Pueblo nets funds to create outdoors office and strengthen recreational amenities
The city of Pueblo recently received a grant to develop an office of outdoor recreation as part of the state’s effort to support local economic development and increase access to the outdoors.
The $100,000 grant will help the city create the Pueblo Office of Outdoor Recreation. It is slated to be the second of its kind in Colorado — the city of Trinidad has the other.
The Pueblo office will provide a “central point of contact, advocacy and resources for the many area businesses and individuals that rely on the continued health of the outdoor economy,” Gov. Jared Polis and OEDIT announced in a news release Wednesday.
Pueblo was one of 15 recipients to receive the final batch of funds from the Colorado State Outdoor Recreation Grant program. It applied for funding to create the office and was selected for it after a competitive review process, said Alissa Johnson, senior communications manager for OEDIT.
“We're excited to receive the grant from OEDIT,” Haley Sue Robinson, director of public affairs for the city, wrote in a text to the Chieftain. “We’ll be creating a position to help us market our recreation amenities like the kayak course on the levee, our 81 parks, trail system, golf course and more to promote healthy lifestyles and increased tourism to Pueblo.”
Creating new jobs and marketing campaigns that promote outdoor recreation are two initiatives, among many others, that the grant seeks to support. OEDIT stated in the release that the grants will also bolster workforce development, sustainability efforts and marketing initiatives in Pueblo and other cities.
“Colorado’s world-class outdoors are a lot of fun and an important economic engine for our state by providing incredible recreation opportunities for Coloradans and visitors,” Polis said in the release. “We are proud to support more organizations in our state that are driving this industry. This support will help more people enjoy the great outdoors.”
Lake Pueblo State Park is perhaps Pueblo’s most well-known recreational amenity because of its marinas, campground areas and trails for biking and hiking. But Pueblo is also home to the Arkansas River, a popular destination for anglers, and its river trail system is nothing to scoff at.
Furthermore, Pueblo has countless trails and recently hosted Grassroots Gravel, a gravel bike race that will likely become an annual cycling event for people in Pueblo and beyond.
Other outdoor opportunities in Pueblo include rock climbing, Pueblo Mountain Park, disc golf at City Park and the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center’s River Campus, among others.
Since 2022, the CSORG program has awarded more than $3.7 million to 50 projects across 27 counties. It’s supported around 284 jobs while helping outdoor recreation become more inclusive and accessible, according to OEDIT.
More: Contest-winning artist completes levee mural, brings Pueblo small step closer to world record
Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo to create office of outdoor recreation to help market amenities
