By Shannon Lukens.

A $500,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has been awarded to the Town of Hayden to build a skate and wheel park on the west end of town. There will also be a walking path, small playground, and bathrooms. It will be next to the new Prairie Run affordable housing project being built. Gorman and Company donated the property for the park. Construction starts in late July.

 

GOCO funds also awarded a $569,000 grant to help the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to permanently protect 1,643 acres of Wolf Mountain Ranch in Routt County with a conservation easement.

 

The press release from Great Outdoors Colorado has more details on both projects; June 21, 2024.

Routt County organizations net $1M in grants for conservation and recreation projects

Courtesy photos

DENVER–Today, the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board awarded a $569,000 grant to help the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and others, permanently protect 1,643 acres of Wolf Mountain Ranch with a conservation easement. In addition, a $500,000 grant will help the Town of Hayden build an inclusive skate and wheel park.

The first grant is GOCO’s Land Acquisition program, which supports urban and rural landscape, waterway, and habitat protection priorities and improves access to the outdoors.

Located near Steamboat Springs, Wolf Mountain Ranch is highly desirable for development, which would have a significant impact on wildlife. It contains habitat for a variety of Colorado species of greatest conservation need, including the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and greater sandhill crane. It provides winter and summer range and undisturbed migration corridors for elk and mule deer. It also contains over 320 acres and 4.75 miles of high priority stream habitat. In addition, it sits near conserved lands stewarded by RMEF and The Nature Conservancy and connects to over 1.1 million acres of National Forest land.

Wolf Mountain Ranch is an active cattle operation and provides unique public hunting opportunities through CPW’s Ranching for Wildlife Program. Partners will leverage an additional $3.5 million in match from CPW, a donation by the landowner through the Colorado conservation easement tax credit program, and other funding partners. The conservation easement is expected to close in 2025.

“As stewards of the land, it is incumbent today more than ever that we work together to conserve elk and mule deer winter range and migration corridors that are at risk of habitat fragmentation and conversion,” said Jenn Doherty, managing director of mission operations at Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “GOCO’s decision today continues a long partnership with RMEF and private landowners of doing just that, conserving vital habitat for the future of migrating wildlife.”

The second grant is part of GOCO’s Community Impact program, which 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.

The Town of Hayden seeks to enhance its community’s vitality and wellness by building an inclusive skate and wheel park for a diverse population of youth and riders across the community and Northwestern Colorado. It will be the first park amenity on the west end of Hayden, which includes a mobile home neighborhood and a new workforce housing development. Park features will support everything from skateboards to wheelchairs, and will include a walking path, small natural playground, bathrooms, and seating areas to support community gatherings. Construction will begin in 2024 and will be completed within two years.

 

“GOCO is making more than just an investment in a park in Hayden. Rather, they are investing in the advancement of community, health equity, inclusivity, placemaking, and economic diversification,” said Tegan Ebbert, community development director for the Town of Hayden. “The humble idea behind this project evolved into a space that will serve limitless community members and create a platform for meaningful connection and belonging. This project is an example of what can be accomplished when passionate community members advocate for their dreams.”

 

The project aligns with Hayden’s local Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Plan and Hayden Forward Master Plan developed to help transition the community’s economy away from coal and energy production. The design was informed by a robust, multi-year planning process supported by the Colorado Health Foundation and led by a grassroots coalition of community members seeking to forge cross-cultural and multi-generational connections across the region.

 

To date, GOCO has invested more than $61.2 million in Routt County and partnered to conserve 68,511 acres of land there. GOCO funding has supported the Spring Creek Bridge replacement, Stagecoach State Park Visitor Center, and Elkhead State Park campground development, among other projects.

 

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,700 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.