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County approves two agreements to formalize outdoor recreation partnerships: USFS cost-share and NFF fiscal contract for CPW RPI funds
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Summary
The board approved a no-cash cost-share agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and authorized a contract with the National Forest Foundation to receive Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Partnership Initiative funding to support local outdoor recreation management and volunteer programs.
Lake County commissioners on May 20 approved two items aimed at formalizing partnerships to support outdoor recreation maintenance and planning on public lands.
First, the board approved a nonfunded challenge cost-share agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (Pike and San Isabel National Forests; Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands). Tourism and economic development director Adam Ducharme said the no-cash arrangement allows Lake County and the Forest Service to record staff time, equipment, and volunteer hours as work-in-kind credits rather than cash exchanges. The agreement is intended to enable county volunteers and staff to perform maintenance and monitoring on National Forest System lands under a formal framework and ensure liability and insurance requirements are addressed.
Ducharme described Friends of Lake County — an entity that grew out of Visit Leadville Twin Lakes — as an existing volunteer vehicle, noting the partnership helps address maintenance needs across national forest lands that comprise a large share of Lake County’s area. He cited examples such as volunteer-driven cleanups at Hackman and other trail-focused projects and said volunteers have logged several hundred hours under related efforts.
Second, the board approved a contract with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) to accept a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Regional Partnership Initiative (RPI) grant. Jane Schafer, PROS deputy director, said the county applied for RPI funding and a $50,000 award from the 2024 grant round will support establishment and facilitation of a Lake County outdoor recreation coalition and related work. Schafer said NFF is acting as fiscal sponsor for the funds, and the board authorized Schafer to execute the contract on the county’s behalf to expedite distribution of the grant funds.
Commissioners discussed safeguards and project selection processes with staff; staff said projects will be prioritized in coordination with the Forest Service and will focus on maintenance needs, signage, and volunteer-supported restoration work. The board voted to approve both agreements.
Ending
Staff said the formal agreements will help scale volunteer efforts, document work-in-kind credits, and create a funding vehicle to support a county-led outdoor recreation coalition that will contribute to regional CPW partnership planning.
