Forest Wildlife

All forest types in Colorado provide important habitat for wildlife, and all forestry activities affect wildlife habitat. Understanding the connection between wildlife habitat and forest management is critical for wildlife conservation and the restoration and maintenance of natural processes.

The Colorado State Forest Service works with partners to incorporate wildlife habitat considerations into forestry projects and conserve lands with critical wildlife habitat.

Goals and Accomplishments

Select locations on the map to learn about accomplishments toward goals for Forest Wildlife.

Select a goal to learn about accomplishments toward that goal for Forest Wildlife.

Goals and accomplishments are connected to national priorities of state forest action plans: Conserve working forestland, Protect forests from harm and Enhance public benefits from trees and forests

Goal 1: Conserve, Enhance and Protect Critical Habitat

The CSFS develops forestry projects that prepare suitable habitat or protect existing keystone species to sustain ecosystem functions for forests and wildlife. For example, the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project on the Colorado State Forest targets different treatment types in high-elevation spruce-fir forests for a variety of management goals, including enhancing habitat for lynx and other wildlife species.

The CSFS manages the federal Forest Legacy Program in Colorado, which conserves wildlife habitat and protects habitat connectivity, among other benefits, through the acquisition of conservation easements to protect forested lands. The Banded Peak Ranch Forest Legacy Project protects more than 16,000 acres of forestland roughly 20 miles southeast of Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County. The project preserves one of the most important migration corridors for mule deer and elk in the Rocky Mountains.

The CSFS administers projects that mitigate exotic and invasive forest species. One example is the removal of Russian olives on the eastern plains at Jackson Lake State Park and nearby state wildlife areas. The CSFS and partners replanted the state park and wildlife areas with native and noninvasive trees, shrubs and grasses to restore natural habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Goal 2: Integrate Habitat Considerations into Forestry Activities

The CSFS applies restrictions on forestry activities on Colorado Parks and Wildlife lands, such as blackout dates between April 1 and July 15 when no work can occur due to a variety of nesting bird protections. These practices incorporate wildlife and habitat considerations while still accomplishing other forestry goals. One example is Pearl Lake State Park, where recreation, fuels reduction and timber harvesting activities were accomplished outside of critical habitat periods.

All forest stewardship plans that are written and approved by the CSFS incorporate wildlife considerations, including threatened and endangered species. Working with the owners of Bar NI Ranch in Las Animas County, the CSFS incorporated wildlife habitat goals into forest treatments that were also implemented to reduce wildfire risk and enhance overall forest health. At lower elevations within the project area, mature oak stands were identified and retained to provide wildlife forage and cover.

Projects are often designed to mimic natural disturbance regimes through forestry activities or prescribed fire to enhance wildlife habitat. At Black Forest Section 16 in El Paso County, the CSFS thins trees and removes understory plants in ponderosa pine forests to mimic the impacts from a low-intensity ground fire. This helps to stimulate the growth of grasses and other forage for deer and other wildlife species. Snags are often left in the forest to provide habitat for birds, bats and other wildlife.

The CSFS supports future-adapted genotypes in forest restoration by selecting genetically diverse seeds and growing species sourced from regional origins at the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery for use in restoration projects in Colorado. By growing tree species based on genetic distinctiveness, the CSFS Nursery supports genetic diversity in trees when those seedlings are planted at restoration sites. This diversity promotes adaptation to a changing environment and increased forest productivity, which ultimately supports wildlife that depend on forests.

The Restoring Colorado’s Forests Fund program provides seedlings to landowners at no cost to help them restore forests and revitalize degraded habitat after wildfires and other natural disasters. Since 2020, the CSFS has provided 59,350 seedlings to private landowners across Colorado to restore important wildlife habitat, as well as protect water supplies and reduce erosion, through the RCFF program. The CSFS has hired three student interns over the past two years to support the RCFF program. Interns learn about the nursery operations and provide technical assistance, which includes providing species recommendations for wildlife habitat goals to landowners receiving seedlings.

The CSFS works with private landowners who are adjacent to public lands to maintain healthy forests and promote habitat conservation outside protected areas through a variety of avenues, including the Good Neighbor Authority program. In Rio Grande County, the GNA program enabled the CSFS to enhance wildlife habitat on 587 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands and 180 acres of private lands. The forest in the Rock Creek area was thinned to help restore ponderosa pine stands, encourage aspen regeneration and allow for more ground cover for wildlife to browse.

Goal 3: Increase Public Understanding of the Connections Between Forestry and Habitat

Outreach and communication provided by partners who manage Colorado’s forests help the public to understand the connection between healthy forests and wildlife. Over the past five years, the CSFS has regularly shared posts about the value of forests for wildlife with its thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram. An intern with the CSFS also wrote a story for the CSFS website about forests and our feathered friends.

The CSFS develops and maintains partnerships with indigenous tribes to collaborate on forestry activities. These partnerships help the CSFS to incorporate landscape values of indigenous communities into activities that demonstrate the connections between forestry and habitat. Outside of Gunnison, the CSFS is helping the Ute Mountain Ute update the forest management plan for its Pinecrest Ranch property. Management goals will likely focus on improving tree health while managing the understory to facilitate cattle grazing and improve wildlife habitat.

The increase in cross-boundary forest management over the past five years has allowed partners to highlight the importance of forests for wildlife through complementary activities. In the Cherokee Park area of northern Larimer County, multiple partners including the CSFS, USDA Forest Service and Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative are working on a landscape-scale, multi-year effort that will benefit wildlife species on private, state and federal lands. In 2024, the first phase of this work occurred on 65 acres at the Cherokee State Wildlife Area. This work promotes snag availability for cavity-nesting bird species and enhances forage for elk and deer in an area that provides important public access for hunting and fishing.

Impacts from IIJA Forest Action Plan Funding

Through Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Forest Action Plan implementation funding, the Colorado State Forest Service launched a statewide project to measure the abundance and diversity of bees before and after wildfire mitigation projects. In 2024, members of the CSFS Forest Health Team collected baseline data on bees from 22 sites across multiple forest types. Six of those sites received wildfire mitigation treatments in 2024, so the team started to collect post-treatment data in 2025. Results from this work will expand our understanding of bee populations in Colorado’s forests and guide pollinator-friendly forest management.

This project follows a study released in January 2024 by Gov. Polis, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, CSU Extension, Xerces Society and University of Colorado Museum of Natural History to assess the status of Colorado’s native pollinators and evaluate state policies for their protection. Directed by Senate Bill 22-199, the 2024 Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Health Study recommends best practices in land management, education and outreach to safeguard these insects, which are essential for agriculture and ecosystem health.

Explore Accomplishments for Other Themes and Goals

You can also explore statewide cross-theme accomplishments toward goals.

Visit the Colorado Forest Action Plan Five Year Review homepage.