State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)

The draft 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is due to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service by September 30, 2025. CPW is working closely with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) on the development of the SWAP.

Updates to the planning process and opportunities for input will be available on this page throughout 2025.

What is the State Wildlife Action Plan?

State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) are plans which guide the conservation of a state’s most vulnerable species and the habitats they depend on. An updated SWAP is required every 10 years for federal funding eligibility via the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. These plans have eight required elements that have remained the same since the program’s inception 25 years ago.

Colorado’s 2025 SWAP Guiding Philosophy and Purpose

Colorado’s SWAP history mirrors what has happened across the country. Our first plan was produced in 2005 with the first revision published in 2015. CPW wants to improve the SWAP with each revision making it more applicable and impactful. The 2025 SWAP will continue to be the authority for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Colorado. The SWAP will be a work plan for SGCN and addresses that specific suite of species, however, this will not limit CPW or our partners from continuing existing programs or developing new efforts to address other species.

This presentation on the SWAP revision was provided to the Parks and Wildlife Commission in August 2024.

What has happened so far to update the SWAP?

The planning process to revise the SWAP began in early 2024 with a focus on developing the philosophy and purpose highlighted above. Months of effort then went into developing the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list. Thank you to everyone that provided comments on our process and list. A summary of the process and feedback can be found in the Element 7 and 8 overview on this page. The list of Plant and Vertebrate SGCN are housed in our dashboards. CNHP and CPW staff also developed the list of Habitats SGCN rely on.

What is happening now with the SWAP?

To begin 2025, CPW is starting our Threats assessment for SGCN and Habitats. We are also in the planning stage of determining how we will develop the Actions Element of the SWAP. We are asking for your input regarding Species of Greatest Information Need and (coming soon!) monitoring of SGCN and Habitats. See the “Survey” section at the bottom of this page to provide your input.

Survey

The intent of creating the SGIN list is to identify which species we collectively need to learn more about. What information is needed to understand the conservation status of SGIN? And, as gaps in our knowledge on these species close, what would move a species from SGIN to a Tier or off the SGCN list? What is “enough” information? As CPW ponders these questions for SWAP implementation (beginning in 2026) we want to hear from you! Please fill out our SGIN Questionnaire by March 31, 2025.