Montelores Coalition receives $300,000 grant from GOCO & CPW
Montelores Coalition receives $300,000 grant from GOCO & CPW
19 awards totaling $9.9 million for Regional Partnerships Initiative funding recipients
In this report
- Montelores Coalition grant
- Rico 4 GOCO grants 1999 - 2024
- Dolores County GOCO 44 grants, 7 recipients
by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher
Montelores Coalition grant
Colorado Governor's Office
news release
- excerpts
Monday, December 15, 2025
DENVER — Today, Governor Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) announced 19 grant awards totaling $9,990,240 through the Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI). These investments support regional coalitions working together to advance outdoor recreation, conservation, and climate resilience goals aligned with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy.
In April 2025, CPW and GOCO committed $50 million to the RPI grant program over the next five years to support the Strategy’s on-the-ground implementation. These grant awards are the first of five annual implementation-focused award cycles to come.
Regional partnerships supported this round are leading significant efforts for Colorado’s diverse recreation opportunities, wildlife, natural resources, and agriculture. . . .
$300,000 to Montelores Coalition
The Montelores Coalition, covering Montezuma and Dolores counties, is working to sustain and grow its capacity and to finalize a regional recreation and conservation plan. The plan will guide efforts to provide high-quality outdoor recreation while also protecting healthy ecosystems, cultural heritage, wildlife, clean water, and scenic landscapes. It aims to balance new recreation opportunities with working agricultural lands and open spaces, safeguard important wildlife habitat and natural resources, and support economic development in the region. Funding will also launch a pilot conservation and recreation strike team focused on removing or modifying fencing, controlling noxious weeds, and maintaining trails and sites to improve wildlife habitat, visitor safety, and the overall experience on public lands.
. . .
Montelores Coalition is "a diverse coalition of residents, land managers, and community partners working together to balance sustainable outdoor recreation, conservation of natural and cultural resources, and economic opportunities in Montezuma and Dolores Counties," according its website. It presented a draft Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Plan at a Rico Town Hall public meeting December 2, 2025. The executive summary describes funding and purpose:
This plan was developed with grant funding and assistance from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Colorado Parks and Wildlife established the Regional Partnership Initiative and selected the Montelores Coalition to participate in the program along with the other regional partnerships covering the majority of the state. Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy says that Regional Partnership Initiatives “bring together broad interests to advance conservation and outdoor recreation priorities” and provide opportunities “to learn from and elevate community-level perspectives, values and priorities to inform planning and projects”.
The Montelores Coalition Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Plan is a result of a significant effort toward capturing the broad interests and community perspectives in Montezuma County and Dolores County. The goals and strategies in this plan came from people who live and work in Montezuma County and Dolores County. Although this plan is for the region, the Montelores Coalition plan topics align well with Colorado’s Outdoor Strategy ‘North Star’ Goals for the entire state.
. . .
The plan cites a 2024 Montezuma County Outdoor Recreation Use and Economic Impact Study estimate of 956,061 outdoor recreation visits in the county. Dolores County is not included, so the number of visits to Rico area campsites and trails is unknown.
Rico and Dolores County local governments, Colorado agencies and conservation groups have received 44 grants totaling $10.5 million for years 1996 - 2024. Details of Rico's grants and a summary of all Dolores County area recipients is below.
Rico 4 GOCO grants 1999 - 2024
order of details below
Fiscal Year
Grant Type
Project Name
Grant Amount
1999
Planning and Capacity
Dolores River Greenway and Trails Planning Grant
$23,060.25
2003
Mini-Grants
Town of Rico Jones Park Children's Playground
$15,000
2007
Mini-Grants
Rico Town Park Playing Field
$26,672.74
2024
Community Impact
The Rico Town Park and Outdoor Recreation Hub Project
$594,990
Total amount received
$659,722.99
Dolores County GOCO 44 grants, 7 recipients
Years
1996 - 2024
Total amount received
$10,560,167.46
Organizations
Town of Rico
Dolores County
Colorado State Parks
Montezuma Land Conservancy
Colorado Division of Wildlife
Town of Dove Creek
Keep It Colorado
Total amount received
$10,560,167.46
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