The agreement provides funding to colorado natural heritage program to develop a model of wetlands that are no longer under federal jurisdiction and provide quantitative data on wetland types and soil…

The agreement provides funding to colorado natural heritage program to develop a model of wetlands that are no longer under federal jurisdiction and provide quantitative data on wetland types and soil carbon to inform climate adaptation strategies for vulnerable wetland. Wetland program development grants (wpdgs) assist state, tribal, territory (insular areas), local government agencies, and interstate or intertribal entities in developing or refining state, tribal, territory, or local programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of these grants is to develop/refine state, tribal, and territory wetland programs. A secondary focus is to develop/refine local (e.g., county or municipal) programs. Activities:the activities include developing a quality assurance project plan (qapp), produce progress reports and a final report, analyzing the impact of recent changes to federal regulation on colorado's wetlands, estimating soil carbon stored in colorado's wetlands, and updating the colorado wetland program plan.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: a quality assurance project plan (qapp), a geospatial model, a database of wetland soil carbon data, online educational materials, progress reports, and a final report. The expected outcomes include - increased understanding of which colorado wetlands have lost federal protection by cdphe and other state agencies. - increased understanding of the relationship between gaps in federal wetland protection and vulnerable communities. - more effective and targeted strategies for state-level wetland protections. - increased understanding of colorado's wetlands by the broader public and could lead to wider public support for wetland protection efforts. - improved data on wetland soil carbon, which can be used to develop climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and to prioritize wetlands for restoration and protection. - increased understanding of colorado's wetlands by the broader public and could lead to wider public support for wetland protection efforts. - increased collaboration among state agencies who participate in the WPP update. - more effective conservation and management of wetlands. - increased understanding of colorado's wetlands by the broader public and could lead to wider public support for wetland protection efforts. The intended beneficiaries include the state of colorado and its residents