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Projects and Research

Updated May 7, 2026

We use applied sciences and innovative technology to drive today’s management practices and enable the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to work effectively with our partners to meet today’s complex conservation challenges.

Black Footed Ferret Recovery

Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but the weasel-like animals almost disappeared because of a combination of human-induced threats. Twice in the 20th century, they were thought to be extinct. Today, they are the focus of a broad…

Colorado Butterfly Plant Monitoring

Colorado butterfly plant is found in southeastern Wyoming, north-central Colorado, and western Nebraska. This unique plant was removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2019 due to successful…

Greenback Cutthroat Trout Research and Recovery

Colorado Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is involved with recovery efforts of federally endangered greenback cutthroat trout. We are a part of the Greenback Cutthroat Recovery Team and participate as subject matter experts in document…

Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse Monitoring and Conservation

Since the late-1990's the US Air Force Academy, in partnership with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program has conducted annual population and monitoring surveys for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. This is the longest continuous…

Burrowing Owl Research

U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot partnered with the Idaho Cooperative Fish…

Rio Grande Suckers and Rio Grande Chubs Monitoring and Conservation

Rio Grande Suckers, a state endangered fish species, and Rio Grande Chubs are found in small streams in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Both species have been petitioned for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act…

Boreal Toad Recovery

The boreal toad is listed as a Colorado state threatened species. Chyrid fungus causes an infectious disease that affects amphibian species worldwide and has reduced boreal toad populations across its range. Colorado Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office staff assists…

Prairie Dog Restoration

U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot contains some of the oldest undisturbed shortgrass prairie habitat in the Colorado, which is home to a variety of wildlife including burrowing owls, swift foxes, ferruginous hawks, golden eagles, coyotes, and badgers. Many of these…

Academic Research

The Colorado Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is supportive of partnerships with universities to both meet programmatic requirements and to facilitate the progression of student experience in fisheries, wildlife, ecology and natural resources management. Our office has funded and supported…

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