The Colorado State Forest Service Nursery staff has been hard at work growing seedlings for the upcoming sales season. As we continue to improve infrastructure, staffing and processes, we will focus on providing a generous quantity of the majority of our typical species, in addition to several additional products. We are committed to continuing to increase our quality and quantity of seedlings as these improvements are realized.
Retail/cooperator seedling sales will resume in 2026.
For general inquiries, please email us at [email protected].
Few conservation efforts provide the extensive and enduring benefits of planting seedling trees. Seedling trees serve many functions:
Growing low-cost seedlings for Colorado landowners is vital to meeting the state’s conservation goals.
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Nursery, located on the Foothills Campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, is the state’s leader in producing low-cost, Colorado-grown seedling trees and shrubs for conservation purposes. The CSFS Nursery produces more than 40 species, all selected for their hardiness and adaptability, which are ideal for landowners and land managers to use for conservation in Colorado’s diverse environments.
Situated on 130 acres managed for field production of bare-root seedlings, the nursery also uses 18,000 square feet of greenhouse space for container plant production. Nursery staff continuously conduct trials to identify new species that will address landowner needs.
Please contact your local CSFS Field Office or email [email protected] for more information.
For details and to apply, view the Restoring Colorado’s Forests Fund Application (250 KB PDF).
Restoring Colorado’s Forests Fund (RCFF) is a donor-funded program established to provide no-cost seedlings to landowners whose properties have been impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters. Reforestation helps to protect water supplies, reduce flooding and erosion and restore wildlife habitat.
Restoration is increasingly important considering the growing frequency, size, and severity of disturbances such as forest fires. Active reforestation is important in Colorado because natural regeneration is often hindered by the loss of mature trees and their seeds, poor soil conditions, and the impacts of climate change.
Landowners in Colorado are encouraged to apply for no-cost seedlings during the annual application period, which is open from July 1 to Sept. 30.
Applicants must have previously forested land impacted by natural disasters such as wildfires and will be ranked based on CSFS forester evaluations. Priority ranking will be given to applications that best convey soil, water quality and wildlife habitat improvements and provide the greatest public benefit. Please reach out to your local CSFS field office to connect with one of our foresters before applying.
Every $2 donation to the fund pays for one seedling, and every $300 restores one acre of burned forest. Visit the donation page if you would like to support reforestation through the RCFF program.
Send inquiries and request an application through [email protected].
The Colorado State Forest Service celebrated a groundbreaking for new facilities at the CSFS Seedling Tree Nursery in Fort Collins. This renovation is fundamental to meeting critical reforestation needs in Colorado and other western states.
Gov. Polis and the Colorado General Assembly commit more funds to improvements at the nursery, citing the critical need for reforestation across the state.
In 2022 the Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 22-1323 that dedicated $5 million to fund improvements to the nursery. During the tour, Nursery Manager Scott Godwin showed the lawmakers and partners around the nursery grounds. He described the progress made with the funding, next steps and future opportunities for success and expansion.
On Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, Governor Jared Polis visited the Colorado State Forest Service Seedling Nursery on the Foothills Campus of Colorado State University.
