Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering a total of $1 million to help reduce dangerous interactions between humans and bears through its Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant Program, as it announced on its website.
"Living successfully and safely alongside our wildlife is an important part of who we are in Colorado," said Governor Polis in the news release.
"These grants will help prevent potentially dangerous conflicts between bears and humans, ensuring we all can enjoy Colorado's high quality of life, especially in our high country. These investments are an important tool to keep us and wildlife safe and prevent property damage."
Individuals and groups, including businesses, nonprofits, and local governments, all qualify to receive these grants if they apply before May 29. Each grant ranges from $50,000 to $500,000.
In particular, CPW said it is looking to fund projects that either keep bears out of high-conflict areas or remove the factors attracting them; have support from the community or plans for getting that support; use an effective existing method or test a possible new one; and are cost-effective, with the potential to last a long time.
One of the classic examples CPW cited was bear-proof trash cans.
To help applicants get ideas and see what works, CPW offered a list of last year's grant recipients.
The need to reduce conflicts with bears is significant. CPW received reports of 5,299 dangerous encounters in 2025 alone, of which 57% involved trash that attracted the animals. Of those incidents, 2,448 — nearly half — led to property damage.
By investing in prevention, CPW is protecting both humans and bears, both of whom are at risk during these interactions. It could also reduce the budget spent on bears, since responding to bear incidents has been using significant resources.
Finally, by taking away easy access to trash and other attractants, CPW hopes to prevent bears from returning repeatedly and getting used to humans — a dangerous circumstance that can lead to more direct interactions and injuries.
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