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 5,800 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, four projects wrapped up, representing $1,069,165 in GOCO investments in local communities across the state. Scroll to see if one’s near you:

City of Greeley Fellow

$143,000 grant to City of Greeley

A Fellowship Program grant helped the City of Greeley hire a fellow for the Natural Areas & Trails (NAT) division of its Culture, Parks & Recreation Department. For two years, the fellow worked with NAT staff and community stakeholders to advance major initiatives, including the land acquisition and community visioning process for Greeley’s newest natural area Arroyos del Sol, and supported early planning efforts related to a potential open space ballot measure.
Learn more about City of Greely’s NAT

Community-Engaged Urban Forestry Stewardship

$300,000 to City and County of Denver

Denver’s Department of Parks & Recreation, in partnership with The Park People and The Nature Conservancy, used a Stewardship Impact grant to help build a thriving tree canopy in Denver, particularly in the city’s lowest-canopy, lowest-income neighborhoods. Activities included tree plantings, addressing invasive pests, and engaging community members in stewarding their own urban forests. The Denver Digs Trees program provided participants with tools and resources to care for urban trees, and The Park People piloted a workforce development program that included education, hands-on training, and job support connecting individuals with critical roles in the forestry sector.  
Learn more about The Park People

Riverbend Park Riparian Restoration

$26,165 grant to Town of Palisade

The Town of Palisade used a Conservation Service Corps grant to partner with Western Colorado Conservation Corps (WCCC) on the multi-year Riverbend Park Riparian Restoration Project. In collaboration with Desert Rivers Collaborative and RiversEdge West, partners removed invasive species along the Colorado River corridor. Over two weeks, crews removed four acres of invasive trees, trained participants on revegetation practices, and planted native species sourced from a local nursery. The project helped restore riverbank habitat while providing corps members with hands-on education in ecosystem restoration.
Learn more about WCCC

Trent Park Expansion Project

$600,000 grant to Town of Silverthorne 

The Town of Silverthorne used a Community Impact grant to expand Trent Park (pictured above), the primary park serving communities west of Highway 9. The Town transformed an existing 3.8-acre park into an eight–acre vibrant community hub. The new park is walking distance from several neighborhoods, connects to multiple open space properties, and offers space for community events. It features a multi-purpose sportfield, pump track, bocce and cornhole courts, a rock-climbing wall, trails, a basketball court, picnic area, and a shelter with restrooms. The park is now open to the public and offers opportunities for recreation and connection in this fast-growing area.
Learn more about the project