The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board awarded two grants totaling $125,200 to Montezuma County on Friday, Dec.11.

Montezuma Land Conservancy received a $100,000 GOCO grant to preserve 50 acres adjacent to Carpenter Natural Area and Geer Park in Cortez. The property contains a five-mile trail network for biking and hiking that is extremely popular with the residents, visitors, and particularly employees of the neighboring Southwest Memorial Hospital and surrounding medical center.

The property’s landowner took down his no-trespassing signs last year and opened his property for the public to enjoy. Montezuma Land Conservancy was eager to make the generous contribution a permanent fixture in the community. The trail network ties into 10 miles of trails and will ultimately have a trailhead and side-by-side walking path.

A second grant, to the city of Cortez, is a $25,200 GOCO grant to employ youth from Southwest Conservation Corps – Four Corners. The crews will work for one month to install a new school garden and nature trail at Mesa Elementary School, a project that will expand educational opportunities and serve more than 400 students each week.

The grant will be administered by the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) will engage and train local young people between the ages of 14 and 25. Corps members earn a living stipend for their full-time service and an AmeriCorps education award to use toward college or trade school.

To date, GOCO has invested nearly $9 million in Montezuma County projects, preserving more than 4,800 acres of land. GOCO funding has been awarded to 46 projects, including the Cortez Municipal Pool renovation, Mancos Skate Park, the overlook trail in Dolores, and the county trail system. Montezuma County was also recently named a GOCO Inspire community and will be part of a $25 million initiative to get kids outside.

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 4,500 projects in urban and rural areas in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support.

Visit goco.org for more information.