Cavern City Trail Keepers used Trails+ funds to install 11 cattleguards and equestrian gates along the La Cueva Ridge Trail to connect the La Cueva Non-Motorized Trails System to the Guadalupe Ridge National Recreation Trail. (Courtesy NM Economic Development Department)cca
Seven outdoor projects across New Mexico will receive $2 million in funding, the state Economic Development Department announced Tuesday.
The funding comes as the latest round of the department’s Outdoor Recreation Division’s Trails+ Grants program, and will bring an additional $2.7 million in matching funds, according to a news release.
“Outdoor infrastructure projects build lasting value in communities across the state while preserving the natural beauty that makes New Mexico so special,” Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Rob Black. said in a statement “These projects drive economic development through job creation and tourism, especially in our rural areas.”
The program, which began in 2020, has invested more than $30 million across 30 counties and 11 Tribal communities, according to the department, and has $7.2 million to spend in the current fiscal year (view an interactive map of projects here). The Outdoor Recreation Division will host an information session on the FY26 grant cycle on Aug. 14, with applications for the first round opening Sept. 30.
The recipients announced on Tuesday include:
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in Taos County: $155,000 to improve wildlife habitat connectivity and recreational experiences through volunteer-led fence modification and removal in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.City of Farmington in San Juan County: $500,000 for the Gateway Park Plaza that will feature river trails, open space and a multi-use event plaza near the Animas River and the Farmington Museum.Indigenous Futures 4EVER in San Juan County: $500,000 for improvements to the Two Grey Hills Skatepark to increase safety and community use.New Mexico Land Conservancy in Santa Fe County: $99,500 to support the restoration of a one-mile hiking trail with native plants, erosion control, and educational signage at the Petchesky Conservation Center.Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments in McKinley County: $150,000 to create a regional Outdoor Recreation & Conservation Master Plan that will coordinate efforts to strengthen the recreation economy across McKinley and Cibola Counties.Rio Grande School in Santa Fe County: $90,000 for an outdoor learning space, hosting nature-based educational and teacher development.Village of Ruidoso in Lincoln County: $497,970 to rehabilitate flood-damaged walking trails at Two Rivers Park.
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