During the fall 2015 funding cycle, the Environment Foundation Board’s largest grants focused on renewable energy and planning efforts to preserve the heavily impacted Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness areas. Grants to improve the health of the Roaring Fork River, support communities opposed to inappropriate oil and gas development, cultivate future environmental stewards, and ensure popular hiking and biking trails remain in sound condition were also funded.
Here is a round-up of some of our funding highlights:
Conservation Colorado’s Education Fund (CCEF)
Conservation Colorado’s Education Fund (CCEF) received $10,000 to build support for initiatives to continue Colorado’s leadership in renewable energy while combatting climate change.
Energetics Education’s Solar Rollers Program
To increase understanding of renewable energy by youth funding was awarded to Energetics Education’s Solar Rollers Program. The program engages youth in building solar-powered cars that are ultimately raced against other students and schools.
Throughout the competition students are constantly learning about the underlying technology, physics and engineering that is required to build a winning remote control car.
“Our mission is to inspire young people to develop knowledge in the field of energy and empower them to improve the world’s energy systems,” says Noah Davis, Executive Director of Energetics Education, “while building and racing Solar Roller cars is fun, fast and inspiring for teenagers, these little cars represent a valuable opportunity for students to engage deeply in studying energy-based solutions to climate change.”
“Our mission is to inspire young people to develop knowledge in the field of energy and empower them to improve the world’s energy systems.”
–Noah Davis, Executive Director of Energetics Education
White River National Forest (WRNF)
With over 12 million annual visitors to 2.3 million acres of public land, the White River National Forest (WRNF) is the most heavily visited National Forest in the United States. Over the past nine years the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area has seen radically increasing visitation levels that are no longer sustainable for the fragile alpine environments.
A $10,000 grant supports the planning process for a Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness High-Use Initiative to explore potential visitor management systems that preserve a wilderness aesthetic at Conundrum Hot Springs and throughout the Four Pass Loop.
Fall 2015 Grants
In total, the Foundation donated more than $91,900 to 15 projects in the fall of 2015. Fall 2015 funded projects represent a range of environmental issues facing the Roaring Fork Valley:
| Fall 2015 | |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies: Three Years of General Operating Support for Environmental Education Programming ($7,500 commitment per cycle through 12/31/17) | $7,500.00 |
| Aspen TREE: Earth Keepers Community Day Camp | $5,407.00 |
| Citizens for a Healthy Community: Oil & Gas Government Accountability Program | $7,500.00 |
| Colorado Outward Bound School: Harnessing Potential through the Marble Basecamp | $8,000.00 |
| Colorado Water Trust: Restore the Roaring Fork River | $4,000.00 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fund: Increasing Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard | $10,000.00 |
| Energetics Education: Solar Rollers Program | $7,500.00 |
| Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center: build the political support for effective implementation and defense of the Clean Power Plan in Colorado | $5,000.00 |
| Independence Pass Foundation: Middle School Tree Planting | $1,408.00 |
| Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation: General Operating Support | $4,000.00 |
| Red Hill Council: 2015 Red Hill Blue Ribbon Trail Reroute Project | $3,600.00 |
| Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association: Trail Agent Program | $4,500.00 |
| Snowmass Discovery, Inc.: Colorado’s Legacy Fossil Discovery as a Platform for Climate Change Education | $6,000.00 |
| White River National Forest - Aspen-Sopris Ranger District: Wilderness Ranger Internship Program and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness High Use Initiative | $10,000.00 |
| Wilderness Workshop: Forest Watchdog Program | $7,500.00 |
| Total | $91,915.00 |
Applications for the spring 2016 grant cycle are due March 1, 2016. Those interested in receiving an application can email Matthew Hamilton at mhamilton@aspensnowmass.com.