Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has awarded a total of $1 million in grant funds to 17 communities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations across the state. These funds are designated for human-bear conflict mitigation efforts, aiming to reduce interactions between people and bears.
The Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant program, established in 2021, continues to support local initiatives with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, CPW received 27 applications requesting $2.2 million in funding, indicating a significant demand for resources dedicated to preventing bear conflicts throughout Colorado.
The need for such programs is underscored by recent data from CPW. The agency reported 5,229 bear reports in 2025, which represents a 15% increase in conflicts and interactions since 2019. CPW Grant Manager Travis Long emphasized that successful measures to reduce human-bear conflict rely on collaboration among local communities, wildlife managers, and individuals. Long also noted that CPW has observed positive outcomes from the grant program, with many communities successfully implementing projects to help reduce these conflicts.
Among the grant recipients are Manitou Springs, Snowmass Village, the Town of South Fork, and Boulder County. These organizations and communities will utilize the funding to implement various strategies, often focusing on securing food sources to deter bears from residential and populated areas.
In addition to the grant program, the Colorado General Assembly took legislative action last session by increasing penalties for luring bears with food or edible waste. Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, who sponsored the measure, noted that "dangerous human-bear interactions are rising in our state." She further explained that most bear reports are linked to trash or food waste, characterizing this as a human responsibility to keep food inaccessible to bears. According to Stewart, the bill strengthens existing enforcement mechanisms to assist CPW in reducing human-bear conflict, particularly those resulting from negligence.
The impact of these conflicts is substantial. In 2024, CPW reported euthanizing 98 bears and relocating 68 due to incidents with humans, with the majority of these incidents attributed to human negligence. The agency also dedicated nearly 6,000 staff hours and approximately $800,000 in supplies, grants, and salaries during 2024 to respond to human-bear conflicts.
Governor Jared Polis highlighted the state's commitment to safety for both residents and wildlife, stating that Colorado's environment attracts both families and animals. He underscored the importance of these common-sense and data-driven strategies in reducing human-bear conflicts. The combination of grant funding, legislative enhancements, and an emphasis on community collaboration reflects a broad effort to manage and mitigate the growing challenge of human-bear interactions across Colorado.
