Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have announced the opening of applications for the 2025 Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program’s (COSWAP) Workforce Development Grant. The new round, launched on September 8, will make $6.8 million available to conservation corps—including those affiliated with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA)—and Department of Corrections State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT). The funds will support wildfire mitigation projects and workforce 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.
COSWAP was established following the severe 2020 wildfire season as a joint effort by the DNR, Colorado State Forest Service, and Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The program aims to increase wildfire risk reduction efforts statewide through workforce development and landscape-scale fuels reduction projects. Since its start in 2021, COSWAP has funded 88 Workforce Development projects totaling $14.5 million and 29 Landscape Resilience Investment projects at a cost of $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 COSWAP’s fourth round of Workforce Development funding. Grants come in two forms: crew time—where COSWAP pays directly for mitigation work conducted by CYCA-accredited or DOC SWIFT crews—and cash grants for organizations working with independent conservation corps or needing support for project management or workforce training expenses.
“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 available statewide but eligibility varies by project location. Projects using independent or CYCA-accredited conservation corps must be within designated Strategic Focus Areas such as Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, La Plata, Teller counties or Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative areas; DOC SWIFT crews operate from Canon City within a three-hour radius; training is open statewide.
“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.
For 2025–2027 grant cycle changes include a new partnership with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps—a Conservation Legacy initiative partnering with tribal communities—and moving grant cycles to every other year instead of annually.
“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, including but not limited to: Larimer County Emergency Services Wildland Fire; Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District; multiple private mitigation companies; USFS Fire Crew; Colorado Firecamp; USFS Helitack Crew; Larimer County Natural Resources; Colorado Parks and Wildlife. We are grateful to COSWAP for this opportunity,” said Josh Roberts from Larimer County Office of Emergency Management.
Applications are due by November 3 with notifications expected by December 2025; funded projects must be completed by December 31, 2027.
More information about applying can be found at the official program website.
