Routt County Climate Action Collaborative Fund.
Enable and empower climate action projects in the Yampa Valley.
The Routt County Climate Action Collaborative Fund, held at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, was created to support projects identified by the Routt County Climate Action Plan Collaborative Board as furthering the objectives set out in the Routt County Climate Action Plan. We are excited to announce below the recipients of the first-ever round of CAP Fund grant awards.
2025 CAP Collaborative Fund Recipients
BookTrails
A $20,000 award for BookTrails will go toward the installation of a solar array at Reading Ranch, the campus of the outdoor education program that serves 250 children annually. The solar array will save 21.5 tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of over 30,000 miles being driven, and will serve as an educational tool to teach youth about renewable energy.
Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Northwest Colorado Council of Governments will use their $20,000 award to jumpstart the ReEnergize Routt program, which will provide weatherization assistance to local homeowners, resulting in lower utility bills and increased energy efficiency in homes.
Strings Music Festival
$5,000 in funding awarded to Strings Music Festival will contribute to a project to transition the venue’s stage lights from incandescents to LEDs. Once the entire project is completed, the transition is expected to save 25% of the venue’s current lighting energy usage, cutting over 36 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Routt County Riders
Routt County Riders will put their $5,000 award toward staffing, equipment and development of their Bike Match program, which connects community members in need of transportation options with bikes repaired using upcycled parts. The program is estimated to replace over 31,000 vehicle miles traveled with human powered transportation annually.
“The Foundation is pleased to make these very first grants out of this fund for projects that will reduce greenhouse emissions and make the Yampa Valley a healthier and more sustainable place,” said Tim Wohlgenant, Yampa Valley Community Foundation CEO and CAP Collaborative Board member. “We hope these initial projects inspire continued donations to the fund so we can carry on the important work of tackling climate change.”
Local impact
Your contributions to the fund will directly support LOCAL climate action projects like:
How to donate
Donations can be made directly to the fund via the Yampa Valley Community Foundation website.
Donations to the Climate Action Fund can also be made through The Good Traveler program. Put your travel miles to work for climate in the Yampa Valley. Read more about the Yampa Valley Regional Airport and The Good Traveler partnership.
Why investment in climate action matters now?
The Yampa Valley is home to extensive natural beauty, western spirit, abundant outdoor recreation opportunities, and the native wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Yet like so many other mountain communities, the Yampa Valley is already experiencing regional impacts from climate change. Over the past two decades, Routt County has trended toward an earlier and more rapid snowpack runoff, increased frequency of river closures due to high water temperatures and low flow, increased risk of flooding and drought and elevated severity of wildfires.
An assessment out of the Colorado Climate Center finds that the state has already warmed by 2.3 degrees since 1980 with a prediction of an additional 1 to 4 degrees warming by 2050, with even higher projections for northwest Colorado. Additional warming will intensify heat waves, droughts and wildfires, and heavy and extreme precipitation and flooding are likely to worsen as well. These changing conditions impact our health and safety, our local economy and community, and the recreational opportunities and natural environment we live here to enjoy.
Taking a proactive stance on climate change by supporting the implementation of the Climate Action Plan will allow Routt County to be better prepared for anticipated changes in the regional climate and the impact those changes will have on citizens, landowners and businesses. By working together, residents, governments and all other stakeholders can help reduce our carbon footprint and ensure Routt County remains a vibrant and thriving community for years to come. What we do locally counts, and your actions (and donations!) matter.
