GOCO board awards $9.3 million for parks, land conservation, state parks, and stewardship

June 14, 2023

Media Contacts:
Rosemary Dempsey, 303.226.4530, rdempsey@goco.org
Diane Metzger, 303.226.4507, dmetzger@goco.org
Crystal Medrano, 303.226.4522, cmedrano@goco.org

GOCO board awards $9.3 million for parks, land conservation, state parks, and stewardship

DENVER – Today the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board awarded a total of $8,978,665 to 12 projects across the state as part of its base programs: Community Impact, Land Acquisition, Stewardship Impact, and Planning and Capacity. The board also awarded $150,000 in funding to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) staff for eight new and innovative projects. Lastly, our partners at Keep It Colorado (KIC) have regranted $215,000 in GOCO funding to support transaction costs associated with conservation projects.

Making up the majority of funding, base program grants will produce many outcomes, including to:

Permanently protect over 24,000 acres of land supporting wildlife, water resources, agriculture heritage, and recreation.
Build and improve parks and recreation facilities expanding outdoor access in Meeker, Buena Vista, Cheyenne Wells, Superior, and Avon.
Engage the Loveland community in stewardship of the city's increasingly stressed public lands.
Expand planning efforts to improve recreation infrastructure in Towaoc and promote the well-being and fitness of all residents there.

The $150,000 in grants to CPW staff are part of GOCO’s CPW Director’s Innovation Fund (DIF), a partnership between GOCO and CPW designed to fund small-dollar, innovative projects across the state agency. In its seventh cycle this year, the program has elevated unique opportunities to improve state park access and provide public education opportunities fostering learning and outdoor stewardship.

In addition, $215,000 in funding will go towards KIC’s Transaction Cost Assistance Program (TCAP), in partnership with GOCO, that re-grants funds to nonprofit land trusts to help cover the costs associated with conservation easement transactions. It enables landowners who have urgent opportunities to conserve their properties, but who face financial barriers to facilitating the transaction, to conserve land more quickly. Five grants will help Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust, Colorado Open Lands, Colorado West Land Trust, and Montezuma Land Conservancy support five total conservation easements.

Base Program Grants

Community Impact

GOCO’s Community Impact program develops and revitalizes parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors. Projects include:

Meeker Riverfront Revitalization, $750,000 to the Town of Meeker

Funding will help the Town of Meeker, in partnership with East Rio Blanco Metro Parks and Recreation District, in constructing three formal, in-town access points on the White River at Third Street, Circle Park, and Tenth Street. Identified as a top priority by the local community, this Meeker Riverfront Project brings ecological, economic, and recreational benefits of the White River to residents and visitors alike. The White River runs almost entirely through private lands, which previously limited public access. This project will create more than half a mile of river access points in the heart of Meeker.

Billy Cordova Memorial Park and Trail, $748,915 to the Town of Buena Vista

This GOCO grant will support construction of the Billy Cordova Memorial Park and Trail in Buena Vista. The project will provide residents from the rapidly growing southwest side of town with a close-to-home park and a 1,700-foot trail connected to the town's larger trail system. The park will be the first within a three-county region to provide fully accessible and adaptive equipment for people living with physical and cognitive disabilities. The park design was informed by a robust community engagement process led by a local coalition of neighbors, municipal leaders, parents, and recreation groups that started in 2013.

Step It Up! Your Health Matters, $674,500 to Cheyenne County

GOCO funding will help renovate an outdoor community space in the Town of Cheyenne Wells. The project will replace a 19-year-old track at Cheyenne County School District with a new playground, bleachers, perimeter fencing, landscaping, restrooms, a concession building, and a track. The upgraded facilities will provide opportunities for people of all ages to recreate and enjoy the health benefits of doing so. The space will be used for track meets for over two dozen schools as well as outdoor educational events hosted by the Step It Up! Your Health Matters project. The space will be open to the public throughout the year outside of practices, competitions, and events.

Post-Fire Park and Playground Rebuild, $660,000 to the Town of Superior

The grant will help rebuild Children’s Park, Big Sagamore Park, and Little Sagamore Park, which were all impacted by the 2021 Marshall Fire. The grant will support upgrades beyond the original amenities. The three parks serve Superior’s Sagamore and Original Town neighborhoods, which saw over 350 homes destroyed in the fire. As these neighborhoods continue to rebuild and some residents move into their newly built homes, the community hopes to update the parks and playgrounds with accessible playground components; improved safety surfacing; and drought-resistant, firewise landscaping.

Eaglebend Pocket Park Transformation Project Community, $375,000 to the Town of Avon

Funding will help the Town of Avon, in partnership with the Generation Wild coalition Eagle Valley Outdoor Movement (EVOM), make plans for and transform Eaglebend Pocket Park. The project will focus on upgrading the park to expand outdoor recreation opportunities for the local community, including many families living at Eaglebend Apartments, which hosts 240 affordable workforce housing units. The transformation of this community asset will focus on inclusiveness, equitable access, and sustainable design. EVOM will lead a community-centered design process, including bilingual surveys and meetings, door-to-door interviews in the surrounding neighborhood, and youth engagement.

Land Acquisition

GOCO’s Land Acquisition program supports urban and rural landscape, waterway, and habitat protection priorities and improves access to the outdoors. Projects include:

Bohart Ranch Phases I & II, $2,175,000 to Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy

Funding will support the acquisition of approximately 20,000 acres of the Bohart Ranch in El Paso County. In addition to the grant award, the GOCO board has committed a $3 million loan to Trust for Public Land (TPL) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to support the project. The property contains significant natural resources, wildlife habitat, and an agricultural operation. The project marks the beginning stages of a significant conservation effort involving TPL, TNC, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, and Palmer Land Conservancy, leveraging funds from the United States Department of Defense.

Heart of Heil Valley Acquisition, $1,500,000 to Boulder County

This GOCO grant will help Boulder County acquire 586 acres of land within the 5,143-acre Heil Valley Ranch open space. The property has served as a popular outdoor recreation destination for many years. It contains 19.1 miles of trails, which connect northward to the county's Hall Ranch open space—popular with mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians, and bird watchers. The property also has significant conservation values in a transitional zone between prairie grassland and montane habitat. The parcel is recognized for having critical wildlife habitat, rare plant areas, and significant natural communities, wetlands, and riparian areas.

Marble Outdoors Basecamp Acquisition, $1,000,000 to Aspen Valley Land Trust

Funding will support the acquisition of a 42-acre Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) parcel adjacent to the Chapin Wright property, which has also been supported with GOCO funding, in Marble. Efforts will enhance long-term protection of critical wildlife species within the Crystal River Potential Conservation Area—a designation made by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program for unique ecosystems that add to Colorado’s biological diversity. Key species on the property include elk, moose, black bears, snowshoe hares, bobcats, and potentially Canada lynx. Founded in 1962, the COBS property also represents the first Outward Bound campus in the United States and a legacy of outdoor education.

Higher Ground Ranch Conservation Easement, $425,000 to Trust for Public Land

The grant will help permanently protect the 3,327-acre Higher Ground Ranch with a conservation easement. The property contains critical wildlife habitat, with winter range and migration corridors, and connects to more than 3.7 million acres of protected federal land. The effort protects the headwaters of Doug and Clear Fork Creeks, over 14 miles of stream, and 28 springs that contribute to critical water supply to the Gunnison River system, including Crawford and Gould Reservoirs. The effort is also supported by funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Gunnison Legacy Fund, and the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program.

High Line Canal Conservation Easement, $350,000 to High Line Canal Conservancy

Funding will support the High Line Canal Conservancy’s work to permanently protect the High Line Canal as a regional open space. This 71-mile, 860-acre corridor provides valuable recreation access for the Denver-metro region, winding through some of its most diverse communities and connecting neighbors to schools, community centers, and over 8,000 acres of parks and open spaces. The Canal spans communities in Denver, Douglas, Adams, and Arapahoe Counties, passing through a variety of Front Range ecosystems along the way.

Stewardship Impact

GOCO’s Stewardship Impact program supports collaborative stewardship work that demonstrates meaningful improvements to ecological and recreational amenities. Projects include:

Stewardship Impact through Community Engagement in Loveland, $170,250 to the City of Loveland

Funding will help the City of Loveland partner with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) and Big Thompson Watershed Coalition to engage the Loveland community in stewardship of the city's increasingly stressed public lands. The effort aims to create a sustained stewardship model for Loveland's future, leveraging partnerships with local organizations, training and education opportunities, and outdoor projects. Through partnerships established in Loveland’s Project Outdoors plan, also supported with GOCO funding, WRV will host bilingual stewardship activities and leadership training to engage with local youth and families.

Planning and Capacity

GOCO’s Planning and Capacity program invests in projects that address opportunities, explore issues, engage communities, and examine trends in the outdoors. Projects include:

Ute Mountain Ute Recreation Master Plan, $150,000 to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

The grant will support planning efforts aimed at improving recreation infrastructure in and around the community of Towaoc to promote the well-being and fitness of all residents. Efforts will assess existing outdoor recreation facilities and identify opportunities for future outdoor amenities. The Ute Mountain Ute Recreation Department will lead the initiative with support from members of the Kwiyagat Community Academy and the Ute Mountain Ute Planning and Economic Development Department. Funding will also support a part-time tribal liaison position and three community connectors, all individuals who live or work in the community.

Director’s Innovation Fund Grants

Weld County Housing Navigation Center Guest Fishing Access, $23,000 GOCO grant to CPW

This GOCO grant to CPW, in partnership with United Way of Weld County and its Housing Navigation Center, will help provide fishing access to individuals either experiencing or at-risk for homelessness. The Housing Navigation Center helps its guests get back into and keep housing. Funding from this unique effort will cover the cost of annual fishing licenses and fishing gear as well as programming through CPW’s Angler Education Program for 300 Weld County residents over the next three years.

Eldorado Canyon State Park Timed Entry Accessibility and the Latinx Community, $32,500 GOCO grant to CPW

This GOCO grant will support Eldorado Canyon State Park staff in examining whether a timed-entry vehicle registration system at the park is a barrier to access for the Latinx community and determine what education marketing and outreach strategies might improve access. Park staff will hire a marketing consultant to conduct a product testing listening session with Latinx community stakeholders and develop inclusive branding for timed-entry. During an initial timed-entry pilot period, staff observed a noticeable reduction in use of the picnic area, which was identified in the park’s visitor use management plan as a key recreation area for BIPOC communities.

Wintering Wildlife Conservation Initiative, $32,500 GOCO grant to CPW

This grant is for the Wintering Wildlife Conservation Initiative, a statewide, collaborative project intended to design and test educational materials to educate winter recreationists about the biological challenges wildlife face and what they can do to protect and minimize their impacts on wildlife in winter. Funding for this project will support research, messaging design, partner engagement, website creation, and the development and implementation of a multi-language outreach plan to engage outdoor recreation stakeholders and partners across Colorado.

Ridgway State Park / SW Region Camping Gear, $10,500 GOCO grant to CPW

With this GOCO grant, Ridgway State Park staff will purchase and loan out camping gear so that more kids, families, underserved populations, and people with disabilities can enjoy the park and its outdoor spaces and amenities. New gear will include tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, coolers, camp stoves, lanterns, camp tables, camp chairs, flashlights, and storage containers. Two larger tents, two camp cots, and headlamps will be purchased for individuals with disabilities. Funding covers enough camping equipment for approximately 24 people. The new program will help established park partners host overnight camping trips and provide gear needed for their success.

AHRA - Vallie Bridge - ADA Improvements Project, $22,500 GOCO grant to CPW

CPW will leverage this GOCO grant to add Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant improvements to Vallie Bridge within the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA). The project will bring current facilities into compliance with ADA standards and add a fishing pier to improve access to recreation programming available at the site. It builds on work initiated with DIF funding in 2022 when a consulting firm evaluated six recreation sites along the 152-mile Arkansas River corridor for accessibility. The consultants identified a list of physical barriers and assessed the feasibility of adding ADA-compliant elements like boat ramps, fishing areas, and wildlife viewing and birding areas. The AHRA is one of the nation's most popular whitewater rafting and kayaking locations and is home to a world-class fishery.

Educational Resources for Bat and Other Interpretation Programs, $8,500 GOCO grant to CPW

The GOCO grant will help state parks purchase technology supporting new self-guided and bat-focused programs, including existing programs like Agents of Discovery, an augmented reality platform that delivers educational content customized by CPW. Funding will support the purchase of 40 tablets and 20 Echo Meter Touch bat monitors and protective casings available for public use at 20 parks throughout the state. The bat monitors are portable detectors that attach to a smartphone or tablet, allowing users to hear, identify, and record nearby bats. By providing tablets for check-out, visitors can access interactive educational content without a smartphone or Wi-Fi connection, providing yet another way to engage with nature at Colorado’s state parks.

State Forest State Park Dark Skies Project and Education Program, $9,000 GOCO grant to CPW

This GOCO grant will help State Forest State Park achieve International Dark Sky Place certification and purchase equipment to help visitors engage with the beauty of the day and night sky. Dark Sky certification was created in 2001 by the International Dark-Sky Association to encourage parks and communities around the world to preserve and protect dark skies through responsible lighting policies and education. Designation requires meeting specific standards and takes, on average, 1-3 years. The park, which is the largest in the state park system at 70,838 acres, has completed approximately 80% of the required work to date.

Thermal Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Area 6, $11,500 GOCO grant to CPW

With this grant, CPW will deploy a drone to better manage wildlife and protect natural resources in the northwest region of the state. Staff will use the drone’s standard and zooming thermal cameras to conduct projects at State Wildlife Areas, conduct flights for wildlife management purposes and natural resource protection, and assist officers with law enforcement cases and local search and rescue. CPW’s use of dynamic tools and technology allows staff to perform the functions of their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

Transaction Cost Assistance Program Grants through Keep It Colorado

Theos Family Ranches, $45,000 to Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT)

CCALT is partnering with Theos Family Ranches to permanently conserve 3,426 acres of land east of Meeker that shares miles of boundary with federal land. The property features diverse, high-quality habitat, ranging from dryland pastures at 6,600 feet in elevation to mountainous terrain at nearly 8,900 feet in elevation. The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient and Connected Network analysis indicates that the property has both significant biodiversity and climate resilience. Conservation of this property secures critical habitat for golden eagle, cutthroat trout, and greater sage grouse, among other important species. Maintaining this multigenerational sheep operation as open ranchland also protects the scenic character and agricultural heritage of the region.

Verhoeff Family Farm and Ranch, $45,000 to Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust

This grant to CCALT will help conserve the Verhoeff Family Farm and Ranch adjacent to John Martin Reservoir State Park in Southeast Colorado’s shortgrass prairie. The Verhoeff property consists of 5,344 acres of farm and ranchland. The agricultural operation is very productive with over 1,700 irrigated acres of crops and pasture, with the remaining grasslands used for grazing. The conservation easement will encumber the land and water rights to ensure that the farm can remain a working agricultural operation in this rural community. The Verhoeffs are passionate conservationists who steward more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, two reservoirs, and 3.5 miles of the Arkansas River. The family has observed over 300 species of birds in this resilient and biodiverse habitat. The property’s riparian habitat and grasslands possess an outsized importance for an abundance of wildlife species on a local as well as regional scale.

Chris and Carol Kester Ranch, $35,000 to Colorado Open Lands

This GOCO grant through Keep It Colorado supports Colorado Open Lands with a project to conserve Chris and Carol Kester Ranch, a multigenerational working ranch. Chris and Carol Kester Ranch is 85% irrigated, supplied by both senior surface water rights and groundwater. The ranch owners, who are in the process of transitioning much of the ranch management to their daughter, have stewarded the ranch land and its water to support important wetlands and habitat for sandhill cranes and other wildlife. Leveraging both the conservation easement tax credit and Natural Resources Conservation Service funding, the project will not only protect 1,471 acres of productive agricultural lands and wetland habitat, but also guarantees that water supporting both economic and ecological functions will remain in the San Luis Valley. Its protection provides connectivity from the 172,000-acre conserved Trinchera Ranch in the upper watershed across the valley floor to the mainstem of the Rio Grande.

Avant Vineyards, $45,000 to Colorado West Land Trust (CWLT)

This grant to CWLT will help protect a portion of Avant Vineyards near Palisade. Avant Vineyards lies amid one of Colorado’s most productive agricultural landscapes, situated along the Colorado River on East Orchard Mesa near Palisade. The property contributes to this rich agricultural bounty with nearly 15 acres of fruit production, including both grapes and peaches. Avant Vineyards encompasses 71.6 acres with 31.4 acres already protected with a conservation easement held by CWLT. New funding will support an easement on the remaining 40.2 acres. The project will protect 27 acres of lowland riparian habitat below the mesa along the Colorado River that boasts “outstanding biodiversity significance” as designated by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, along with roughly nine acres of productive vineyards. This critical habitat is home to many important species, from the globally imperiled Rio Grande cottonwood and skunkbush riparian forest to wetlands and backwaters along the Colorado River.

Ivins Ranch, $45,000 to Montezuma Land Conservancy (MLC)

This grant to MLC will support the permanent protection of the 3,054-acre Ivins Ranch in Dolores County. Ivins Ranch is surrounded by public lands, with McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area to the west and Lone Cone State Wildlife Area to the east. Without this timely conservation effort, this multigenerational working cattle ranch would otherwise be susceptible to development pressure as other nearby properties have been subdivided. Conservation of this property protects corridors for wildlife migration along with quality habitat such as elk calving ground, elk winter range, and two seasonal streams. This is particularly important as Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff have observed steady declines in local elk herds over the last few years from human impacts and climate change. Conserving this landscape simultaneously supports the future for wildlife and working lands.

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,600 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.