Lobatos Bridge project left out of funding round

DENVER — The San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO) received a $137,314 grant for trail maintenance as part of the San Luis Valley Open Spaces Trail Stewardship program. The grant was approved by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)  Commission and was one of 29 trail projects to receive funding. The Great Outdoors Action Team (GOATs) crew, in collaboration with other agencies, plans to maintain approximately 30 miles of trails on public lands. The work will include clearing felled trees, restoring trail braiding and widening, building boardwalk structures to help with flooding, and protecting old-growth cottonwood habitat.

In a statement to the Valley Courier, Mick Daniel of SLV GO said, "This grant is a trail maintenance grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Recreational Trails program. This is a trial run of what they are calling the Good Stewardship Program which will allow organizations like SLV GO to provide trail maintenance across multiple jurisdictions. We are super excited to be in the first round of this opportunity and it will provide us a chance to touch up many of the projects we have worked on over the last six years. The Great Outdoors Action Team (aka the GOATs) will work in collaboration with the City of Alamosa, Costilla County, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service. The work will include trail maintenance, tree clearing, and some new boardwalk structures on the the City of Alamosa trail system." According to CPW documents, SLV GO will receive a grant of $137,314 of the estimated $174,440 cost of the project.

The grants are made as part of the Non Motorized Trails program that provides funding for trail construction, maintenance, and planning. The program is a multi-agency partnership that includes CPW, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, the federal Recreational Trails Program, and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund which is administered by the National Park Service.

The Lobatos Bridge recreational and educational project did not receive funding, "GOCO turned us down for the first application but wants us to apply again in July, so we're 9 months delayed on any possible GOCO funding.

"Great news is that so far in 2024, we've received donations from Occidental and Trinchera Blanca Foundation.  We're now at 30% raised to date, which also qualifies us for other grants.  Just this am, we submitted a grant to another Foundation that's been looking for a project in Conejos County so that's exciting.  And, we're working on other grant funding opportunities with deadlines before our 2nd submission to GOCO is even due," according to Lori McCullough with the Great Outdoors Fund in a statement to the Valley Courier."

The Lobatos Bridge Recreation and Interpretive Education site has raised $202,927 of the needed $669,650. The project includes the goals of providing educational signs to detail the cultural and natural history of the area near the bridge, and increase recreational opportunities such as a boat ramp.

"Colorado's hiking trails are a major way we experience and enjoy our great outdoors. Whether it's hiking through your favorite state park, exploring a new corner of our state, or taking a walk with family and friends, we are now helping more people get outside and have healthy fun by expanding trails and increasing access to them across Colorado," said Governor Jared Polis.

There were a total of 29 Outdoor Recreational Grants funded this year totaling $7,918,274. According to Travis Duncan with CPW, of this, $5,478,274 came from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), $1,500,000 from Great Outdoors Colorado, and $939,276 from the Colorado Non-Motorized and Diversified Recreational Trails Program. The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established by Congress in 1964 and is funded through federal offshore oil and gas leases. In 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act fully and permanently funded the program.

Statewide Trails Program Manager Fletcher Jacobs highlighted the Colorado Recreational Trails Committee's wildlife review process which emphasizes the importance of balancing wildlife and habitat needs with recreation needs in Colorado. 

 "We're excited to announce these Non-Motorized Trail and Land and Water Conservation Grants that will empower local agencies to create and maintain accessible trails while prioritizing wildlife conservation," said CPW Director Jeff Davis. "Our agency is tasked with providing wildlife management and world-class outdoor recreation opportunities. To deliver on this mission, we recognize that recreation and conservation goals can often support each other, and that funding partnerships with other organizations and agencies across the state are critical to accomplish those goals. These projects will connect Coloradans and our visitors to the outdoors with new and improved opportunities to get outside."

CPW is excited to also launch a new Trail Stewardship pilot program with additional support from Great Outdoors Colorado. This program provides funding specifically to support trail stewardship crews hired by land managers and non-profits who focus on maintenance work throughout Colorado. The State Trails Program will utilize $500,000 in funding from Great Outdoors Colorado to start this pilot based on the "Good Management" concept, which the OHV Program has operated successfully for trail maintenance and resource protection.

"As we continue to see increased use and natural disasters impact our outdoor spaces, we are fortunate to partner with Great Outdoors Colorado to launch a new opportunity to fund stewardship crews who are caring for trails across the state," said Jacobs. "These increased 'boots on the ground' trail crews will help support the Governor's Wildly Important Goals [WIG program] to balance conservation and recreation by increasing the number of trail crew hours funded by the State Trails Program."