DENVER -- Staff from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will  be visiting communities throughout the state to engage in discussions on Colorado the Beautiful and the 16 Trails in 2016 Project.

Gov. John Hickenlooper outlined the next steps for the Colorado the Beautiful Initiative in June 2015 at GOCO’s Outdoors Summit in Denver. He announced the state would build a comprehensive outdoor recreation map to include all trails, open spaces, parks and protected lands, with publication planned in 2016.

Gov. Hickenlooper also announced DNR, in coordination with GOCO, nonprofit organizations and state agencies, would identify 16 important trail gaps, missing trail segments and unbuilt trails across the state and elevate them to priority projects by 2016. The governor outlined efforts to encourage Coloradans, particularly children, teens and minority youth, to develop deeper connections with the natural environment that sets Colorado apart as a special place.

These public meetings will give Coloradans an opportunity to learn more about the Colorado the Beautiful initiative and offer input on the 16 Trails in 2016 Project.

GOCO also announced at June’s Outdoors Summit a new five-year strategic plan which includes a $25 million Inspire Initiative to encourage more Colorado children to get outdoors more often and develop lifelong appreciation for nature. Dozens of communities are presently competing to become pilots for the initiative and earn $1 million to $5 million grants to create or expand outdoor recreation sites and bolster youth programs.

The strategic plan also includes the new Connect Initiative, which will focus on connecting local and regional trails and create more access to parks and open spaces, and the Protect Initiative, which will aim to preserve more priority landscapes, waterways and urban open spaces around the state. For more information, visit goco.org/strategicplan.

Meeting Schedule 2015 (each meeting will last approximately 1 hour): 

A GOCO workshop on its local government grant programs will start two hours before each session in the same location. Details at goco.org/workshops.