DENVER — As Colorado lawmakers head back to the Capitol, outdoor recreation advocates are calling for a boost in state funds to increase access to the outdoors for underserved youth and families.
“There are a lot of barriers to accessing the outdoors. I think a lot of it deals with cost, transportation, accessibility and even historical exclusions,” said Jason Swann, the conservation finance director for the Trust for Public Land’s Intermountain West program.
But when Colorado invests in increasing access, the benefits are manyfold from improved health and social connections to amplified respect for conservation efforts and a statewide economic boost, Swann said.
That’s why Colorado lawmakers created the Outdoor Equity Grants program in 2021. The program takes some of the money collected through the Colorado Lottery. Then, Colorado Parks and Wildlife collects applications and distributes the funds to nonprofits and businesses helping engage “communities that have traditionally been excluded,” such as LGBTQ+ youth, Coloradans with disabilities and Black and Latino families.
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“Since the program inception, we've contributed $8.5 million to expand access to over 43,000 youth and families across 41 counties in Colorado,” said Swann, who also serves as a policy co-chair for the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant program committee.
“The only problem with that is the need outweighs the amount of money that's available,” he said.
Colorado State Representative Rick Taggart, who has supported the Outdoor Equity program since it was first introduced, agrees more support is needed.
“Increasing the budget is critical,” Rep. Taggart said.
Last year, the state gave out $3 million in outdoor equity grants. “But there were $21 worth of applications,” he said.
“To have that much of a shortfall, to only be able to actually fund 14% of the applications, that's an indication that there's tremendous demand, and it is beneficial,” he said.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has already included a boost for the program in his latest budget request – a $1.3 million increase for a total yearly funding of $4 million.
But Rep. Taggart and several outdoor equity advocates told Denver7 they’re pushing for an even bigger increase.
“We got to continue to sustain and grow this outdoor recreation economy,” Swann said. “It’s a $17 billion industry.”
Swann sees increasing outdoor access for more Coloradans, especially youth, as a means to inject more money into the state’s economy – and better protect our natural spaces.
“My hope is that it would inspire the next generation of conservation and recreation workforce,” he said. “These are the next stewards of our lands, of our waters.”
Swann also sees immediate benefits for Colorado’s youth, including better health and educational outcomes and an increased sense of belonging.
Kriste Peoples, who runs the Boulder nonprofit Women's Wilderness, said even with the limited funds currently offered by the state, groups like hers are seeing a huge return on investment.
Women’s Wilderness received a $100,000 grant last year. With it, the group expanded its free after-school activities like Outdoor G.I.R.L.S (Girls Immigrant Refugee Leadership Series).
“The immigrant and refugee newcomers to America are straddling two cultures,” Peoples said. “So being able to provide skills for self-advocacy and collaboration, and also learning how to really gain confidence and body positivity, those are tremendous skills.”
Peoples said the outdoor equity grant enabled her group to hire multilingual translators and connect girls who may not have otherwise met.
While rock climbing and other outdoor activities are the means for bringing youth together, Peoples said it “goes well beyond just taking people outside into the woods for a day of nature, engagement and play.”
“It's a great way to build connections, to really have a sense of inclusion and to understand that the land is here for us all,” she said.
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And introducing Coloradans to the beauty of the outdoors can also encourage conservation efforts, said Gabriel Romero, who works with the nonprofit Colorado Mountain Club.
The Colorado Mountain Club used support from the outdoor equity grants to partner with the health nonprofit ViVe Wellness.
“They work with Venezuelan and Mexican folks, and climbing was something that they were intimidated about trying,” Romero said, making cultural competency and guiding in their own language key to their success.
“That first outdoor experience is really important, but also maybe a little scary,” he said.
But by investing more in providing the education, training and gear needed, “we are creating lifelong outdoor enthusiasts. And you can't take that away,” he said.
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