GOCO Grant Programs - Open Space

As Colorado’s population grows, so do the numbers of subdivisions and commercial complexes. Lost amid the development are many of the state’s prime agricultural lands, important wildlife habitats, buffers surrounding parks, natural areas and corridors between communities. While the Front Range and mountain valleys have experienced the greatest share of growth, few parts of Colorado are left untouched. Maintaining the state’s beauty and open space in the midst of such rapid change presents an enormous challenge. GOCO funds are helping the entities eligible for open space grants – local governments, land trusts, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks – address this challenge. Open Space grants are offered twice yearly with applications typically being available in December and June.

Registered User? Click here to apply for a Open Space Grant from GOCO.

Mesa County Community Separators -- The Mesa County Community Separator Program is a multi-year endeavor to acquire development rights on approximately 4,300 acres of significant agricultural, wildlife, wetland, riparian, and open space lands that lie between Grand Junction and Palisade, and between Grand Junction and Fruita. The vision is to establish clustered areas of conservation lands that create a physical and aesthetic separation between the communities. Thus far, GOCO has contributed over $3.2 million for 17 projects as part of this program.

Dunn Ranch/Saguache County -- GOCO worked with the Trust for Public Land to purchase a conservation easement on the 1,240-acre Dunn Ranch, a farming and ranching operation in the La Garita Creek watershed on the northwest side of the San Luis Valley. In addition to being a large and valuable agricultural property, the ranch includes important wetlands that provide foraging and nesting habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl, marsh birds, passerines, and raptors. This easement helped create over 10,000 acres of protected land within a 5-mile radius of La Garita.

Twamore Farms Land Acquisition/Morgan County -- The City of Fort Morgan purchased 305 acres of agricultural land with GOCO's help. The parcel runs parallel to the South Platte River for 1.5 miles with Riverside Park, a 300-acre City park south of the river that has 60 acres for active recreation and 240 acres for passive recreational amenities. The property is the first piece of the puzzle in preserving additional land in the South Platte River Corridor. The Twamore Farms includes the mainstream of the South Platte River, mature cottonwoods and supports a variety of wildlife. The City is proposing a soft surface trail system that would provide a loop around the property with intermittent cut offs.

Schaaf Property/Jefferson County -- The City of Arvada acquired 27 acres of urban open space located west of 72nd Avenue and Kipling in the heart of Arvada in Jefferson County. The City established a new trail network along the edges of the property that link the Schaaf property to the Clear Creek State Trail, and the Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. The parcel provides habitat for a variety of wildlife including red fox, coyotes, raccoons, fox squirrel, meadow voles, black-tailed jackrabbit, plains pocket gopher, and mule deer.