Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) are pleased to announce the release of the 2025 Conservation Service Corps grant cycle with up to $1.2 million in funding for outdoor recreation, stewardship, and restoration projects completed by conservation service corps members.
Donor Name: Great Outdoors Colorado
State: Colorado
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/15/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The goal of these funds is to employ youth and young adults (ages 14-25) throughout the state on critical outdoor recreation and natural resource stewardship projects using the network of conservation service corps accredited by CYCA.
Conservation service corps crews complete a variety of projects, including:
- Trail construction and maintenance
- Tamarisk, Russian olive, and other invasive species mitigation – chainsaw crews, including pesticide/herbicide application, are available
- Fence installation and de-construction
- Wildlife habitat improvement
- Riparian restoration
- Beetle kill hazard mitigation – chainsaw crews available
- Forest health – chainsaw crews available
Eligibility Criteria
- Colorado municipality or county
- Title 32 special districts eligible to receive distributions from the Conservation Trust Fund
- Political subdivision of the State of Colorado that includes in its mission the identification, acquisition, or management of open space and natural areas
- 501(c)(3) non-profit land conservation organization that includes in its mission the identification, acquisition, or management of open space and natural areas, e.g., land trusts
Project/Property Eligibility
- Applicants must apply for a minimum of two weeks of conservation service corps work. One week of work consists of a minimum of 320 hours of labor (8 people for 40 hours each, for example) inclusive of one-way travel and 4-5 hours per week of on-site education activities for the crew.
- The project’s primary objective must consist of enhancing/restoring open space, wildlife habitat, or other ecosystem (e.g. noxious weed removal, forest health, fire recovery, flood recovery, riparian restoration, etc.) or constructing/enhancing/restoring trails or other passive recreational infrastructure including signs, fences, tent pads, etc. Please note: They welcome forest health projects with impacts beyond defensible space where outcomes enhance or restore open space, wildlife habitat, or improve other ecosystem considerations.
- The project must occur on land owned or controlled by a:
- municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the state;
- land trust or other private party when the land is permanently protected by a conservation easement or other permanent use restriction; or
- federal agency
- Projects must provide a public benefit and comply with any conservation easement, other use restriction, or government policies or procedures concerning management of the property’s resources.
- Applicant must demonstrate capacity to host a conservation service corps crew, and coordinate closely with the corps in advance of submitting a proposal, to ensure the project is appropriate.
For more information, visit GOCO.