Willow Lake in Saguache County, Colorado.

Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative & Grant Program

The Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) advances regionally driven collaboratives working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water and wildlife thrive while also providing equitable access to quality outdoor recreation experiences. The Initiative convenes broad outdoor interests through Outdoor Regional Partnerships to develop regionally rooted visions and action plans that advance sustainable outdoor recreation and conservation priorities. Combined with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, a collaborative vision for conservation, climate resilience and sustainable recreation, Outdoor Regional Partnerships are informing future investments for Colorado’s outdoors.

Read the 2024 Regional Partnerships Initiative Annual Report and RPI StoryMap for features on Outdoor Regional Partnerships and their work convening broad outdoor interests in support of thriving people, landscapes and wildlife.

Great Sand Dunes National Park.

About the Grants

Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative Grant Program

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) offer grant funding to support and grow a network of Outdoor Regional Partnerships. For areas that do not have a partnership, these grants support collaborative efforts to establish a coalition that is committed to convening a broad range of outdoor interests to identify and advance conservation and sustainable recreation objectives. For areas with established Outdoor Regional Partnerships, grant funds support collaboration, public involvement, research, and planning that build on existing efforts. See the map of where there are existing Outdoor Regional Partnerships before considering applying.

Upon joining the Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative, new and existing coalitions are provided tools, resources, best practices, and connections to a statewide network of recreation and conservation leaders. Designated CPW staff support the growth and development of regional coalitions and provide information as needed.

Currently Closed: This grant application will open in the spring of 2025. Refer back to this page for further details.

total grants awarded

Regional conservation and recreation plans completed

$6.07

million funds awarded since 2021

total Regional Partnerships

79%

of Colorado covered by Regional Partnerships

REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE

Current Outdoor Regional Partnerships

Eagle County Community Wildlife Roundtable
Eastern Grassland Coalition
Central Colorado Outdoor Partnership
- Envision Recreation in Balance Partnership (Chaffee County)
- Gunnison Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (Gunnison County)
- Lake County Outdoor Alliance
Grand PLACES 2050
Metro Denver Nature Alliance (Metro DNA)
Montelores
NoCo Places
Northwest Colorado Outdoor Coalition
Ouray Regional Recreation and Conservation Alliance (ORRCA)
Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
Outside 285
Pagosa Area Recreation Coalition
Routt Recreation and Conservation Roundtable
Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition
San Luis Valley Great Outdoors
Southeast Colorado Recreation Outdoor Alliance Movement
Southwest Colorado Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition
Summit County Outdoor Coalition
West Slope Outdoors Alliance
Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors

Eligible Applicants

Colorado non-profit organizations and government entities that represent a coalition with a broad range of outdoor interests including conservation, outdoor recreation, working lands, underrepresented populations, and government interests OR demonstrate a commitment to building a coalition with these interests.
Representatives of new or existing coalitions in areas that do not have a Regional Partnership OR represent an existing Regional Partnership. Please see the RPI map to determine if your coalition is eligible.
Commitment to identifying community-driven conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation values, objectives and priorities while considering opportunities to inform Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, a collaborative vision for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable recreation.

Eligible grant funding opportunities include: development, coordination, and facilitation of a regional coalition, governance structure and charter development, regional conservation and recreation visioning and planning, recreation and conservation assessments, mapping, data collection and surveys, public outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts including traditionally underrepresented communities, webpage design, marketing and communications, and more.

RPI Map

Grant Deadlines

Key Topic	Date	Description
Applications Open	TBA	More information coming soon!

About the Outdoor Regional Partnerships

Learn more about Outdoor Regional Partnerships and related plans for conservation and recreation.

Annual Report

This report highlights the Regional Partnerships Initiative’s progress in 2024, including the ongoing CPW grant program and coalitions’ engagement to build a collective and community-driven vision for Colorado’s outdoors.

Download the Annual Report