There’s a lot of fanfare around grant awards, but what happens after the ceremonial checks are presented and the reporters have published their articles? Our partners get down to business.
For over 30 years, GOCO has improved Colorado’s great outdoors with the help of Colorado Lottery proceeds. To date, we’ve invested more than $1.4 billion in 5,700 projects to improve the lives of Coloradans across the state.
After projects are awarded funding, grant recipients usually have about two years to make their projects happen.
Recently, five projects wrapped up, representing $1,194,112 in GOCO investments in local communities across the state. Scroll to see if one’s near you:
Arkansas River Community Preserve - Phase 4 Acquisitions - Jones
$54,596 grant to Central Colorado Conservancy
A Land Acquisition grant helped the Central Colorado Conservancy, in partnership with Colorado Open Lands and Lake County, acquire seven parcels of land to expand the Arkansas River Community (ARC) Preserve by 74 acres. This funding supported Phase 4 of the project, which added the centrally located 1.39-acre Jones property to the preserve. The now 345-acre ARC Preserve represents a decade-long effort to protect and provide public access to privately owned land along the Arkansas River. The landscape features high elevation grasslands, wetlands, and is a key migration corridor for bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and other wildlife. It provides public access to over three miles of the Arkansas River and connects to public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Learn more about the project
Empowering Community-led stewardship in Commerce City & Aurora
$147,092 grant to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) used a Stewardship Impact grant to partner with Latino-led Promotores Verdes and Cultivando to complete stewardship projects in and around Aurora and Commerce City led by local community members. Efforts included tree planting, native and pollinator plantings, seed collection, and invasive species removal at outdoor spaces, including at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and Barr Lake State Park. Projects fostered local leadership, expanded community access to nature, and empowered residents--many of whom live in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change--to care for public lands close to home.
Learn more about Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Floyd Hill Open Space Stewardship Modifications
$343,933 grant to Clear Creek County
Clear Creek County used a Resilient Communities grant to address stewardship challenges and improve public access to Floyd Hill Open Space and Park. The county expanded the park’s driveway entrance to create safer access from Highway 40 and constructed additional visitor parking areas. They also installed trailhead restrooms, signage, and kiosks for better visitor navigation and experience. In addition, they hired youth corps crews to support ongoing trail and park maintenance as visitation continues to grow.
Read the project’s local press release
Increasing Capacity to Improve Stewardship, Conserve Land, and Advance Equity
$189,404 grant to Estes Valley Land Trust
Estes Valley Land Trust (EVLT) used a Planning and Capacity grant to hire a stewardship manager, a part-time land agent, and a high school intern. These new staff members helped implement the land trust’s 2020 Estes Valley Open Space Plan (another GOCO-supported effort) focused on conservation, land stewardship, and outdoor access. This included establishing partnerships with forest health and fire management agencies, collaborating with the Estes Valley Park School District, and deepening engagement with historically underrepresented communities, including the Indigenous community displaced from the Estes Valley in the 19th century.
Learn more about Estes Valley Land Trust
Virginia Canyon Mountain Park
$459,087 in grant funding to City of Idaho Springs
The City of Idaho Springs used a $100,000 Resilient Communities grant and a $356,087 Community Impact grant to develop trails and amenities at Virginia Canyon Mountain Park (pictured above). The first grant supported trail construction, creating 4 miles of hiking and uphill mountain biking trails. The second grant supported 6 miles of hiking and biking trails, completing the trail system. The park is now open to the public, offering free and accessible outdoor recreation for locals and visitors.
The park connects to the Argo Mill property, Clear Creek Greenway, Peaks to Plains Trail, nearby neighborhoods, city parks, and Idaho Springs’ downtown National Historic District. With limited hiking and biking trails in the area, the park brings meaningful outdoor recreation opportunities to the community. Colorado Mountain Bike Association and Colorado Parks and Wildlife also supported the project.
Explore Virginia Canyon Mountain Park