Among Projects Winning Lottery Grants

DENVER―The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board awarded $6.2 million in lottery grants to 45 projects across the state at its meeting in Fort Morgan earlier today. Projects funded will help purchase land in a low-income Denver neighborhood to be used for environmental education; protect 6,720 acres of open space in perpetuity; renovate existing parks; allow planning for future outdoor recreation projects; and create youth corps jobs at no cost to taxpayers.

Demand for GOCO funding continues to dramatically outpace available dollars: GOCO received 116 eligible applications requesting nearly $19 million in its fall 2012 grant cycle. Funded projects include:

Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) Land Acquisition―$350,000 GOCO grant―The City and County of Denver, in partnership with ELK and The Trust for Public Land, will purchase 5.5 acres of land in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood on which an environmental education center will be constructed. The rest of the site will be restored to its natural ecological state and also used for environmental education.

Chapman Ranch Headquarters Conservation Easement―$650,000 GOCO grant―The Palmer Land Trust will purchase a conservation easement protecting 1,056 acres of the 4,000-acre Chapman Ranch located south of Cripple Creek in Teller and Fremont counties. Conserving the property―a large inholding surrounded by Bureau of Land Management lands―will preserve scenic views along the Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway; protect important habitat for bighorn sheep and various fish species; and help sustain one the of the region’s largest agricultural operations.

Fruita Bike Park, Phase 2―$244,100 GOCO grant―The City of Fruita will further develop its bike park by adding picnic pavilions, a natural landscape playground, a xeric demonstration garden, and walking paths. The project will add recreational opportunities for a part of the city with limited access to them.

San Luis Valley Trails and Recreation Master Plan―$75,000 GOCO grant―Working in partnership, Rio Grande and Alamosa counties will coordinate a regional planning effort to create a new trails and and recreation master plan for the entire San Luis Valley. The plan will coordinate current trail and outdoor recreation efforts, and develop a broad-based plan featuring valley-wide public input.

River’s Edge Natural Area Enhancement―$18,715 GOCO grant―The Larimer County Youth Conservation Corps will assist the City of Loveland in developing the 155-acre River’s Edge Natural Area for public access by helping to construct new fencing that protects sensitive riparian areas from user traffic. The grant is part of GOCO’s second Youth Corps initiative, which is funding $500,000 worth of projects by local governments and land trusts that use youth corps to complete projects.

GOCO is the result of an initiative passed by the voters in 1992. As the recipient of approximately half of Colorado Lottery proceeds―$57 million in Fiscal Year 2012―GOCO awards grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. Since 1994, nearly 3,500 projects in all 64 counties have benefited from GOCO funding.

Download the PDF for a full list of the grant awards.