There’s a lot of fanfare around grant awards, but what happens after the ceremonial checks are presented, the reporters have published their articles, and the interviews are over? Our grantees get down to business.

GOCO funding has built parks and trails, helped communities recover from floods and schools build new playgrounds, protected wildlife habitat and open space, and improved outdoor amenities like campgrounds and boat ramps. We’re funded completely by Colorado Lottery proceeds and have invested in more than 4,800 projects in all 64 counties. Read our annual report for more information >>

Each year, we award funding through competitive grant programs to communities across the state and to Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Grantees are typically allowed two years to complete projects. Here’s what crossed the finish line in September:
 

Black Canyon Road/Voth Acquisition Grant

The City of Manitou Springs received a $293,000 GOCO grant to acquire the last undeveloped parcel of land between the city and Garden of the Gods. The 33-acre property will ultimately be open to the public with trail access. It’s the first open space purchase the city has made north of Highway 24 and brings Manitou one step closer to completing its city-wide trail network. This project will also permanently protect land that’s culturally significant to the Ute Tribe. Find out more about GOCO’s open space grant program >>
 

Campbell Valley Restoration

In collaboration with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, The Nature Conservancy took on an extensive habitat restoration project in Larimer County’s Campbell Valley Watershed, which is the area of land where water drains into Spring Gulch and Campbell Creek. The area was severely eroded, and project partners used a $25,000 GOCO grant to mitigate streambank erosion, which negatively impacts water and soil quality, reduces wildlife habitat, and can worsen flooding. Find out more about GOCO’s habitat restoration grants >>
 

Coal Creek Corridor Improvement

The Town of Erie put $11,700 of GOCO funding to work to address a backlog of maintenance projects along the Coal Creek Trail. The project employed Boulder Youth Corps crews this summer on five miles of heavily used soft- and hard-surface trails, improving accessibility and safety for all trail users. Learn how Colorado Youth Corps Association projects positively impact youth >>
 

Dillon Town Park Renovation and Capital Improvements Plan Phase I

The Town of Dillon has the funds to improve its park facilities, but the existing town park isn’t just due for an upgrade, it’s currently underutilized by local residents. The town used a $60,000 GOCO grant to fund its planning efforts to engage multiple user groups that will help them prepare design plans and construction documents. See the final plan on the Town of Dillon’s website >>
 

Estes Valley Comprehensive Trails Master Plan

Master planning efforts help local governments invest their dollars strategically for outdoor recreation projects and ensure that they meet the needs of local community members. The Estes Valley Rec and Park District received a $35,000 GOCO planning grant to create a comprehensive trails plan to improve connectivity throughout the entire Estes Valley. Take a look at the finished master plan >>
 

Glas Deffryn Ranch

A $225,000 GOCO grant helped Yampa Valley Land Trust (YVLT) acquire just over 86 acres of the Glas Deffryn Ranch, completing an 825-acre buffer of open space near Stagecoach State Park in Routt County. The ranch is a working agricultural operation, provides scenic views, and serves as wildlife habitat for elk, mule deer, bald eagles, and other species. Read more about Glas Deffryn in Steamboat Today >>
 

Heritage House Musical Garden and Shuffle Board Court

The Town of Milliken put $34,010 of GOCO funds to work updating Avila Park to serve multiple generations of local residents. The project gave kids a place to play beyond the adjacent parking lot where they used to play during community events. Kids now find unique play structures they can make music with, and new shuffleboard courts draw in residents of all ages, including members of the park’s neighboring senior community center. Find out more about how GOCO funds local park and outdoor recreation projects >>
 

Hitchen’s Island Bird Habitat and Trail Rehabilitation

Hitchen’s Island is an open space property in downtown Steamboat Springs, and the city used an $11,700 GOCO grant to employ Rocky Mountain Youth Corps crews on a restoration project for the area. Corps members repaired fencing, reconstructed unpaved trails damaged by flooding, installed bird houses, and helped mitigate erosion along the Yampa River. Learn how Colorado Youth Corps Association projects positively impact youth >>
 

Jefferson County Clear Creek Canyon Trail

Jefferson County recently celebrated an important milestone in their Peaks to Plains trail project, and a $1.8 million GOCO grant helped them get there. The county just opened the new two-mile trail segment to the public at Mayhem Gulch, where GOCO funding helped build a wildlife viewing deck, three pedestrian bridges, and four river access points along Clear Creek in addition to the trail itself. Find out what the next step is for Peaks to Plains >>
 

Larimer County Flood Recovery Project

Larimer County experienced approximately $3 million in damages during the September 2013 floods, and GOCO awarded the county nearly $100,000 to repair trails throughout Hermit Park Open Space. The park sees 60,000 annual visitors and serves as a major economic driver for nearby Estes Park. GOCO funding also helped the county complete a conservation assessment to better guide the park’s future in light of new post-flood conditions. Learn more about GOCO’s $4 million flood recovery funding >>
 

Lower Little Salt Wash Trail Project

A $200,000 GOCO grant helped complete the Lower Little Salt Wash Trail in Fruita on the Western Slope, running from Fruita’s Community Center to Colorado River State Park. The trail provides new walkable, bikeable access to downtown and to the Colorado Riverfront Trail (CRFT), and is part of a larger effort in Fruita to create a better connected, more vibrant downtown. Little Salt Wash will ultimately connect to the CRFT’s Kokopelli segment, which was recently awarded funding from GOCO’s first-ever Connect Initiative. Find out what Kokopelli means for Fruita’s economic development >>
 

Royal Gorge Park Improvement Project

Royal Gorge Bridge and Park has been on the long road to recovery ever since the devastating 2013 wildfire, and this past year Mile High Youth Corps – Southern Front Range crews helped bring it one step closer to fully bouncing back. A $48,450 GOCO grant employed crews to build three new miles of trail and replant 2,500 seedlings in the burn area. See how GOCO grants through the Colorado Youth Corps Association work >>