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State awards $4.3M in outdoor recreation grants
Malard ducks sit on the Pecos River as it flows through the Permian Basin south of Carlsbad in November 2019.
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New Mexico is pouring millions of dollars into outdoor infrastructure and programs across the state, including the largest-ever grant for a project in Carlsbad.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department Outdoor Recreation Division recently announced $4.3 million in Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant awards to 16 entities in 10 counties.
It also includes a $1 million grant — the largest-ever from the ORD — to the City of Carlsbad for major renovations to the Lower Tansil Recreation Area along the Pecos River.
“This award allows the City of Carlsbad to complete critical phases of the Lower Tansil Recreation Area Improvement Initiative, providing much-needed safety and accessibility improvements,” Carlsbad Mayor Rick Lopez said in a statement.
In central New Mexico, the Keshet Dance & Center for the Arts in Albuquerque received $99,999 to create an outdoor accessible movement circuit in the city.
In Mora County, the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps received $500,000 to restore 326 miles of wildfire-damaged trails in the Carson, Santa Fe and Gila National Forests.
“This work ... aims to create a sustainable, fire-informed trail system while training the next generation of New Mexico’s conservation leaders,” RMYC Program Manager Quinn Mendelson said in a statement.
Proposals for the grant funding were evaluated by volunteers, including representatives from the State Land Office, Maddox Foundation, N.M. Game and Fish, the Tourism Department and the Bureau of Land Management.
Applications are open for a third round of ORD grants, with a Dec. 31 deadline.
Additional information is available at https://nmoutside.com/.
