Announcing grant award for the Palisade Plunge!
Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, Inc. (COPMOBA) and partners announce the award of $527,000 in grant funding, for a total project value of $685,249, from Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) to fund Phase 1 of construction of the Palisade Plunge Trail. Mesa County is the grant recipient, in partnership with COPMOBA, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Town of Palisade, City of Grand Junction, City of Fruita, and multiple business and regional partners. COPMOBA will work with Mesa County in support of project planning and contractor sourcing, and will construct portions of the Phase 1 trail as a part of the project. COPMOBA recognizes the committed participation of the broad array of community partners in the completion of planning efforts that allows for the accomplishment of the goal to create a unique trail which will improve access to public lands, provide positive economic impact to the region, and serve as a tool to care for our natural resources.
When complete, the Palisade Plunge will connect the top of the Grand Mesa (10,700') to the Town of Palisade, CO, (4,700') via 32 miles of superb quality back-country singletrack with 6,000’ of vertical relief. Phase 1 of the project is to construct the lower half of the overall route. This effort will provide ~18 miles of new point-to-point trail, plus create new trail loop options adjacent to and connecting with the existing Palisade Rim Trail. Construction start is anticipated for Summer, 2019. Phase 2 efforts will be pursued in series with Phase 1.
Earlier this year, COPMOBA kicked off Power the Plunge, the fundraising campaign for the entire Palisade Plunge project, and has raised over $99,000 in funding and commitments to contribute toward grant match requirements, trail construction, and long-term trail maintenance. The ongoing success of Power the Plunge is due to hundreds of donors from across the region and country that come from several different trail user groups including mountain bikers, runners, walkers, hikers, and equestrians. Donations and additional information can be found at www.copmoba.org/PowerThePlunge.
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For more information, contact:
Scott Winans
COPMOBA, Board President
719.210.1635