The Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District (MCFMLD) has awarded $768,498 in grants to five local entities during its fall 2024 grant cycle.

Plateau Valley School District 50 received a traditional grant of $296,546 for athletic field lighting.

Plateau Valley Fire Protection District was awarded $143,952 for two vehicle exhaust removal systems.

Independence Academy Charter School will receive $160,000 for upgrades to its new gym and theater.

City of Grand Junction has been granted $91,000 for enhancements to the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center’s training facility.

East Orchard Mesa Fire Protection District received $77,000 for a new fire rescue unit.

“The grant funding we receive from oil and gas leases is meant to go back into the community to help offset impacts. The board was very happy to be able to grant out a large amount of funding to some great projects. 

We know these projects will benefit Mesa County and its residents for many years to come,” said Dusti Reimer, grant administrator for the district.

“As an example, Plateau Valley Schools are one of few districts in the state to not have lighting on their athletic fields, in fact, in order to have homecoming, the district borrows lighting from the oil fields. This will also save students and parents from traveling to Grand Junction for evening activities,” said Reimer.

The funding comes from federal mineral lease payments, which are first distributed to the State of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). DOLA then distributes the payments to counties, municipalities, and federal mineral lease districts affected by federal mineral leasing activity. 

Approximately 70 percent of the land in Mesa County is publicly owned and rich in various mineral deposits.

Follow MCFMLD on Facebook and Twitter for updates on meetings and grant project progress. For more information about the MCFMLD grant eligibility and grant cycles, visit the website www.mesafml.org.