By John Gardner
The Surveyor

The Town of Berthoud was awarded a $40,000 Great Outdoors Colorado grant last week to assist with preparation of an updated Parks, Open Space, Trails and Recreation Plan.

Town Administrator Mike Hart said that for the town residents who are very active and appreciative of outdoor amenities, this is a great gift that will ultimately help align the town’s parks and recreational plans.

“As the town matures and grows, updating our Parks, Open Space, Trails and Recreation Plan will help determine where public spaces are developed and what facilities a community like ours needs in the future,” Hart said. “We are very grateful for the GOCO funding to help us get going on the right path.”

The GOCO grant was applied for by Berthoud’s former planning director, Sherry Albertson-Clark, and will be used along with matching funds set aside in the town’s budget to completely redo the town’s parks master plan, according to Hart.

“It’s the one plan that we have yet to complete,” Hart said. “And it’s one that is kind of key.”

The plan will include a community outreach and engagement component to ensure residents’ ideas are considered in the process.

Great Outdoors Colorado awarded more than $223,000 in grant funding to four communities this spring. Other recipients included the Town of La Jara, Arapahoe County, and the City and County of Denver. These grants come from a portion of the Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance state parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife.