GOCO Awards $7.9 Million in Grants to Support Colorado Outdoors Projects

Description: On March 14, 2025 Great Outdoors Colorado Announced the Recipients of Grant Funds Totaling Nearly $8 Million...

GOCO Awards $7.9 Million in Grants to Support Colorado Projects

Greetings from Fort Collins! Today, the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board awarded $7,942,316 in grants supporting Colorado’s outdoors, wildlife, and people.

Created by Colorado voters in 1992, GOCO invests up to half of Colorado Lottery proceeds in partner-led conservation and recreation projects across the state. Today’s grants were awarded through a competitive process. Eligible organizations participated in an application process guided by GOCO regional program officers and succeeded in earning funding for their projects. 

Investments were made through GOCO’s base programs: Community Impact, Land Acquisition, Planning and Capacity, and Stewardship Impact. Partners are building and revitalizing parks and recreation areas in Arvada, Colorado City, Evergreen, Fraser, Grand Junction, and Longmont; making big plans for future outdoor recreation and river conservation; collaborating to care for critical natural resources and wildlife and more. 

In addition, the GOCO board approved Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s annual investment proposal, outlining how it will use $28.4 million in GOCO funding to support everything from state park amenities and infrastructure to wildlife conservation and education programs. 

Read on for information on all grant awards. Congratulations, partners and Colorado!

Community Impact 

This 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.

Gold Strike Park, $750,000 to the City of Arvada 
The City of Arvada will re-develop a 7.6-acre park located at the confluence of Ralston and Clear Creeks. The project aims to create an inclusive green space that promotes environmental stewardship and enhances public health. Set in a historic location of the first documented discovery of gold in Colorado in 1850, it will feature a nature playground incorporating water play, a pedestrian bridge, a bouldering feature, an educational pavilion, plumbed restrooms, interpretive gardens, and a children's bicycle playground adjacent to the regional bike trail. It will also include themed walking loops highlighting Indigenous history, the gold rush, and the site's ecological significance. Construction will begin in 2025. 

Buchanan Park Improvements, $650,000 to Evergreen Park and Recreation District (EPRD)
EPRD will revitalize the 42-acre Buchanan Park to expand outdoor recreation access, especially for local youth, enhancing the Evergreen community’s quality of life. The park is conveniently located on the north side of town, adjacent to schools and commercial areas. Designed with community input, the GOCO grant will help fund a new park plaza for social gatherings, an adventure playground, a skatepark, and additional infrastructure. These upgrades will be complete by 2025-26. The project has earned extensive community support, including fundraising and donations from residents and organizations. 

Outdoor Facilities at Grand Junction’s First Community Recreation Center, $500,000 to the City of Grand Junction 
The City of Grand Junction will develop outdoor facilities at its first Community Recreation Center (CRC) at Matchett Park. Grand Junction is the largest city on Colorado’s Western slope, with a growing need for more recreational spaces, particularly in underserved areas near Clifton. The CRC will serve as a central gathering space, addressing community concerns about youth isolation and recreation access. Planned amenities include a synthetic turf field, a pavilion, and overflow parking. This project has earned support from various local organizations, schools, and healthcare providers. It’s expected to be completed in 2026. 

Greenhorn Meadows Park Renovation - Phase 3, $500,000 to the Colorado City Metro District 
Greenhorn Meadows Park is one of the few public recreation spaces in the region. Lacking ADA-compliant amenities, individuals with mobility challenges, parents with strollers, and older adults find the park difficult to navigate, often leaving them disconnected from social and recreational activities. GOCO funding will support the third and final phase of its renovation, helping to construct an ADA-compliant, multi-use sports field and an asphalt track. Once completed, the park is expected to become a central gathering space for community events, offering a safe and inclusive space where residents can gather, play, and connect. 

Fraser Bike Park, $389,000 to the Town of Fraser 
The Town of Fraser will build a bike park at the 120-acre Cozens Ranch Open Space near the Lions Ponds. It will feature asphalt pump tracks, multiple skills trails for youth, adaptive, beginner, and intermediate riders, progressive jump lines, and a central plaza with seating, shade, and natural play structures. It’s designed for riders of all skill levels, from young children on strider bikes to advanced riders, and will include multiple features for adaptive cyclists. The project is part of the Fraser River Corridor Master Plan and is meant to deliver free, accessible outdoor opportunities that promote healthy lifestyles, social interaction, and the local economy. Construction is expected to be complete by fall 2025. 

Resilient Together Project: Neighborhood Cooling and Community Building, $350,000 to the City of Longmont 
Like many cities across the country, Longmont is impacted by a warming climate. In urban areas, paved surfaces and other structures absorb and retain heat, contributing to higher temperatures and reduced air quality. Longmont’s Resilient Together Projects aims to provide shade and water features in the city’s most heat-impacted areas. GOCO funding will help construct a new splash pad at Kensington Park, which will be free to use and accessible to park visitors regardless of swimming ability or mobility challenges. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Land Acquisition 

This program supports urban and rural landscape, waterway, and habitat protection priorities and improves access to the outdoors.

Slate Creek Property Acquisition, $1,440,076 to the City of Steamboat Springs 
Funding will help the City of Steamboat Springs acquire 181 acres along Slate Creek. The property contains important habitats, including sagebrush shrublands, oak brush hillsides, aspen groves, conifer forests, lush meadows, and riverbank areas. A portion of the property will be developed into a regional park and recreation area with playgrounds, soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas, and trails, providing much-needed green space in an underserved area. A conservation easement held by Colorado Open Lands will permanently protect 131 acres, with the remaining 50 acres reserved for the recreation area. The easement is expected to close by December 2026. 

Little Thompson River Corridor, $1,113,000 to the Town of Berthoud 
The Town of Berthoud and the land trust Colorado Open Lands will conserve two farms: the 105-acre Schaal Farm and another 35-acre farm west of County Rd 15A. The farms contain significant natural resources, wildlife habitat, agricultural land, and public recreation potential. Schaal Farm holds senior water rights to the Rockwell Ditch. The Little Thompson is the last river system on the Front Range without public access. Partners aim to preserve the farms’ rich conservation value while exploring management strategies to improve river health and opportunities for additional outdoor recreation for the region.

Planning and Capacity 

This program invests in projects that address opportunities, explore issues, engage communities, and examine trends in the outdoors.

Advancing Recreational Infrastructure in the San Luis Valley, $125,000 to the City of Monte Vista
The City of Monte Vista is partnering with San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) on five recreational infrastructure projects in the San Luis Valley (SLV). The projects aim to increase community access to outdoor recreation while benefiting the local economy. Funding will support SLV GO!'s community trails coordinator, who leads planning efforts, coordinates with stakeholders, and helps secure additional financial resources for planned recreation projects. In addition to enhancing recreation access and economic outcomes for SLV residents, partners aim to create a replicable model for future recreation and conservation efforts in rural communities. 

City of Fort Lupton Parks and Trails Master Plan, $140,000 to the City of Fort Lupton 
The City of Fort Lupton will develop a parks and trails master plan to guide future land acquisitions for parks, facility renovations, and the development of new recreation amenities, including potential recreation on the South Platte River. With a population projected to nearly double by 2042, the city aims to expand outdoor recreation access, especially for underserved Hispanic/Latino and low-income residents. The plan will also consider environmental sustainability like water conservation measures. The city’s parks and recreation department will lead planning in collaboration with consultants and advisory committees, including a youth advisory committee. Partners will lead an inclusive community engagement and feedback process to inform the plan.

Colorado Rivermap: Recreation, Stewardship, and Safety Across Colorado Rivers, $267,000 to Trout Unlimited 
Trout Unlimited and partners will develop a plan to enhance recreation, stewardship, and safety along Colorado’s major rivers. They aim to address pressing issues facing Colorado’s rivers, including overcrowded recreation sites, degraded ecosystems, and safety risks while supporting the sustainability of recreation, natural resources, and rural communities. They’ll form a technical team to uncover opportunities, host facilitated workshops to gather insight from across the state, and incorporate learnings from existing plans and models. The resulting plan will guide future investments and establish a coalition of organizations to steward this work into the future. 

Creating Resilience Through Land Access in Southwest Colorado, $299,712 to Montezuma Land Conservancy (MLC)
Originally developed by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT)’s Environmental Department, the Traditional Harvest Project addresses habitat loss and degradation on Tribal lands and increases Tribal access to culturally significant plants on ancestral homelands off the reservation in partnership with private landowners. Funding will help MLC hire a full-time cross-cultural programs coordinator to expand the program’s reach, supporting land access programs, site plans, and habitat restoration projects. Additionally, funding will support ongoing relationship building between MLC and the UMUT, community outreach, and statewide education efforts. 

Eastern Plains Youth Corps Pilot Year Two, $419,528 to Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC)
MHYC will expand its youth conservation corps program in Southeastern Colorado. Conservation corps help land managers enhance and maintain Colorado’s natural landscapes and resources while providing young people with hands-on project experience. Building on the success of a GOCO-supported pilot program in 2024, MHYC will recruit 8 to 10 new corps members, providing them with technical training, and engaging them in chainsaw work and fire mitigation projects at multiple sites. MHYC will also identify an organization that will take over program management while continuing to provide technical assistance and support.

In addition, a $100,000 Planning and Capacity grant was awarded to Trust for Public Land, with more information coming soon. 

Stewardship Impact 

This program supports collaborative stewardship work that demonstrates meaningful improvements to ecological and recreational amenities.

Collaborative Mountain Stewardship in the Mosquito Range, $300,000 to the Town of Alma & Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative 
Partners will expand MRHI’s stewardship program supporting the health of the Mosquito Range, a biodiversity hot spot in Park County. The area includes high peaks, unique geological formations, and wildlife habitats containing many rare plant species. It’s also an outdoor recreation destination, containing several mountains over 14,000 feet including Mount Lincoln, Mount Bross, Mount Democrat, and Mount Sherman. Funding will support key staff positions, including an executive director, a part-time program coordinator, seasonal stewardship crews, and a native and rare alpine plant team. It will also enable on-the-ground efforts including habitat restoration and rare plant monitoring. MRHI will develop a five-year business and financial plan to ensure the sustainability of its efforts. 

Grand Valley Stewardship Crew Expansion, $300,000 to Mesa County 
Mesa County will expand and sustain its Grand Valley Stewardship Crew. Launched in 2020, the crew has completed stewardship work supporting natural resources and outdoor recreation while supporting local partners facing staffing challenges and resource limitations. With this funding, the county will continue to develop a skilled, year-round crew to complete priority projects and provide crew members with professional development opportunities and pathways to careers in natural resource management. The crew serves various community partners working across private and public lands.

Sustaining Stewardship in the San Juan Mountains, $299,000 to La Plata County 
San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) will lead stewardship efforts across the six-county San Juan Mountains region in southwest Colorado. Funding will support SJMA's volunteer and paid stewardship program, which addresses growing maintenance needs due to increased visitation. Over two years, SMJA aims to remove 1,000 pounds of trash, maintain 2,000 miles of trails, distribute 2,000 waste management products, naturalize 100 campfire rings, and engage over 60,000 visitors in responsible recreation. The association will hire a program coordinator to expand volunteer recruitment, diversify projects, and strengthen local community partnerships. 

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