Chevron is contributing $300,000 to enhance Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer, or CODEX, developed by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University. An early investment from Chevron in 2015 helped CNHP build the tool.
Launched in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and NatureServe, CODEX is a web-based interactive map viewer and data portal to support conservation planning, return on investment of conservation dollars, evaluation of projects, teaching, research, and education. Following its launch in 2021, CODEX has played an instrumental role in facilitating informed decision-making and fostering a deeper understanding of Colorado’s diverse ecosystems. CODEX is free to use by all and brings sensitive species information from CNHP, CPW, and other organizations together in one place for the first time. Hundreds of agencies, companies, and organizations are using CODEX every day to support planning, and it is now a key tool for the land trusts of Colorado, supporting voluntary conservation on private land.
“This generous gift is transformational for CODEX,” said David Anderson, Chief Scientist and Director of CNHP. “These funds will allow us to make the Colorado Natural Heritage Program data more robust by adding additional species and information about our currently least understood species.”
“As the largest oil and natural gas producer in Colorado, with more than 1,000 employees who live and work in the state, we strive to be a neighbor of choice,” said Kim McHugh, vice president for Chevron’s Rockies Business Unit. “As part of our commitment to conservation, wildlife, and sustainable energy development, we are pleased to play a role in this CODEX expansion. It provides critical conservation data to guide development and implementation of programs for biodiversity, habitat health, and sustainable ecosystems. We’re thankful for our far-reaching involvement with CSU that touches several colleges, institutes, and research areas.”
The enhancements to CODEX will streamline efforts to identify and prioritize conservation actions for rare species, helping resolve which species are rare, endemic, declining and in need of protection and restoration. With these insights, species previously thought to be rare may not be as rare as once thought, while others that were not being prioritized may need more attention and concern. The gift will also help improve ecology data in the system and bring it into alignment with the latest edits to the U.S. National Vegetation Classification.
This effort builds upon the longstanding partnership between Chevron and Warner College of Natural Resources. Previously, Chevron has funded graduate research on biological and ecological features of the Piceance Basin in northwestern Colorado and funded graduate scholarships for the College’s Professional Science Master’s Degree in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.
Over the next three years, this gift will support CNHP in enhancing the data and services in CODEX.
