Trails+ Grant supports much-needed infrastructure improvements to New Mexico's booming outdoor recreation sector
SANTA FE, N.M. – The Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) announces the fifth and final round of FY24 Trails+ Grant recipients to support the growth of New Mexico's outdoor recreation (OR) workforce and expand equitable access to the outdoors.
Awards total $3,203,489 to 17 recipients ranging from $25,000 for Curry County to $500,000 for the Pueblo of Picuris. Matching funds from the grantees will contribute an additional $2,641,302 to the Trails+ Grant projects.
"The Trails+ Grant is giving a significant boost to the state's economy and supporting the growth of local communities by creating jobs for New Mexicans, many living in Tribal and rural areas," EDD Acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper said. "We're thrilled for the opportunities that this grant program provides our state."
The Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant Program was created in 2019 by Gov. Lujan Grisham and lawmakers to support projects that enhance outdoor recreation opportunities for communities, including trail systems, ADA-accessible outdoor recreation spaces, signage, wildlife viewing areas, and more.
ORD Outdoor Recreation Planner Carl Colonius explains, "Strategic investments improve the quality of life for residents across New Mexico by stimulating regional economic development and increasing access to beautiful places like Las Maravillas Park in Valencia County, and the cross-country ski trails outside of Los Alamos."
Doña Ana Village Association (DAVA) was awarded $99,999 for their ambitious "El Parque Alegre de Doña Ana" multi-objective open space project. "DAVA is a small but mighty organization, and we are honored to be selected for this grant opportunity. We hope DAVA can be a model for how small colonia communities can bring vision and success to projects in their communities. We have a lot of work ahead but it's nothing compared to our spirit and energy," Israel Chávez of Doña Ana Village Association said.
"We are incredibly honored and excited to receive the Trails+ Grant for the final phase of the All-Wheel Park, a bike park," Governor Quanchello of the Picuris Pueblo says. "This project is a testament to Picuris Pueblo's unwavering commitment to creating positive and healthy alternatives for our community, especially our youth."
Over $11 million in funding is available for the Trails+ Grant in FY25 and ORD will be accepting applications in rounds until funds are expended. Round 1 applications close on September 30, 2024. Interested applicants can visit NMOutside.com for applications and complete grant program guides in English and Spanish. Questions can be directed to Outdoor Recreation Planner Carl Colonius,
FY24 round 5 Trails+ Grant awardees include:
Cancer Awareness, Prevalence, Prevention and Early Detection (CAPPED, Inc.) ($99,999, Otero County): CAPPED will complete the Trinity Turtle Healing Labyrinth Phase III to create the largest permanent labyrinth in the United States. The path of the 40,0000-squarefoot labyrinth is ADA accessible and doubles as an open-air amphitheater/learning center.
Catron County ($258,644, Catron County): Catron County and The Pie Town Community Foundation will improve the outdoor space just off highway 60 along the Continental Divide, including Jackson Park Campgrounds and Equestrian Arena. Improvements will provide safe pedestrian, equestrian, and bicycle trails, camping and recreation for the community and its visitors, and a convenient way station on the Continental Divide Trail.
City of Bloomfield ($99,999, San Juan County): The City of Bloomfield will expand trails, bicycle paths, and pedestrian walkways at their Riverwalk trail system, including educational and informational kiosks.
Curry County ($25,000, Curry County): Curry County will purchase and install picnic tables and benches created from recycled windmill turbine blades at the Honorable Judge Ruben E. Nieves Courtyard located on the City of Clovis' Main Street.
Dar al Islam ($99,999, Rio Arriba County): Plaza Blanca is a 200-acre site within the properties of Dar al Islam in Abiquiu. This project will map out and build sustainable trails and viewing areas, so that visitors have access to beautiful white rock formations with narrow canyons, dry riverbeds, a vibrant flora and fauna landscape, and a lively animal and insect environment.
Doña Ana Village Association (DAVA) ($99,999 Doña Ana County): El Parque Alegre de Doña Ana, an open space in Doña Ana Village (designated colonia in New Mexico) will provide solutions to flood management through a retention pond, increase outdoor recreation for residents and visitors through trails and trail access, and promote meaningful nature-connection interactions to increase public health and conservation.
Explora Science Center & Children's Museum ($497,704, Bernalillo County): Outdoor Experiences at Explora will use funding to create a set of public outdoor exhibits that will appeal both to tourists and residents, landscaping of outdoor learning spaces to make them more inviting and extend visitors' stay, and improvements to associated signage and wayfinding to better facilitate the visitors' recreational activities and align with branding.
Las Huertas Plaza, LLC (a plaza project in the unincorporated Placitas area) ($59,000, Sandoval County): Las Huertas Plaza on Highway 165 is on a very popular cyclist route. This project establishes a safe pull-out for hikers and bikers with a bike repair station and rock wall seating area covered by a shade structure.
Luna County ($350,000, Luna County): Luna County will add ADA bathrooms to the historic Courthouse Park enhancing the park's' functionality and increasing use.
New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (New Mexico Wild) ($99,000, Rio Arriba County): New Mexico Wild's wilderness rangers will clear trail systems within and around the San Pedro Parks Wilderness and Calf Canyon/Hermit's Peak fire burn scar in the Pecos Wilderness. Rangers and volunteers will log out downfall, address drainage issues, and reestablish trail that has disappeared.
Pueblo of Picuris ($500,000, Taos County): The Pueblo of Picuris will complete the final phase of the All-Wheel Park by adding a bike park that includes progressive jump lines, technical skills features, drop zones, and a designated adaptive use/accessibility area.
San Miguel County ($140,300, San Miguel County): San Miguel County, Trust of Public Lands, and BLM, with support from New Mexico Wildlife Federation, will build a road, parking lot, and trail across private and state land on the northwestern edge of the Sabinosa Wilderness, increasing overall accessibility.
Santa Fe Children's Museum ($99,999, Santa Fe County): Santa Fe Children's Museum will enhance its outdoor trail by installing signage and interactive elements, teaching children about the ecology found throughout its outdoor space - The Backyard - with emphasis on the pollination cycle.
Southwest Nordic Ski Club ($33,000, Los Alamos County): The Southwest Nordic Ski Club has a robust year-round trail maintenance program for all recreational uses on local Forest Service lands (hiking, hunting access, mountain biking, etc.). The grant will assist in the acquisition of equipment that can be utilized for trail maintenance projects.
Taos Mountain Bike Association ($38,346, Taos County): Horsethief Mesa Trails located between Taos and Questa on Bureau of Land Management land are some of the best year-round mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding in the area. There is no formal trailhead for this popular area, resulting in increased frustration by private landowners as users access the public land on a private road. This project will move the existing fence and gate, clear and fill several parking spaces, and install new fencing and barriers to provide legal, safe and convenient access to the popular trail system and alleviate the pressure felt by residents on the private road.
Valencia County – Parks and Recreation ($500,000, Valencia County): Valencia County will restore trails and parkland, stock a pond, construct shade structures with picnic tables, create an outdoor classroom, install signage, and add an ADA-accessible restroom in Las Maravillas Park. The park will connect visitors to the outdoors and to each other through special events, nature study, bicycling, running, fishing, birdwatching, and stargazing. The restored Las Maravillas Trail, which travels from the park into the community, will promote bicycling as a form of environmentally friendly transportation and recreation.
Village of Corrales ($202,500, Bernalillo County): The Village of Corrales, with the help of Corrales Mainstreet, will install ADA bathrooms in La Entrada Park to improve community use and build connectivity for all village-owned properties with trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
