(The Center Square) - The Outdoor Recreation Division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department recently awarded 12 outdoor trails and infrastructure grants to as part of its Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant initiative.

The 12 recipients will receive $1.75 million, as other organizations will bring in $2.53 million in matching funds, EDD announced.

About 70 percent of the projects are based in rural and Tribal areas. The grant awards range from $35,773 to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition to $500,000 going to the City of Farmington.

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“The Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant invests in conservation-minded shovel-ready projects that are open to the public, increase access to outdoor opportunities, and demonstrate a clear economic benefit to the community through improved quality of life, better public health outcomes, and/or increased eco-tourism,” Acting EDD Cabinet Secretary Jon Clark said. “Many of these initiatives also leverage federal dollars – and that creates jobs and grows New Mexico’s economy.”

There are two different tiers for projects eligible for these Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant awards. Local grants can receive up to $99,999 in grant funding, while regional projects can get up to $500,000.

Three out of the 12 projects awarded in this round of funding were regional plans in Bernalillo, San Juan, and Sierra Counties. The local projects included facility improvements, accessible trail reconstruction, signage, river park implementations, habitat restoration planning, trail connectivity, and more.

“The Friends of Valle de Oro are so excited about this new connection that will provide community members an additional way to access to the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and visitors better access to the Albuquerque Open Space lands in the bosque,” Katie Dix, Executive Director, Friends of Valle de Oro, said. "We are thrilled to be able to increase accessibility and the educational and recreational opportunities tied to the Bosque and the Rio Grande.”

Multiple committee members reviewed each application, and regional grant applicants had to present their projects to a review team. That team featured Holly Kelley from the Tourism Department, Desi Ortiz of New Mexico Game and Fish, Hannah Schlechter of the Bureau of Reclamation, and Maria Trevino from the National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program.

The state has made $5.8 million available for Outdoor Recreation Trails+ projects this fiscal year. It has over 100 pending application drafts for these grants.

The deadline to submit applications for these grants is January 31, 2024.