The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) are celebrating a decade of successful partnership in Colorado by announcing a 10-year renewal of a landmark statewide stewardship agreement. Over the past decade, the original agreement restored critical mule deer and sagebrush habitat, reduced wildfire risk, and improved rangelands on 10,050 acres along the Western Slope and Northwest Colorado. The new agreement will run from 2025-2035 with an initial BLM investment of $244,000, allowing MDF and the BLM to expand habitat and fuels reduction work to more areas across the state.

“BLM Colorado’s partnership with MDF helps achieve our multiple use mission by restoring mule deer habitat on public lands, reducing wildfire risks, and improving rangelands,” said Doug Vilsack, BLM Colorado State Director. “Together, we are creating resilient landscapes that benefit local communities, wildlife, and all public land users.”

“Colorado is home to the largest mule deer population in North America, and we value the Bureau of Land Management’s continuing commitment to MDF as a partner to help tackle their most pressing habitat challenges,” said Greg Sheehan, President and Chief Executive Officer of MDF. “This long-term stewardship agreement offers the certainty and flexibility needed to deliver projects where and when they are needed, support local contractors, and leverage multiple funding sources for the greatest conservation impact.”

The original 2015-2025 statewide stewardship agreement was BLM Colorado’s first use of its authority to carry out long-term, 10-year habitat and fuels mitigation projects. This longer agreement window allowed MDF and the BLM to establish partnerships with local contractors, state agencies, and private companies to deliver 17 projects, including sagebrush plantings, dense pinyon-juniper stand removal, special status plant surveys, archaeological surveys, invasive weed control, fence modifications to open migration corridors, and wildlife water source installation.

Annual collaboration and work plans will continue to be jointly developed with the BLM, giving local offices the ability to design projects that meet the needs of rural landscapes and communities. MDF’s role as a trusted and leading partner provides flexibility to move funding quickly and efficiently to high-priority projects. In Colorado, mule deer populations continue to face pressures from drought, severe winters, and habitat loss. The renewed agreement signals a strong, coordinated response to safeguard Colorado’s most iconic wildlife species and landscapes for the next decade.

This partnership also leverages substantial private and state investment, including funding and collaboration from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, energy companies operating in the Piceance Basin, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Together, these partners have multiplied the impact of federal dollars and accelerated restoration efforts across western Colorado.

Contact the Mule Deer Foundation for more information about the BLM–MDF Colorado statewide stewardship agreement. You can view a short video highlighting this agreement on MDF's YouTube Channel.

Media Contact:

Jamie Nogle, Director of BLM Partnerships

Mule Deer Foundation

jamie@muledeer.org, 317-417-5899