The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board awarded $5.4 million in grants to 38 projects across the state, including $700,000 for two eastern Colorado projects. Communities from across Colorado competed for funding in a grant round where requests were triple of what was available.

The majority of the funding, totaling a little more than $4 million, was awarded through GOCO’s Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) and Mini grant programs. These grants assist local governments with acquiring land for a potential park, developing and enhancing existing parks, updating park facilities, and constructing outdoor learning environments.

GOCO also awarded $520,888 in planning grants to help local governments execute a wide range of outdoor recreation planning efforts, including site-specific plans, department master plans, and strategic plans. Planning grants also help local governments gather public input and evaluate conditions to meet the outdoor recreation needs of Colorado communities.

Nearly $832,000 in additional funding was awarded from the School Yard Initiative (SYI), which help schools that partner with their local governments build engaging outdoor spaces for students to learn and play. All school yards must be designed, in part, by students, and funded schools are eligible to become part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Schools and Outdoor Learning Environment (SOLE) program.

In total, the grants will:

• Fund 38 projects in 24 counties.
• Impact 19 rural or underserved communities.
• Leverage more than $11 million in local matching funds.
• Build or upgrade 21 local parks or outdoor recreation facilities, including 3 fairgrounds.
• Build or upgrade 8 school yards and outdoor classrooms, impacting 3,734 students.
• Acquire 2.2 acres of land for public use.

Two counties on the eastern plains were benefactors of the Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) & Mini Grants

Baca County Fairgrounds Renovation Project, $350,000 grant to Baca County

Baca County will make needed improvements to its fairgrounds with the help of GOCO funding. Decades of exposure to the elements has rusted many of the fences and livestock pens, and drainage flows directly into the arena and grandstand. Wire shortages have caused blackouts in the arena. Baca County will address the critical drainage issues, replace arena materials, make improvements to fencing and lighting, and construct a new multi-use building to include participant dressing rooms, showers, and bathrooms. ADA accessibility will also be incorporated into the designs.

Yuma County Fairgrounds Upgrades, $350,000 grant to Yuma County

GOCO funds will help Yuma County make improvements to its fairgrounds. The livestock building has not been updated in several years and is in need of repairs. The new construction will include a pre-engineered metal building to increase the current building envelope by 12,500 square feet. The livestock building will be open-air on one side and will include a relocated, larger animal wash area with proper drainage. Additional improvements include larger, ADA-compliant restrooms with showers. Renovations to the livestock building will better equip the facility to host various events throughout the year, including the Yuma County Fair, and will allow for a better user experience for 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and community members.