MEEKER | The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board has awarded $750,000 to the Town of Meeker for new community access points on the White River. In addition, a $45,000 grant through Keep It Colorado to Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) will help conserve Theos Family Ranches east of Meeker.
The first grant is part of GOCO’s Community Impact program, which develops and revitalizes parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors.
Funding will support the Town of Meeker, in partnership with East Rio Blanco Metro Parks and Recreation District, in constructing three formal, in-town access points on the White River at Third Street, Circle Park, and Tenth Street. Identified as a top priority by the local community, this Meeker Riverfront Project brings ecological, economic, and recreational benefits of the White River to residents and visitors alike. The White River runs almost entirely through private lands, which previously limited public access. This project will create more than half a mile of river access points in the heart of Meeker.
The project includes additional lighting, interpretive signage, trail connections, fencing, and an ADA-accessible ramp at Circle Park, building on recent park improvements, including a pond supported by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Fishing is Fun program.
In addition to public access, the project supports the ecological health of the White River by stabilizing the bank and reducing erosion impacts. The project includes revegetating nearly 600 feet of riverbank and adding natural storm drainage features. It is the result of extensive engagement with stakeholders including CPW, White River Alliance, White River Conservation District, private landowners, anglers, 4-H, local businesses, and others.
The second grant is part of Keep It Colorado’s Transaction Cost Assistance Program (TCAP), which re-grants GOCO funds to nonprofit land trusts to help cover the costs associated with conservation easement transactions. It enables landowners who have urgent opportunities to conserve their properties, but who face financial barriers to facilitating the transaction, to conserve land more quickly.
CCALT’s Theos Family Ranches project will permanently conserve 3,426 acres of land east of Meeker that shares miles of boundary with federal land. The property features diverse, high-quality habitat, ranging from dryland pastures at 6,600 feet in elevation to mountainous terrain at nearly 8,900 feet in elevation.
The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient and Connected Network analysis indicates that the property has both significant biodiversity and climate resilience. Conservation of this property secures critical habitat for golden eagle, cutthroat trout, and greater sage grouse, among other important species. Maintaining this multigenerational sheep operation as open ranchland also protects the scenic character and agricultural heritage of the region.
“The Nick Theos Family Ranches comprise a working sheep ranch with a rich family history,” said John Gioia, director of transactions at CCALT. “CCALT is grateful for the support from the TCAP grant as it will go a long way toward ensuring this special place that supports the ranch operation and significant wildlife habitat and landscape connectivity is permanently conserved.”
“With this assistance, GOCO and Keep It Colorado ease the financial burden on landowners who’ve voluntarily chosen to conserve their land, protecting critical landscapes that make Colorado so special,” said Linda Lidov, interim executive director of Keep It Colorado. “We’re grateful to the Nick Theos family for making the decision to protect this land for generations to come.”
To date, GOCO has invested $20.6 million in projects in Rio Blanco County and partnered to conserve more than 35,000 acres of land there. GOCO funding has supported Meeker School District stadium, Foothills Park, and Paintbrush Ballpark, among other projects.
Special to the Herald Times
