El Paso County awarded more than $150k in grants from Great Outdoors Colorado
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Friday, El Paso County was awarded two grants by the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board totaling more than $150,000.
According to GOCO, the Town of Green Mountain Falls was awarded $82,200 to hire Mile High Youth Corps-Southern Front Range (MHYC-SFR) crews for fire mitigation and forest health work. In addition, the City of Colorado Springs was awarded $70,825 for trail improvements in Austin Bluffs Open Space and habitat improvement and restoration in Smith Creek Open Space.
These grants are part of GOCO’s Conservation Service Corps program. GOCO partners with Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) to employ conservation service corps crews across the state on outdoor recreation and stewardship projects. CYCA represents a statewide coalition of eight accredited corps that train youth, young adults, and veterans to complete land and water conservation work and gain professional skills.
According to GOCO, Green Mountain Falls is one of the highest fire risk zones in Colorado. Working with the local fire protection district and private landowners, the town will partner with MHYC-SFR crews for eight weeks to build a continuous, two-mile-long fuel break around the community.
With its $70,825 grant, the City of Colorado Springs will partner with MHYC-SFR crews for eight weeks of work at Austin Bluffs Open Space and Smith Creek Open Space. Crews will construct 6,650 feet of trail to provide neighborhood access to Austin Bluffs. At Smith Creek, they will apply herbicide on 33.25 acres to combat noxious weeds. They will work to restore native vegetation and help protect the habitat of the endangered Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, according to GOCO.
Visit GOCO.org for more information.
