GOCO invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. Our independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created by voters in 1992, GOCO has committed more than $917 million in lottery proceeds to more than 4,800 projects in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support.
GOCO grants have helped to:
* Add more than 47,000 acres to the State Parks system and assisted Colorado Parks and Wildlife in acquiring and enhancing wildlife habitat
* Create or improve 1,000 community park and outdoor recreation areas, including skate parks, ballfields and playgrounds
* Build or restore more than 900 miles of trail
* Protect more than 1 million acres of open space in perpetuity, including land along river corridors and in mountain valleys; land for wildlife habitat; agricultural land; land in the heart of cities; land that separates communities; and land that buffers state and local parks from encroaching development
* Preserve more than 750 miles of Colorado rivers
* Enable 8,000 teenagers and young adults to work in the outdoors via the Colorado Youth Corps Association.
In the years ahead, GOCO’s work will be guided by a new strategic plan with three primary goals:
* PROTECT more land and wildlife habitat, notably large-scale landscapes
* CONNECT people to the outdoors and connect trails, parks and open spaces
* INSPIRE more Coloradans, children in particular, to get outside more and take care of our great outdoors.
GOCO has dedicated $25 million in funding to the Inspire Initiative, the cornerstone of the current strategic plan, to help remove barriers between kids and the outdoors. Each of 21 community-based coalitions across the state have received planning funds. Six Tier 1 communities are now applying for implementation grants — to be awarded this December — for as much as $1 million to $5 million in funding for parks, trails, and programs. GOCO is also working to raise additional funds for Inspire and has forged a partnership with the Colorado Health Foundation.
