The Colorado State Recreational Trails Grant Program funds projects to continue to improve outdoor recreation opportunities, including trail construction, maintenance, planning, and support while protecting wildlife, habitat, and cultural resources.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023 Non-Motorized Trail and Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Cycles. These grant cycles are open now through Tuesday, October 4.
Non-Motorized Trail Grants
To continue our goal to improve trail recreation opportunities while protecting wildlife, habitat, and cultural resources, we are offering three categories for this year’s Non-Motorized Trails Cycle:
1. Construction: Maximum Award of $250,000
- New Trail or Trailhead Construction – New trail or trailhead construction, including the installation or creation of new facilities where none currently exist.
2. Maintenance: Maximum Award of $250,000
- Maintenance, Re-route or Reconstruction of Existing Trails – Enhancement or improvement of a current trail to address resource damage or visitor safety concerns.
- Enhancements or Upgrades to Existing Trailheads – Improvement of current trailhead facilities
3. Planning/Support: Maximum Award of $45,000
- Planning – Trail layout, design, engineering, feasibility studies, inventory, use studies, and analysis of existing and proposed trails.
- Support – Building and enhancement of volunteer organizations, increasing volunteer capacity, and implementing trail training and education.
While funding is available for all four categories, the program is placing an emphasis on maintenance projects for the 2023 cycle to address the increased need to repair and improve existing trails in the state.
Applicants may submit two applications for a State Trails grant: one can be in either the Construction or Maintenance category and another in the Planning or Support category.
Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant cycle has a separate grant application for projects to acquire, develop, and maintain public lands for outdoor recreation to improve quality of life and the health and vitality of present and future generations. LWCF requires 100% matching funds and can only be awarded to local, state, or tribal governments. The maximum request for this year's cycle is $1,250,000 and the minimum request is $100,000. Please visit our website to learn more about the
LWCF program.
In addition to information found on the website, we will also be hosting two webinars to discuss application requirements and answer commonly asked questions for both funding opportunities.
To register for a webinar, click on a link below:
August 11, 2022 at 11 a.m.
August 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.
Wildlife Review Process
To help address potential wildlife impacts in their applications, all potential Non-Motorized or LWCF applicants must contact the corresponding Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager by Tuesday, September 6 to discuss their project. Please email a basic project scope and site map to both the appropriate Area Wildlife Manager (
AWM Contact Map) and
[email protected] by that date to be eligible for full application submission. Guidance on addressing wildlife impacts for trail projects can be found
here.
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Travis Duncan