DENVER — On Feb. 11, Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) announced grant recipients for the Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) awarding $1.17 million to coalitions around the state. 

Regional Partnerships convene community leaders from across outdoor recreation and conservation sectors to ensure that Colorado’s wildlife, recreation opportunities, and outdoor resources thrive into the future. 

This round of awards will support eight Regional Partnerships located across the state, including one new Regional Partnership for the Wet Mountain Valley covering Custer County.  

“These investments support Colorado’s Outdoor Regional Partnerships, which show how we work together in Colorado to strengthen our lands, waters and wildlife that we value,” said Gov. Polis.  

This seventh round of funding brings the total number of Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships to 21, covering 79% of the state. Since 2021, CPW and GOCO have awarded $6.07 million to Colorado’s Outdoor Regional Partnerships to support coalition building, conservation and outdoor recreation planning, research, and community engagement. The next grant funding round will take place in the spring of 2025.  

“CPW celebrates the successes shared by Colorado’s Outdoor Regional Partnerships, which includes new outdoor recreation opportunities, stewardship of some of our most iconic mountain trails, and greater collaboration among outdoor sectors. This work ensures that we are taking care of the beautiful places and wildlife that define Colorado and draw us into the outdoors,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis.  

“It’s incredibly exciting to watch the Regional Partnerships network grow,” said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. “Every coalition brings invaluable knowledge of the resources and opportunities in their corners of the state. By collaborating, they make it possible for us to move  

Southern Colorado Recipients: 

• San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) — ($181,000)
  Formed in 2013, SLV GO! brings together 45 organizations, businesses, municipalities, and agencies who recognize the importance of enhancing outdoor recreational experiences, improving wellness, and protecting the environment across the six-county region of the San Luis Valley. This funding award will support partnership coordination, marketing and communication and the coalition’s capacity as it finalizes a regional conservation and recreation vision for the San Luis Valley. 
• Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition (SPOC) — ($250,000) 
  SPOC was formed in the spring of 2024, building on the momentum created by CPW’s partnership with the City of Trinidad, the Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, and GOCO to establish Fishers Peak State Park. SPOC builds on the development of the Las Animas County Recreation and Economic Impact Study and Huerfano County’s Community Action Plan, convening diverse stakeholders to advance regional priorities and expand collaborative recreation and conservation planning. With this award, SPOC will develop a comprehensive, community-driven plan that prioritizes balanced approaches to wildlife conservation and the preservation of the region’s cultural and agricultural heritage.
• Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors (WMVO) — ($126,825) 
  This new Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors coalition spans Custer County, connecting the Sangre de Cristo and the Wet Mountain ranges. This award will support a facilitated process to establish a new coalition informed by stakeholder conversations and listening sessions with community members and outdoor interests. This work will lay the foundation to inform recreation and conservation strategies that achieve the community’s vision.
• Southwest Colorado Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (SCCORR) — ($110,000)
  SCCORR is building on the initial groundwork laid by the Southwest Colorado Outdoor Recreation Alliance, formed in 2018 by a group of outdoor recreation professionals focused on growing the region's outdoor recreation economy and resources in a sustainable, collaborative manner. Upon joining the RPI, SCCORR has built a broader constituency of outdoor and conservation interests to support sustainable recreation and natural resources conservation. With this award, SCCORR will finalize a regional recreation and conservation plan informed by mapping, community engagement and collaboration among outdoor interest groups, local governments and land managers.