The City of Manitou Springs has been awarded $27,600 in grant-funded services through Great Outdoors Colorado, in partnership with the Colorado Youth Corps Association.
As part of this award, the city will work with Mile High Youth Corps on the 2026 Noxious and Invasive Weed Mitigation Project. The project, scheduled to begin mid-June, will focus on removing noxious and invasive weeds along approximately 3.4 miles of Manitou Springs’ trail systems and open spaces.
The award provides the equivalent of two weeks of hands-on conservation work. The total estimated cost of the project is $32,038. Grant funding will cover $27,600 of that amount, with the remaining $4,438 contributed by the Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) as the local match. This contribution exceeds the minimum match requirement.
The project preserves native ecosystems, improves trail conditions and supports the long-term health of Manitou Springs’ open spaces by removing invasive plant species.
This grant comes after the city was named a Local Implementation, Mitigation and Policy Action (Local IMPACT) Accelerator grant awardee Jan. 28.
The city is being considered for $1,553,000, with the final award amount still to be confirmed. This grant supports Manitou Springs in adopting and implementing a new transportation code to improve safety and accessibility.