Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Funding Program
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) are collaborating to fund new and existing coalitions to join a statewide initiative working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing for equitable and quality outdoor recreation experiences.
See a map and read stories from the outdoor partnerships at the Regional Partnerships Initiative Story Map
NEW! 2023 Regional Partnerships Initiative Annual Report
NEW! Spring 2024 Grant Cycle
The spring application period opens on February 29th and closes on April 30th.
Spring Cycle Application Timeline:
- February 29th: Application Period Open
- March 22nd, 10-11:00 AM: Informational Q&A Webinar. Register here.
- April 5th: Letter of Interest Deadline
- April 30th: Application Deadline
- May 2024: CPW & CO-OP Scoring Committee Review
- June 2024: Applicant Presentations
- June 2024: Awards Announced
Interested applicants are encouraged to review the grant guidelines and then contact Morgan Anderson, Regional Partnership Program Manager, to discuss details.
About the Regional Partnership Initiative
The Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) is a network of regionally based coalitions known as “Outdoor Regional Partnerships” bringing together broad interests to advance conservation and outdoor recreation priorities for their area. Collectively, Regional Partnerships learn from and elevate community-level perspectives, values, and priorities to inform planning and projects across the state. As of early 2024, 18 Regional Partnerships have received funding, covering about 70% of Colorado. With future grant cycles, this initiative hopes to grow membership with coalitions covering the entire state.
Fall 2023 Grant Awards
CPW is excited to announce the following grant recipients for the Regional Partnerships Initiative fall grant cycle.
Eastern Grasslands Coalition ($76,000)
This new Regional Partnership encompasses Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, and Lincoln counties with the potential to expand across the central-eastern plains. With this grant funding, the Eastern Grasslands Coalition will hire a coordinator to bring stakeholders and partners together from across the region and lay the foundation for a strong lasting partnership. Together, community representatives from broad outdoor interests will explore conservation and recreation opportunities in tandem with community needs, economic resiliency, and cultural heritage.
NoCo Places ($150,000)
Representing eight county, state, and federal public land agencies and nonprofit partners across Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Larimer counties, NoCo Places has been a part of the Regional Partnership Initiative since 2021. This grant award supports messaging campaigns, staffing needs, and the finalization of a conservation and recreation vision for this highly populated region that is home to some of Colorado’s most popular outdoor recreation destinations, including Rocky Mountain National Park.
Outside 285 ($100,000)
Outside 285 is a collaboration of public land management agencies, wildlife advocates, and recreation use groups working together to develop shared solutions for public land planning in the US 285 corridor southwest of Denver. After joining the Regional Partnerships Initiative in 2022, Outside 285 expanded its region to include all of Park County. Continued funding will support coalition capacity, communications, planning tools, and strategies to enhance the outstanding outdoor recreation experiences offered by the region’s numerous peaks and miles of trails and rivers while conserving wildlife and other natural resources.
Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition ($100,000)
New to the Regional Partnership Initiative, the Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition builds on the collaborative efforts to create Fishers Peak State Park. Grant funding will support coalition building and further collaboration across Huerfano and Las Animas counties to plan for and support conservation and outdoor recreation.
Summit County Outdoor Coalition ($99,930)
The Summit County Outdoor Coalition, first funded in early 2023, convenes broad interests in conservation, recreation, and local, state, and federal land management. Grant funding will support strengthening the coalition’s foundation along with community engagement and landscape condition mapping to inform a vision for growing sustainable and inclusive recreation, protecting critical wildlife habitat, and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
Questions on the Regional Partnerships Initiative:
Jody Kennedy
Regional Partnership Program Manager
jody.kennedy@state.co.us
Governor Jared Polis signs Executive Order creating the Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative.
The executive order tasks the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to work with the Colorado Outdoor Partnership (CO-OP) to identify, create and formalize local and regional collaboratives, as Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships. Together DNR, CPW and the CO-OP will develop a state-level vision for the sustainable management of Colorado’s lands, waters, wildlife and outdoor recreation. The Regional Partnerships will identify projects and create local and regional priorities for balancing recreation and conservation to inform a
Statewide Conservation and Recreation Plan.
Visit the
Colorado Outdoor Partnership to learn more about this initiative.
