This inventory documents native pollinators in 6 parks across the intermountain region

The National Park Service (NPS) awarded a cooperative agreement totaling $384,260.01 to Colorado State University under the Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System (CFDA 15.945) effective July 17, 2025, with completion targeted for April 30, 2030. Colorado State University's Sponsored Programs Division will conduct a comprehensive inventory of native pollinators across eleven parks in the Intermountain Region, documenting the presence and distribution of native pollinator species, mapping critical host plants such as milkweed that support monarch butterflies, identifying invasive bee species, and assessing habitat restoration needs.

The deliverables from this project will provide National Park managers with science-based information and recommendations to optimize pollinator habitat conditions and mitigate threats to healthy pollinator populations within park boundaries. Park managers will utilize the inventory data, species distribution maps, and habitat restoration recommendations to support evidence-based resource management decisions. The project aligns with statutory requirements established in the National Park Service Omnibus Management Act of 1998 and will benefit state and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and the general public through enhanced pollinator conservation across the National Park System.

The recipient will document the presence of native pollinator species, map host plants, document invasive BEE species, and identify habitat restoration needs. Parks will use the info to optimize pollinator habitat and mitigate threats to healthy pollinator populations within their boundaries.