Noxious Weed Program Grants

Noxious Weed Program Grants is sponsored by Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). These grants address noxious weed management in Colorado.

4. Noxious Weed Grants and Financial Assistance ### Funding the Colorado Noxious Weed Program It’s officially live! We’ve been working hard to build an interactive dashboard that brings our grant projects data straight to you.

The dashboard currently features projects that involve federal funding. Over the next two months, we will be uploading the 2025 Noxious Weed Management Fund (NWMF) grant data so that 2026 grantees have a clear preview of how their own projects will look. Starting this year, all NWMF grantees will enter their information directly into the system!

#### The CDA Noxious Weed Grants Dashboard is Available! It’s officially live! We’ve been working hard to build an interactive dashboard that brings our grant projects data straight to you.

The dashboard currently features projects that involve federal funding. Over the next two months, we will be uploading the 2025 Noxious Weed Management Fund (NWMF) grant data so that 2026 grantees have a clear preview of how their own projects will look. Starting this year, all NWMF grantees will enter their information directly into the system!

Explore the dashboard! (opens in new window) ## Boot Brush Kiosk Funding ## Noxious Weed Program Annual Grants The Noxious Weed Management Fund was created in 2000 to support local weed management efforts. * While the fund once peaked at $700,000, a cut in 2025 reduced its total to $450,000.

This makes partnerships and additional grants even more vital for statewide weed control. * The program's primary objectives are to: * Provide additional financial resources to entities engaged in cooperative efforts to eradicate and/or contain state-listed noxious weeds. * Produce measurable outcomes for noxious weed management across Colorado.

* Assist new or underfunded weed management programs, particularly in regions where additional resources are needed. **Look for the 2026 Noxious Weed Fund grant announcement this fall!

** Visit the Noxious Weed Annual Grants page ### America's Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (AERI), formerly known as America the Beautiful Challenge (AtBC) The America the Beautiful Challenge is a federal grant program, managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with multiple federal agencies, that provides funding for large-scale, locally led ecosystem restoration projects.

The grants aim to improve watershed health, enhance habitat connectivity, and increase community resilience. In 2022, the Colorado Department of Agriculture was awarded a $4 million grant through this program to support conservation and agricultural partnerships in five major watershed areas of the state.

### Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation Grant The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a federal statute that provides a massive, nationwide investment in America's infrastructure, including natural resources. This funding is distributed to states and local entities through a mix of formula-based allocations and competitive grants. For Colorado, the law has delivered a significant amount of funding to address a wide range of issues.

While a major portion of the funding is for traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges, and public transit, a substantial amount has been allocated to natural resource projects. Examples include: * Wildfire Resilience: Over $5. 1 million was invested in fuels management projects in Colorado to reduce wildfire risk.

* Water Infrastructure and Drought Resilience: The law has provided tens of millions of dollars to upgrade drinking and clean water infrastructure and support projects that improve the state's drought resilience. The BIL's focus on ecosystem restoration, invasive species, and climate resilience provides numerous opportunities for Colorado to secure funding for its various natural resource management programs.

### Disaster Supplemental Funding Grant This funding is not a single grant, but rather a collection of different federal relief programs designed to assist in recovery. A key way the Colorado Department of Agriculture and its producers receive this funding is through the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA).

For instance, following wildfires or other natural disasters, the USDA makes financial and technical assistance available to help farmers and ranchers recover from losses. This can include: * Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP): Provides payments to producers who suffered crop or livestock losses due to qualifying disaster events.

* Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP): Compensates producers for feed and grazing losses. * Emergency Conservation Program (ECP): Assists landowners with the cost of removing debris and restoring fences. The Noxious Weed Program funds multiple grant types, all focused on on-the-ground noxious weed management.

Funding for these grants comes from two main sources. The Noxious Weed Fund (NWF) consists of state general funds appropriated to the program to be spent statewide on high-priority noxious weed control projects. The U.S. Forest Service, State & Private Forestry Fund (SPF) consists of federal funds appropriated on an annual basis to the program to be spent on non-federal lands with vicinity to National Forest Service Lands.

SPF funds are limited in nature and can be combined with state funds for applicable projects. Since 2015, the program has received $700,000 annually for the NWF, to pass through to local entities to support their noxious weed control efforts, and this is supplemented with approximately $40,000 in SPF funds.

In most years, a part of the Noxious Weed Fund is set aside to support weed mitigation and restoration projects made necessary by a disaster such as fire or flood. Occasionally these funds have been granted to emergency EDRR projects with an immediate need at a time outside the regular NWF/SPF grant cycle. View the full size grantee map