GOCO Funding Saves Valuable Outdoor Recreation Amenities From Closure
Sometimes life should be a walk in the park. Or a swim in the pool. Or a day at the county fair. Just imagine life in your community if longstanding recreation amenities suddenly closed and disappeared. That was the nightmare scenario three communities faced when they applied last fall for grants from Great Outdoors Colorado, which awards a portion of Colorado Lottery revenues for parks, trails, open space and other outdoor recreation and wildlife projects. GOCO’s fall 2013 local government grant cycle was extremely competitive: GOCO received 72 local government grant applications requesting a total of $12.1 million, an amount that exceeded available funds by a more than 4 to 1 ratio. But when the GOCO Board awarded $2.8 million to 18 local government projects across Colorado, those three communities made the cut. All three projects were at risk of closure because of safety issues associated with deterioration. Ouray County received $350,000 in GOCO funding to replace their 70-year-old grandstands at the county fairgrounds in Ridgway. The county’s insurance provider and contract engineer both recommended the cracked
and crumbling grandstands be demolished due to hazardous structural damage. Attracting thousands of people each year for events and programming like rodeos, animal training clinics and concerts, the fairgrounds are a major resource for the county. The GOCO funding enables the county to replace the existing grandstands with new, covered, stadium-style stands that seat 1,500 and are ADA-accessible. The GOCO Board awarded $109,500 to the town of Kremmling for improvements to the town ice rink, which was falling apart. The rink’s wooden baseboards were rotting and unable to hold the safety plexiglass designed to protect hockey fans, scorers and players from flying pucks and other objects. Thanks to GOCO funding, the town will be able to replace the rink’s deteriorating elements with durable, longer-lasting materials including polyethylene boards, tempered glass and galvanized metal that ensure the upgrades’ longevity and the safety of anyone at the rink. Fowler residents were at risk of losing their municipal swimming pool, originally built in the 1930s, because it was
4 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org
no longer compliant with Colorado’s health code. A GOCO grant of $17,771 will allow the town to install a new filtration system, pump and sump for the pool’s drain, and updated piping to accommodate increased water flow. The upgrades will enable to the pool to remain open to the public. For more information about GOCO’s impact on communities statewide, upcoming grant opportunities, and for a complete list of 2013 grant awards, visit goco.org. If you are thinking about applying for a GOCO grant, contact staff for assistance. Great Outdoors Colorado 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 by voters in 1992, GOCO has funded more than 3,500 projects in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support. The grants are funded by GOCO’s share of Colorado Lottery revenues, which are divided between GOCO, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Conservation Trust Fund and school construction.