$8.628 million investment in Colorado State Parks

04/24/2008 - Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board members recently awarded $8.628 million in Lottery funds for investments in Colorado State Parks during fiscal year 2009. The award will support many programs and projects within the state parks system including the volunteer program, trails program, resource stewardship, land and water acquisitions, forest management and renovations.

  “The funds received from GOCO are essential in order to maintain and preserve the parks system. We are grateful for the award and look forward to improving our parks for the surrounding communities and the state,” said Parks Director Dean Winstanley.

  The volunteer program will receive funds to support their management and training, which is vital to attracting and retaining park volunteers. Last year volunteers donated 200,000 hours of their time to state parks, the equivalent of 96 full-time employees.

GOCO investments in fiscal year 2009 will also support the ongoing renovation of recreation facilities at Cherry Creek, Chatfield, and Trinidad state parks as part of a $38 million cost share agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These three parks collectively receive more than 3 million visitors per year.

  Through Colorado State Parks resource stewardship program, GOCO funds will be used for the protection of natural resources, including funds for wildfire prevention and forest management projects, which are matched by federal government grants up to $900,000. The resource stewardship program also manages vegetation, wildlife habitat protection and preservation of the best geologic formations, paleontologic sites, and rare or unique plant communities in Colorado.

  Additionally, GOCO funds for land and water acquisitions will ensure that state parks can meet visitors’ demands for recreation throughout the state. The trails program applies funding to preserve and restore trails in parks and local communities statewide.

  Attracting more than 11 million visitors per year, Colorado's 42 state parks are a vital cornerstone in Colorado's economy and quality of life, offering some of the best outdoor recreation destinations in the state. Colorado State Parks manages more than 4,000 campsites, 57 cabins and yurts, encompassing 246,000 land and water acres. For more information on Colorado State Parks or to purchase an annual pass online, visit www.parks.state.co.us.