GOCO Awards $51,200 Grant to Town of Wiley for Outdoor Recreation Master Plan

DENVER – Today the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board awarded a $51,200 grant to the Town of Wiley to develop an outdoor recreation master plan.

This grant is part of GOCO’s Planning and Capacity program, which invests in projects that address opportunities, explore issues, engage communities, and examine trends in the outdoors.

The Town of Wiley plans to develop an outdoor recreation master plan with support from consultants in facilitating community engagement activities and producing the final plan. The plan will outline feasible outdoor recreation opportunities prioritized by the community along with funding options for implementation.

The project consists of three phases. First, contracted facilitators will host town halls for residents to brainstorm outdoor recreation ideas to support under-served residents, youth, and senior community members. Consultants will then vet ideas by conducting a feasibility study that will consider access and inclusion as well as costs of implementation and ongoing maintenance needs. Lastly, planners will develop and review the written master plan with the community and present it to the Town Council for approval.

Partners in this project include the Town of Wiley, the Wiley School District, Wiley Lions Club, the Wiley Methodist Church, Prowers Economic Prosperity, and Southern Colorado Economic Development District.

“PEP is very excited to be a partner with the Town of Wiley in the GOCO Planning and Capacity grant,” said Cheryl Sanchez, Director of Prowers Economic Prosperity. “Planning for outdoor recreation opportunities in the Wiley Community will improve recreational amenities to encourage economic development in Wiley and Prowers County. These amenities will assist in meeting PEP’s goals of business attraction, expansion, and retention.”

To date, GOCO has invested more than $4.2 million in projects in Prowers County and conserved 1,440 acres of land there. GOCO funding has supported Smith Park Playground, Willow Creek Park, Lamar Loop Trail, and Lamar Sports Complex, among other projects.