Larimer County Awards $24,711 in Small Grants for Seven Community Projects
Larimer County is directing $24,711 in Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax grants to seven community projects across the county through its Small Grants for Community Partnering program, funding initiatives ranging from river access education to invasive species removal and native habitat restoration.
American Whitewater received $4,000 for a Diversity Whitewater Community River Float project on the Poudre River. Trails at Vista Bonita Homeowners Association was awarded $4,000 for Russian olive removal in Fort Collins. The CSU Environmental Learning Center received $3,750 for its Expanding Ute STEM Kit Outside the Classroom initiative in Fort Collins. St. Luke's Episcopal Church was awarded $4,000 for xeriscaping work in Fort Collins. The remaining three grants support environmental education in Fort Collins and Estes Park schools, native pollinator habitat restoration across Fort Collins and Loveland, and permaculture training in Estes Park.
The Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax—a quarter-cent levy voters approved in the mid-1990s—generated $23.5 million countywide in 2023 to fund open-space and natural resources programs. The tax is currently authorized through 2043. Small Grants represents a modest slice of that revenue stream, with recent awards totaling $19,700 in 2024 and $30,863 in 2025.
Since 1998, Larimer County has awarded $470,700 through the Small Grants program to support 253 projects. According to Larimer County, the program "distributes a portion of Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax dollars each year" to resident-driven conservation and access initiatives.
Grants go to nonprofits, community groups, homeowner associations, and K–12 schools for projects that enhance landscapes, provide nature education, expand access, or support local food production.
For more information about the program, contact Jennifer Almstead, Small Grants Program Coordinator, at (970) 619-4569 or [email protected], or visit www.larimer.org/small-grants.