Skip to main content
search
Category

News

Jul 05
Love0

Poudre Heritage Alliance Awards 2022 Community Grants

By News

Poudre Heritage Alliance is excited to support the following projects and activities that celebrate the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area through our community grants program:

 

The Five States of Colorado

For release in 2023, Colorado Humanities and Denver-based HaveyPro Cinema are producing a 90-minute documentary film, The Five States of Colorado. Designed for a wide range of audiences from elementary school-age to adults, the film will address the history and issues within five regions, or “states,” of Colorado to inform, educate, and serve as a basis for community and classroom discussion. Footage will include Learning in Our Watershed programming of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. Post-production, it will be made available as a free, streaming video or download to every public school and academic library in Colorado.

Poudre River Trail Interpretive Signage

This project includes the design, fabrication, and installation of a new interpretive sign at the recently constructed trailhead at Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley, Colorado.  This wayfinding node incorporates shade for visitor comfort.  The sign includes information on the history of Island Grove Park and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area in English and Spanish.  The sign also incorporates historic images, illustrations of local plants and wildlife as well as a regional map of the Poudre Trail.

The Year of the River 2022

Wolverine Farm Publick House is hosting a 6-month celebration of the Cache la Poudre River.  This project invites the community to explore the Poudre River through the lens of creative interpretations from a dozen local artists outside and around the Publick House. Throughout the summer the Year of the River celebration will include pub talks, storytelling events, readings, performances and more.

Poudre River Trail-athon

If it’s an adventure you’re looking for this summer, then check out the 2022 Poudre River Trail-athlon. From June 1-August 1, pick up a free Trail-athlon Adventure Kit available at area libraries. In the kit, you will find ten adventure activities to choose from including a trail journal, take-and-make project, a scavenger hunt, biking, hiking, crafting, and more. The more activities you complete, the more points you earn toward prizes. It’s fun for the whole family!

Life Jacket Loaner Station at Horsetooth Reservoir

This program aims to increase life jacket wear during water-based activities by educating the public about the importance of using a life jacket and how to properly wear and use a life jacket. The Drennon’s Dreams Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Stations will provide the public with free use of life jackets on a first-come, first-served basis, while recreating at Horsetooth Reservoir in alignment with Poudre Heritage Alliance’s Play it Safe program.

If you have questions about these projects, grants, or the Poudre Heritage Alliance, contact bbullard@poudreheritage.org.

May 10
Love0

May is Historic Preservation Month!

By News, Uncategorized

Celebrate Historic Preservation Month! See the list below of things you can do this month to connect with history in the NoCo area.

Traces of the Past History Tours

Location: Fort Collins, CO

Website: Traces of the Past History Tours – Home

Explore the history of Fort Collins and the surrounding region with Traces of the Past History Tours. We offer guided tours and formal programs that are fun and educational for all ages. Choose from two tour options of Fort Collins and special tours of sites around the CO/WY/NE region. Our Saturday evening talks give you an opportunity to learn about interesting historical topics in great detail. To add to the enjoyment, our tour guide and program presenter is dressed in historic period clothing and displays original and reproduction period objects to enhance the experience. We look forward to seeing you!

Majestic Mountains Scenic Rides

Location: Fort Collins, CO

Website: Sightseeing tour, Ft Collins Tours, Majestic Mtns Scenic Rides (majesticmountainsscenicrides.com)

Scenic sightseeing and history tours to the Northern Colorado Mountains leaving from Fort Collins.  The driver will guide you along the way with points of interest and interesting facts. Each tour is filled with beautiful scenery and your guide gives the history of the settlers and pioneers of the areas we visit.  There are multiple stops to allow for photographs along the way.

 

Greeley History Museum

Location: Greeley,CO

Website: Greeley History Museum | Greeley Museums

The Greeley History Museum provides 34,000 square feet to explore and learn about the history of Greeley and notable community members such as Nathan Meeker, Rattlesnake Kate, Dr. Ella Mead, and P.T. Barnum, as well as bison hunters, cowboys, stoop laborers and prisoners of war from World War II. They maintain the permanent display “Utopia: Adaptation on the Great American Desert,” which teaches about the earliest human inhabitants of the Union Colony, the contributions of water buffaloes, mavericks, and mentors. The museum schedules traveling and temporary exhibits which feature artifacts from the museum’s archives.

Centennial Village Museum

Location: Greeley, CO

Website: Centennial Village Museum | Greeley Museums

This living history museum, situated on eight acres, features over 30 original homes and structures, lush gardens and paved walking paths providing a look at local life from the 1870s through early 1930s. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through the early history of our region in these buildings and period landscaped grounds. Throughout the summer, families can take part in interactive experiences from one-room school to military demonstrations on horseback. During a visit to Centennial Village, you will learn about how our early pioneers lived on the high-plains region of Colorado, especially focused on our agricultural heritage.

Windsor Art & Heritage Center

Stop by the Art and Heritage Center in Windor to celebrate History Preservation Month!

Location: 116 5th St, Windsor, CO

Website: Historic Preservation | Windsor, CO – Official Website (windsorgov.com)

Friday, May 13th, 2022: 5:30-7:30

Saturday, May 14th, 2022: 10am- noon

Enjoy a fun history activity and light refreshments while you learn about Windsor’s historic buildings!

May 03
Love0

Press Release: Neguse Chairs Hearing on Legislation to Preserve Colorado National Heritage Areas

By News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Thursday, April 28, 2022

 

Contact: Grace Martinez

Grace.Martinez@mail.house.gov

 

Neguse Chairs Hearing on Legislation to Preserve Colorado National Heritage Areas

 

View his opening remarks HERE.

 

Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, Chair of the U.S. Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on legislation that expands protections to National Parks, including his bill to preserve the Cache La Poudre, Sangre de Cristo and South Park National Heritage Areas in Colorado. Neguse introduced the Colorado National Heritage Areas Reauthorization Act last month – to ensure Colorado’s three heritage areas continue to receive National Park Service (NPS) funding through 2036.

 

“The heritage areas in our state, including the Cache La Poudre Heritage Area in my district offer a wide array of outdoor activities for visitors from across the country. From hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, fishing and birdwatching to soaking in the rich history of our state at museums and historical places these areas offer so much to the spirit of our state,” said Congressman Neguse. “As we recognize the needs and challenges to the long-term management of public lands across our country, we must continue to work to ensure our parks tell the whole American story.”

 

“Colorado has the honor of having three designated National Heritage Areas: Cache la Poudre, Sangre de Cristo, and South Park. Each of these landscapes is historically and culturally significant and has strong grassroots, regional support. At the Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area, our programs include opportunities for student learning, river safety initiatives, storytelling, visitor wayfinding, historic preservation, oral history documentation, and a variety of family friendly events and activities along the river and its trail system.” said Sabrina Stoker, Executive Director of the Poudre Heritage Alliance. “H.R. 7218 [Colorado National Heritage Areas Reauthorization Act] will provide the Colorado National Heritage Areas with crucial funding stability and the opportunity to continue telling the stories that celebrate the culture and heritage of the great State of Colorado.”

 

The hearing also covered the National Discovery Trails Act, the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act, the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act, the Gateway Solidarity Act, and the Ukrainian Independence Park Act.

 

Witnesses included: Joy Beasley, Associate Director of the Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science National Park Service, Eric Seaborg, President of the American Discovery Trail Society, Reno Keoni Franklin, Chairman of the Kashia Pomo Tribe, Nick Loris, Vice President of Public Policy of C3 Solutions, Angela M. Thorpe, Director of the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, Michael Sawkiw, Vice President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and Sabrina Stoker, Executive Director of the Poudre Heritage Alliance

 

View the entire hearing HERE. 

 

Background: 

 

Congressman Neguse and Congressman Lamborn unveiled the bipartisan, bicameral Colorado National Heritage Areas Reauthorization Act on March 25, 2022. The bill is carried in the Senate by Colorado Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper.

 

Colorado’s three National Heritage Areas were first authorized in 2009 following years of grassroots organizing from stakeholders in their respective regions. NHAs leverage federal NPS funds for historic and cultural preservation projects with the support of counties, tourism, and historic preservation organizations. Colorado’s three National Heritage Areas have all completed notable projects since they were authorized in 2009. At the South Park NHA, NPS funds have helped to restore the endangered Paris Mill near Alma. Within the Sangre de Cristo NHA, funds have helped to share the story of the first desegregation case in the nation, Mestas v. Shone. At the Cache la Poudre NHA, they leveraged NPS funds to develop a water education curriculum at the Poudre River that can be accessed across the West.

 

###

Jun 09
Love0

PHA Awards More Than $35,000 To Large Grant Recipients

By News

The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA) has awarded several local projects with funds from the 2021 large grants cycle. The newest projects include “The Hand That Feeds” Sculpture Monument, a Poudre Basin Information Website, Watering the West. Other projects that will be continued from last year’s grant cycle but were put on hold due to COVD-19 will continue work this year. This includes the Eaton House and the Jacoby Halfway House Site. The total of awards being distributed is more than $35,000 out of PHA’s budget, which largely comes from federal funding sources. See below for descriptions of the newest projects:

 

Watering the West 

Watering the West enlightens audiences about water issues in the American West: past, present, and future: where the water comes from, where it goes and how it gets there; the unique nature of western water law and its origins, and how growing populations and a changing climate will impact a diverse group of water users that rely on the rivers that deliver the mountain snow that makes the American West habitable. Through personal stories from city planners, farmers and ranchers, recreators and ecologists, brewers and water resource managers with the Poudre River as our backdrop, we explore transmountain and local diversions; storage projects and farms; water court and water auctions, water measurement and delivery, a backcountry river journey; and the listening sessions, council meetings and forums where opinions divide neighbors, towns, and industry leaders. The films introduce us to the people and programs that aim for listening, connection, and cooperation, to those who seek to replace divisiveness with collaboration as the American West moves into a future of increasingly scarce water supplies. From past to present and with an animation of the 1874 dispute between Union Colony and Fort Collins farmers that nearly turned violent to the 1986 re- enactment of a water broker purchasing a farm with water rights to secure water for the City of Thornton to an animated song which teaches the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation, WATERING the WEST educates, entertains and presents a case for cooperation around one of the most pressing issues of our time. 

 

“The Hand That Feeds” Sculptural Monument 

A Sculptural Monument designed to preserve and honor the rich family history and significant contributions of the Mexican and Hispanic people who worked the beet fields of northern Colorado. Located in Fort Collins Sugar Beet Park on a city-designed plaza, an interpretive storyboard and educational programs will enable visitors and students to understand their impact on our community. Mujeres de Colores is fundraising to underwrite the project with support from community partners and committed individuals with a goal to complete the monument by October 2021 with unveiling during Hispanic Heritage Month. 

 

Poudre Basic Information Website 

The Poudre Basin Information website project is a cross-jurisdictional information website for the Poudre Basin, focusing on topics that have a nexus with water issues. The funds from this large grant will focus on integrating data and information related to Poudre Heritage Alliance themes, including historical data about water infrastructure and use, connections to water law and administration, issues related to water demand and supply, and providing data and information to reduce conflict and increase cooperation. An initial implementation of the website can be found at http://poudre.openwaterfoundation.org/. This website is an open source community resource that can be used by organizations, decision makers, and the public to better understand water issues in the basin. Many organizations provide useful datasets and informational content.  However, it can be difficult to find and use information. The Poudre Basin Information website serves as a regional resource to support education and decision making. The website provides information about entities in the basin, including municipalities and water providers, ditch companies, environmental organizations, education organizations, and many other datasets.  The information is organized spatially and temporally to provide context for basin entities, current conditions, historical data, seasonal outlook, and future planning, involving over 70 maps and associated data visualizations when fully implemented.   

 

If you have a project that needs funding, we still have small grants available on a rolling basis. Check out our grants page for more information. If you have questions about these projects, grants, or the Poudre Heritage Alliance, contact communications@poudreheritage.org.

May 27
Love0

Intern Spotlight: Brit Austin

By News

Give a warm welcome to our newest intern Brit! They’ll be working with us through UNC to assess and improve existing trails in the Heritage Area. As for a little bit about them, Brit got their Associate’s as a Veterinary Technician and earned their certification in 2018. They recently decided to go back to school UNC to pursue a degree in Biology and later discovered a passion for, and decided to minor in, Geographic Information Science.

Brit has a passion of learning and sharing education related to Biology, GIS, animals, and the LGBTQA+ community. They live in Loveland with their husband, their dog, two cats, two snakes, and axolotl. In their spare time they enjoy archery, hiking, and rollerblading.

We’re so excited to have you Brit!

Mar 06
Love0

Press Release: National Heritage Area Program Bill Passes in House of Representatives, Supports Program Longevity 

By News

NEWS RELEASE 

March 6th, 2021 

For immediate release; for more information, contact: 

Kathleen Benedict, Executive Director 

Poudre Heritage Alliance 

(970)-222-5795 

 

National Heritage Area Program Bill Passes in House of Representatives, Supports Program Longevity
 

Washington, DC – Colorado, USA (March 6) – The passage of the National Heritage Areas Act of 2021, H.R. 1316, as part of H.R. 803, the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, on February 26, 2021, standardizes the criteria in which future National Heritage Areas (NHAs) will be designated under and defines structures that will allow more consistent federal support. This will affect all 55 National Heritage Areas, including the three existing ones in Colorado. NHAs are places designated by Congress for their cultural, natural, historic resources that combined tell a nationally significant story about our nation’s diverse heritage.  

The three Colorado Heritage Areas, Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (designated in 1996), South Park National Heritage Area (designated in 2009), and Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (designated 2009), are currently authorized to only receive appropriated funding for three more years until the year 2024. While not considered National Park Units, NHAs receive technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service who administers the program. Among championing historic preservation, educational programming, and heritage tourism, NHAs generate economic value for their communities, on average $5.50 per $1 of federal funds spent. An Economic Impact Study completed in 2017 by the Poudre Heritage Alliance (the managing entity of the Cache la Poudre River NHA) showed an annual $81.6 million impact on their region and $6.9 million generated in tax revenues. 

The National Heritage Areas Act of 2020, H.R. 1049, would have initially passed in the House of Representatives on December 4th, 2020, but stalled in the Senate. H.R. 1049 would have allowed NHAs to receive an additional ten years of federal funding and had more than 220 cosponsors. The National Heritage Area Act of 2021 has bipartisan support, being sponsored by Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-WV), and is currently being reviewed in the Senate. 

 

ABOUT THE CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA AND THE POUDRE HERITAGE ALLIANCE 

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), a 45-mile stretch of the Lower Poudre River, tells the story of the river where Western Water Law took shape and how the river still informs the use of water throughout the arid West today.  CALA’s 501(c)3 nonprofit managing entity, the Poudre Heritage Alliance – PROMOTES a variety of historical and cultural opportunities; ENGAGES people in their river corridor; and INSPIRES learning, preservation, and stewardship. Find out more at:  https://poudreheritage.org/ 

 

### 

Feb 23
Love0

Poudre Heritage Alliance and Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area Announce Large Grant Cycle for 2021

By News

Poudre Heritage Alliance and Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area Announce Large Grant Cycle for 2021

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS APRIL 15TH

 

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 – The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) is now accepting proposals for the 2021 large grant cycle. Every year, the PHA makes a portion of its federal funding available to its regional partners as grants. These grants support projects, programs, and events that benefit local communities and reflect the mission of the Poudre Heritage Alliance to PROMOTE, ENGAGE, and INSPIRE.

Those interested in a large grant for their project will need to read the guidelines and submit an application that can be found online: https://poudreheritage.org/grant-information/

A list of previous grant recipients is also available online if you are curious about the kinds of projects that have received funding in the past. The minimum amount awarded for large grants is $3,001. PHA also offers small grants, in amounts up to $3,000, on a rolling basis. The deadline for large grant proposals is April 15 and the grant recipients will be notified on June 11.

ABOUT THE POUDRE HERITAGE ALLIANCE

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), a 45-mile stretch of the Lower Poudre River, tells the story of the river where Western Water Law took shape and how the river still informs the use of water throughout the arid West today.  CALA’s 501(c)3 nonprofit managing entity, the Poudre Heritage Alliance – PROMOTES a variety of historical and cultural opportunities; ENGAGES people in their river corridor; and INSPIRES learning, preservation, and stewardship. Find out more at https://poudreheritage.org/

 

 

Feb 04
Love0

Virtual Volunteer Rendezvous – Feb. 7

By News

 

Looking to make an impact in our local historic watershed? A Heritage Culturalist Volunteer for the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) does just that. Volunteers are trained on our significant local resources, western water law, and interpretive sites in the area – then help support the PHA in celebrating and preserving the heritage of the Poudre River.  Volunteers can participate in sponsored events, work on historic documentation projects, be involved in PHAs programming, lead workshops and guided bike tours of the area, and so much more! Join us at our annual volunteer rendezvous for more information on volunteering with PHA and a virtual tour of the Windsor History Museum! 

 

Our annual rendezvous is a FREE and FUN event the Poudre Heritage Alliance hosts each year to say THANK YOU to our volunteers! This is also an opportunity to further your own knowledge of local history, water heritage, and the rivers enduring legacy. This year, our rendezvous will be a private virtual tour of the Windsor History Museum. This year we are opening up the event to anyone who is interested in what it means to become a Heritage Culturalist Volunteer as well! ⁠ 

 

We hope you will join us from 1pm-2pm on February 7th!

Please RSVP using this form: https://forms.gle/kVnFANFJRb5MnPT48

 

The zoom call information can be found below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88494533718?pwd=Q0l3bFlieUtXTmJrS3Z6OG9RaXhnZz09

Meeting ID: 884 9453 3718
Passcode: PHA

 

Feb 01
Love0

Intern Spotlight: Molly Wade

By News

We are excited to welcome Molly Wade as our new Communications and Graphic Design Intern! Molly comes to our organization through the Conservation Legacy Stewards Program and will be assisting with our social media and various communications outlets.

She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in Arts and Technology in 2018 and a minor in Art History. She has a long history of working with nonprofits, along with a deep love for good design and the outdoors. Outside of work, she’s usually baking gluten-free treats or dog-watching at her local dog park.  

Jan 15
Love0

Poudre Heritage Alliance Receives New Capacity Building Grant from National Park Foundation

By News

NEWS RELEASE

January 15th, 2021

For immediate release; for more information, contact:

Kathleen Benedict,

Director of the Poudre Heritage Alliance

970-222-5795

kbenedict@poudreheritage.org 

Alanna Sobel, National Park Foundation

202-796-2538

asobel@nationalparks.org

 

Poudre Heritage Alliance Receives New Capacity Building Grant from National Park Foundation

GRANT EXPANDS IMPACT FOR THREE COLORADO HERITAGE AREAS

FORT COLLINS – (January 15th, 2021) The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) is one of 36 park partner organizations to receive a Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity-building grant from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. This grant will enable PHA with fellow partners Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area and South Park National Heritage Area to: deliver economic benefits to sites within the National Heritage Areas,  strengthen local and regional partnerships, and promote an expanded range of heritage tourism offerings in Colorado. The full list of grantees can be found on the National Park Foundation’s blog. 

“We are so grateful to receive this capacity-building grant from the National Park Foundation to build on the base of our Colorado Heritage Journey project, especially as our destination partners work towards tourism recovery post-COVID-19,”  said Kathleen Benedict, Executive Director at the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. “Heritage tourism helps to protect the resources that define our communities distinct character and promote a sense of place, we hope our efforts today will support the future stewardship of these significant resources tomorrow.”

The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program helps address nonprofit park partner needs that have come to the forefront amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Park partners identified resiliency and ability to weather times of uncertainty as priority needs. These grants will enable park partners across the country to expand their impact through new technology, website redesigns, creative visitor engagement, strategic plan development, fundraising campaigns, professional development, and more.

“The National Park Foundation is committed to increasing national park philanthropy across the board, and being responsive to current needs,” said LaTresse Snead, chief program officer for the National Park Foundation. “The capacity-building grants help advance park partners’ goals to preserve natural and cultural resources, increase access to public lands for all people, and develop innovative programming.” 

Strong Parks, Strong Communities is a collective effort to grow national park philanthropy, which consists of approximately 450 local philanthropic organizations across the country. Working together on this initiative, the National Park Foundation, National Park Service, and Friends Alliance enhance local philanthropic organizations, bringing park philanthropy to an elevated level. 

The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program is made possible by the National Park Foundation Board of Directors. 

 

ABOUT THE POUDRE HERITAGE ALLIANCE

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), a 45-mile stretch of the Lower Poudre River, tells the story of the river where Western Water Law took shape and how the river still informs the use of water throughout the arid West today.  CALA’s 501(c)3 nonprofit managing entity, the Poudre Heritage Alliance – PROMOTES a variety of historical and cultural opportunities; ENGAGES people in their river corridor; and INSPIRES learning, preservation, and stewardship. Find out more at https://poudreheritage.org/

 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION 

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts and connect all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

 

 

Close Menu