Montrose Recreation District last week was named the recipient of a $105,000 planning grant aimed at connecting more youth to outdoor experiences and programming.

The grant is part of Great Outdoors Colorado’s (GOCO) Generation Wild program, which launched in 2015 to help urban, suburban, and rural communities across Colorado introduce kids and families to new outdoor experiences and inspire them to get outside more often.

The program invests in 12 coalitions across the state called ‘Generation Wild communities’ made up of diverse youth-serving organizations.

Coalition members provide free or low-cost programs and resources that uniquely serve their communities and support equitable access to the outdoors.

“The Generation Wild program presents a unique opportunity to make a generational impact on our community through helping youth develop a relationship with nature which will impact the rest of their lives,” said Astro Ball, grant specialist and data analyst at MRD.

The grant will help Uncompahgre Valley Outdoor Recreation Group (UVORG), a coalition of organizations serving Montrose and Ouray counties, develop a five-year plan to increase community access to outdoor programs and pathways to outdoor careers.

Ball said MRD will use the funding, among other things, to distribute surveys and organize focus groups to determine the community’s desires when it comes to getting connected to outdoor activities.

“We’re still developing a timeline,” he said. “We will be developing the survey through 2024, and we want to make sure we ask the right questions.”

Those surveys will likely go out in 2025.

“We make sure those go out to different segments and different demographics of the community to make sure everyone has access to a full slate of outdoor rec programming,” Ball said. “From introductory things to more highly skilled multi-day trips as well. The endpoint of the grant when we get to the implementation phase includes things like trail crews and development of leadership opportunities as well.”

Of the 12 coalitions across the state, four, including UVORG, across the state were awarded the Generation Wild grant.

The four awarded this round of funding will be eligible to apply for funding to implement the planning allowed by this current stage of funding.

Ball said they won’t know what kinds of programs the rec district will want to put together until they get done with the surveys.

“Programming opportunities that we hear anecdotally are things like outdoor recreation focused on back-to-school programming, multi-day summer camps that are more focused on outdoor recreation, which don’t exist in our community,” he said. “We need to know what the need and desires are for these programs, and the barriers that would keep people from engaging.”

Ball said some barriers may include cost or the time period. This funding aims to help people overcome those barriers.

According to a release from GOCO, UVORG was launched in 2023 with help from the Colorado Health Foundation and leadership from the Montrose Recreation District.

UVORG aims to connect the region’s kids with the outdoors. Founding members include Montrose Recreation District, Friends of Youth and Nature, Outer Range Outdoor School, Colorado Canyons Association, and Voyager Youth Program.

UVORG members provide a range of programs and services. For example, the volunteer-led nonprofit Friends of Youth and Nature connects families with service providers, offers transportation and scholarships, hosts public events, and provides a free gear library.

The nonprofits Voyager Youth Program and Colorado Canyons Association foster kids’ learning and well-being through outdoor trips and other experiential programs, according to the release.

The MRD offers fee-assistance for their outdoor programs such as hiking and climbing programs. Montrose County School District operates an outdoor school called Outer Range, which provides academic instruction in a natural learning environment.

The efforts afforded by the grant align with previous strategic plans in the region, including the 2022 MRD master plan, the 2023 Unify Montrose initiative, and the City of Montrose Comprehensive Plan, according to the release

“We’re so excited to invest in planning for four new communities interested in joining the Generation Wild network,” said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. “Committed to collaboration, they’ve been hard at work developing the relationships, resources, and community engagement plans needed to connect kids and families with high quality, close-to-home outdoor experiences. GOCO is proud to help these coalitions take their next steps towards achieving their visions, and to support the continued growth of Colorado’s youth-in-outdoors movement.”

To date, GOCO has invested more than $8.2 million in Montrose County and partnered to conserve 5,367 acres of land there. GOCO funding has supported Generation Wild community The Nature Connection, Montrose County’s Special Needs Adaptive Playground, Sweitzer Lake State Park, and the conservation of Meek Ranch, among other projects

Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.