By JOHN WATERS, Courier News Editor
COLORADO — Many in the San Luis Valley spend time on the slopes at Wolf Creek or Monarch Mountain, or birding in one of many National Wildlife Refuges.
Others enjoy a quick visit to Zapata Falls or Great Sand Dunes National Park. Many enjoy the challenge of a hunt for deer and elk. A hearty day of ice fishing can land a supper.
Aside from the joy and personal benefits to physical health, mental wellbeing, and social connections of being outdoors, recreation generates huge bucks in Colorado — pardon the pun.
In September 2024, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released the 2025-2029 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) to guide a plan for implementing Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. For over 60 years, those funds have assisted over 1,000 Colorado-based projects…
