Three wetlands programs at Colorado State University are on track to protect, restore and maintain the state’s bounty of natural wetland habitats thanks to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wetlands Program Development grants.
Under the university’s purview, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) will distribute funding totaling over $300,000 among a trio of initiatives in partnership with multiple agencies. The financing will support the creation of a public database, inventory of the state’s wetlands and illustrated guidebooks of wetlands information, the EPA said in a release.
“Wetlands restoration is key to capturing pollutants that impact Colorado’s natural resources,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in the release. “Understanding the current health of wetlands and where restoration efforts are most needed will help the many groups working toward the state’s healthy rivers, lakes and streams.”
Several state-level agencies are collaborating with national entities including the Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
In addition to facilitating conservation, Wetlands Program Development grants function by helping agencies at all levels of government plus tribal authorities in maintaining sound ecological practices by identifying specific projects and also ensuring administrative follow-through on EPA’s part, the release said.
“Colorado has been at the forefront of developing tools and resources to guide effective, science-based restoration and management of wetlands across the Rocky Mountain region,” CNHP wetland ecologist Joanna Lemly said in the release.
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