COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — For years, Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region has helped connect southeast Colorado Springs families to camping trips, hiking excursions, fly fishing, rafting and other outdoor experiences.
For Joyce Salazar, executive director of RISE Southeast, the impact goes beyond recreation.
"They didn't have to worry about the challenges," said Salazar. "They could just be kids."
Now, the coalition is facing an uncertain future after losing the organization responsible for coordinating its work, a change that coalition leaders say puts more than $1 million in future funding at risk.
What happened?
Generation Wild is funded through Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), which uses Colorado Lottery proceeds to support outdoor access programs across the state.
Under the grant structure, the City of Colorado Springs serves as the fiscal agent, managing grant funds and compliance requirements.
A community nonprofit serves as the coalition's "capacity holder" or "backbone organization," coordinating partner organizations and overseeing day-to-day operations.
According to the city, Catamount Institute had been serving in that role until this spring.
"Catamount Institute notified us, gave us 30-day notice that they were no longer able to serve in that role," said Jennifer Pierceall with Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services.
Without a capacity holder, city officials say the coalition could not continue receiving future funding under GOCO's requirements.
Why did Catamount step away?
In a statement provided to News5, Catamount Institute Executive Director Maury Peterson said the organization remains committed to Generation Wild's mission, but could no longer sustain the leadership role.
"As a small nonprofit with limited staff, Catamount Institute was no longer able to serve as the Capacity Holder/Backbone Organization for the Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Coalition grant," wrote Peterson.
Peterson said Catamount has spent the last two years balancing several major priorities, including implementing a new strategic plan, fundraising efforts and expanding programming at its recently acquired mountain campus in Woodland Park.
“Back in April, we informed the leadership of City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services and Get Outdoors Colorado that while we did not have the capacity to continue on in the role of Capacity Holder, we would remain as an active Generation Wild Pikes Peak Region Program Provider members and coalition collaborator,” added Peterson.
Catamount says it continues to serve thousands of children annually through its own outdoor education programs.
Coalition leaders surprised by timing
The news came as a surprise to some coalition partners.
"We were surprised," said Salazar. "It was four months into the new grant cycle, which was a five-year grant cycle."
Salazar said coalition members quickly began discussing ways to keep the work moving forward.
“We will take what we have, and we will do what we have to do to make things work. Every single challenge has been an opportunity for something greater,” said Salazar.
RISE Southeast submitted a letter of interest to become the coalition's new backbone organization.
"RISE did apply," said Salazar. "We were very excited about that."
However, Salazar said the final decision was not made by coalition partners.
According to Pierceall, serving as a capacity holder requires significant administrative support.
"It requires resources that aren't necessarily funded by the grant,” she said.
What does this mean for families?
Over the last decade, coalition leaders say Generation Wild has helped remove barriers that often prevent families from accessing outdoor recreation.
“I have seen the youth in this community engage with partners in a way that they had not ever before,” said Salazar.
Salazar said many children who participated in coalition programs experienced activities that might otherwise have been out of reach.
"Our youth are able to go on camping trips, backpacking excursions, fly fishing trips, white water rafting and so many other things," she said.
She said transportation, program costs and lack of awareness have historically been barriers for many families in southeast Colorado Springs. Generation Wild helped bridge those gaps by connecting residents with organizations and funding opportunities.
What's next?
Despite the setback, coalition leaders say the work is not ending.
“We will do what we can do with the money that we have and we hope that we will be able to secure funding to continue the work,” said Salazar.
Community partners gathered Thursday to discuss future funding opportunities and ways to sustain programs already serving families across the region.
Salazar says coalition members remain committed to continuing that momentum.
"There are so many people that care about kids, they care about the outdoors, they care about access," said Salazar. "Help us sustain the momentum that we've built with our families and kids."
According to city officials, approximately $126,000 in grant funding remains available to support coalition programming through the end of 2026.
Coalition leaders say they are exploring additional funding sources and preparing for future opportunities, including the possibility of pursuing Generation Wild funding again if a new grant cycle opens in the coming years.
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