DENVER and ALAMOSA — Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) announced Tuesday, July 11, the fourth round of funding recipients of the Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative. Included in the funding is San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) which will receive $250,000.
"SLV GO!, Is excited to continue in our role as a regional partner with CPW for the San Luis Valley. Our work has expanded from an organization that was solely focused on recreation to learning how to best balance the conservation needs that coincide with increased recreation. We work with more than 40 partners throughout the San Luis Valley and are grateful for their support for this work and we want to welcome new partners to the table," according to Mick Daniel executive director of SLV GO! in a statement to the Valley Courier.
SLV GO! coalition was originally formed in 2013 as a coalition by a group of citizens, educators, and community leaders who recognized the tremendous opportunity to enhance recreational experiences, improve wellness, and connect the communities across the six-county region of the San Luis Valley. Today, SLV GO! has three full-time staff members and a growing list of more than 140 volunteers. The organization gained 501(c)(3) status in April of 2018.
The coalition works within all six counties of the San Luis Valley: Costilla, Conejos, Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache. Funding will help this coalition develop and implement a regional Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Plan by supporting community outreach, research pathways, and data analysis.
Esteban Salazar, health and wellness coordinator with SLV GO!, is currently working to provide free weekly mountain bike rides on Tuesday evenings near Alamosa and Wednesday evenings near Monte Vista and Del Norte.
The weekly rides are offered through August and twice a month in September. Last week, the Alamosa ride was a gentle one, on the Toivo Malm Trails. The Monte Vista rides, such as the Stone Quarry trails near Monte Vista, are more physically demanding and for riders with some mountain biking experience, said Salazar. All of the rides are geared to the general riding public.
The mtnbikeproject.com offers this this about Stone Quarry, "It has some really awesome topography...views of the Sangre de Cristo Range abound." And this, "Be rattlesnake-aware at all times."
Throughout the state, this grant supports coalitions that bring broad interests together to ensure that Colorado’s lands and waters thrive to sustain healthy wildlife and treasured outdoor recreation opportunities. With the Regional Partnership Initiative, conservation and outdoor recreation interests, land managers and local government are working together to tackle challenges and advance opportunities for innovative approaches for stewarding Colorado’s outdoors.
This grant opportunity is the result of an Executive Order signed by Gov. Polis creating the Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative. This effort charts a long-term, equitable, and sustainable vision for the future of Colorado’s outdoors that is driven by bottom-up community planning.
“Colorado’s world-class outdoors is home to unique wildlife, natural resources, and exciting recreation opportunities. Through the Regional Partnerships Initiative, we are working across sectors and levels of government to expand and support conservation efforts to ensure our outdoors are preserved for the future. I am grateful to the 16 regional partnership grant recipients working to advance this goal and protect the outdoors," said Polis.
“The Regional Partnerships Initiative is a critical piece in Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s efforts to help build regional support for balancing recreation and conservation in Colorado. When organizations and individuals work together on behalf of public and private lands and waters, it ensures communities are healthy, livable and prosperous for future generations,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis.
Governor Polis and CPW launched this initiative in 2020 with funding support from GOCO. This grant cycle doubles the amount of money invested in Outdoor Regional Partnerships to $3 million with another round of grant funding opening in the fall of 2023. In addition to the $250,000 for SLV GO!, this funding cycle includes over $1.2 million in grants to other outdoor organizations in Colorado.
For more information, visit www.slvgo.com.
