Promoting Youth Development & Conservation

The Conservation Service Corps grant is an initiative funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) in collaboration with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA). GOCO, which utilizes Colorado Lottery proceeds, is committed to preserving and enhancing Colorado’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. CYCA is a statewide coalition that includes eight accredited conservation service corps. These corps engage youth, young adults, and veterans—typically between the ages of 14 and 25—in conservation and stewardship activities. Participants gain valuable work and leadership experience while contributing to natural resource preservation efforts throughout Colorado. This grant program is designed to support outdoor recreation and natural resource stewardship projects. Funded entities can employ conservation service corps crews to complete tasks such as trail construction and maintenance, invasive species mitigation, fence work, wildlife habitat improvement, riparian restoration, beetle kill hazard mitigation, and forest health efforts. These projects not only serve environmental goals but also provide significant workforce development opportunities for young Coloradans. Funding through the program includes an annual commitment of $1.2 million from GOCO, supplemented by an additional $500,000 through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Crews are hired on a “per week” basis, with each crew composed of 8–10 individuals working a total of at least 320 hours weekly. Applicants must request at least two weeks of crew work, and while there is no specified maximum grant amount, funding requests must align with the scope and scale of the project. Eligible applicants include Colorado municipalities (cities, towns, counties), Title 32 special districts, land conservation organizations focused on open space acquisition, political subdivisions of the state with relevant missions, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Other entities may be eligible through collaborative partnerships, as GOCO encourages cooperative proposals. The grant is administered by CYCA, which oversees all aspects of the application and project implementation process. The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be made available in June 2025, with applications due later that year on a date yet to be determined. Awards will be announced in December 2025. All application submissions must follow the guidance detailed in the RFP, which can be downloaded from CYCA’s website. Applicants seeking further guidance can contact CYCA Associate Director Tom Dillow at [email protected]. Additional resources and support are available on GOCO’s and CYCA’s respective websites. Interested parties are encouraged to begin preparing early to ensure successful and complete proposals.