The Great Outdoors Colorado board awarded $800,000 in grants for two Mesa County projects. A $500,000 grant will help the City of Grand Junction develop its community recreation center. A $300,000 grant will help Mesa County expand the Grand Valley Stewardship Crew.

The first grant is part of GOCO’s Community Impact program, which develops and revitalizes parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and outdoor access.

The City of Grand Junction will develop outdoor facilities at its recreation center at Matchett Park. Planned amenities include a synthetic turf field, a pavilion and overflow parking. The project is expected to be completed in 2026.

“GOCO is a strategic partner that has been crucial in this effort to bring the City of Grand Junction its first multi-purpose Community Recreation Center,” Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou said.

Mesa County launched its Grand Valley Stewardship Crew in 2020, and it has completed stewardship work such as trail maintenance and restoration, revegetation and invasive-species control, river-habitat enhancement, wildfire-risk mitigation, and public education on responsible recreation practices.

With the GOCO funding, the county will continue to develop a skilled, year-round crew to complete priority projects and provide crew members with professional development opportunities and pathways to careers in natural-resource management.

“The Grand Valley Stewardship Crew would not be possible without the support from GOCO. This funding has opened up a whole new world of application for our crew, covering many responsibilities across recreation and conservation,” said Ross Mittelman, Mesa County’s trails program supervisor.

The crew serves various community partners working across private and public lands, including lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and local municipalities.

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) 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 when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,800 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax-dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.