both human health and ecological resources, to maintain healthy waters, and to restore waters that are impaired. The Clean Water Act provides states and authorized tribes with the tools and guidance necessary to protect and maintain healthy waterways in cooperation with federal government agencies. To explore Clean Water Act resources, click HERE.
Lake Pueblo State Park has implemented winter hours for its boat ramps and the decontamination stations that guard against the invasion of non-native zebra and quagga mussels, known as Aquatic Nuisance Species, or ANS. Effective immediately, Lake Pueblo’s boat ramp gates are open from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ANS decontamination stations are open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For more information click HERE.
Arapahoe County Open Spaces is in an exciting stage of 2020 master planning efforts!
Youth Adventure Workbook- This ACTIVITY GUIDE will help bring some structure and joy amid these challenging times. Please share with kids, educators and parents, and help encourage submissions. Return the completed workbook by November 6th (extended deadline) to receive a free bike frame bag from ACOS.
LISTEN Engagement Report- This DOCUMENT summarizes what has been learned to date from the community and County stakeholders through a variety of surveys, interviews, and targeted discussions during the LISTEN public engagement phase (spring/summer 2020).
2020 Master Plan Survey Results- This REPORT is for people who want to dive deeper into public survey data and key findings from the 2020 master plan survey. A SUMMARY is presented, along with the FULL SURVEY RESULTS.
The Denver Parks and Recreation Landscape Typology Manual is a system to identify landscape typologies and the health of individual typology sites. This is a great resource to evaluate and prioritize urban forest health efforts.
A $1 million science experiment is measuring the impacts of growing a native hay species in Grand County on a low-water diet in an attempt to conserve water without sacrificing nutrients provided to cattle. Read Water Education Colorado’s full article HERE.
The 2020 water year, which began Oct. 1st, 2019, and ended Sept. 31st, is now Colorado’s third driest on record, trailing behind only 2018 and 2002 for lack of precipitation. Click HERE to read Water Education Colorado’s full article.
The Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, proudly co-funded Swimming Upstream, a new StoryMap that highlights collaborative conservation efforts to protect endangered, native fish populations in the Upper Colorado River Basin and enhance critical streamflow management for recreation and agricultural needs in and around Grand Junction, Colorado, along a stretch of the Colorado River commonly known as the 15-Mile Reach. The StoryMap was developed by the Conservation Innovation Center for the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, in collaboration with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Click HERE to access the map.
Never-before-seen moths, a hunter's “sneak peak”, construction of visitor parking, picnic areas and trails highlight recent progress at Fishers Peak State Park. Click HERE to read Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s full article.
Share your drought related-stories! Faced with the challenge of traveling and touring in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources invite all who are experiencing the impacts of drought, particularly in agriculture, to submit their drought-related stories online through a dedicated “Drought Virtual Tour” website managed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.