On Monday, December 9, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the largest infrastructure project to receive funding through the Colorado State Outdoor Recreation grant (COSORG). Panadero Ski Corporation received $250,000 to support operational expenses related to Cuchara Mountain Park, a small ski area in Huerfano County which closed in 2000 and will reopen for the 2024-2025 ski season on December 14.
“Outdoor recreation is a lot of fun and core to who we are as Coloradans. Increasing access to our high country recreation is great for Coloradans and helps to strengthen our local economies. Thanks to a state and local partnership during the 2024-2025 ski season, Coloradans will have new ski opportunities in Huerfano Country.”
— Governor Polis
Non-profit Panadero Ski Corporation is dedicated to bringing skiing and year-round recreation to Cuchara Mountain Park. The community-based ski hill will provide access to seven runs perfect for kids, beginners, and families. Once operational, nearby businesses can extend their operating hours, maintain summer seasonal employees through the winter, and improve the local communities’ access to services. For updates and to plan a trip, visit www.cucharamountainpark.org.
“We are thrilled to support the reopening of Cuchara Mountain Park in Huerfano County. When community-based recreation areas thrive, local economies do too. Nearby businesses can expand operating hours, seasonal jobs become year-round, and quality of life improves for residents. That’s an incredible win for our rural communities.”
— Eve Lieberman, Executive Director, OEDIT
Today’s COSORG grant was made possible by funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) State Tourism Grant. In total, COSORG awarded more than $3.7 million to 49 projects in 27 counties. Approximately 413 jobs have been directly supported, with indirect benefits impacting hundreds of jobs. The awarded grants have also supported efforts to make the outdoor recreation industry more inclusive and accessible through outdoor experiences for BIPOC youth, cancer survivors, and Spanish-speaking populations, among others.
“In Colorado, we are lucky to live in a state that has no rival when it comes to our iconic natural landscapes. By offering beginner-friendly and affordable skiing and snowboarding, Cuchara will help ensure that more Coloradans can access outdoor recreation and become life-long skiers and riders,” OREC Director Conor Hall said.
The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) provides a central point of contact, advocacy, and resources at the state level for the diverse constituents, businesses, and communities that rely on the continued health of the outdoor recreation economy. OREC’s mission is to champion industry, communities, and people to come to life through Colorado’s great outdoors.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal isto protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.
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Great news for Cuchara Mountain Park but this article is a little deceiving as to what it perceives as the reopening of the ski area. I love this place and always encourage any development of the ski hill but be prepared for what is available. If it has plenty of snow and you have backcountry gear, it’s fantastic!
This is such a great thing! This is when government shines brightest when it does things to support local economies and things that are positive to communities as opposed to the corporate welfare that the federal government has been so notorious for. Thank you to Gov. Polis and the non-profit for helping rejuvenate an outdoor community that is a hidden gem in Colorado. I can’t wait to hop in the car and drive a few hours from my home in Gunnison to go ski Cuchara for the first time. The Spanish Peaks region is a really great area that often gets overlooked by the rest of Colorado.
The issue that is not being discussed is if there is no natural snow is this ski resort now going to manufacturer artificial snow? Artificial snow is made from trisiloxanes which are a strong adjuvant chemical group used with pesticide applications. In New Mexico this chemical is used to create snow by drawing water from natural areas then the melt off is this chemical water. It destroys ecosystems and anything below this area may potentially feel this impact. This seems far fetched, but the very issue is happening in New Mexico below ski resorts now and includes eutrophication of the water (removes oxygen) and algae formation. Farmers are having many crop failures and ecosystems are being permanently impacted. So before you congratulate this effort, it is best to be informed on how they are accomplishing this new ski resort and producing snow.