El Paso County approves $200,000 grant for Paint Mines improvements
The grant will support planned fencing and trail work intended to protect the park’s formations; commissioners also added the grant revenue and spending to the 2026 budget.
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El Paso County commissioners approved a $200,000 grant from Lyda Hill Philanthropies for planned improvements at Paint Mines Interpretive Park, including fencing and trail features intended to guide visitors and protect the park’s fragile formations.
The board approved the grant contract Oct. 13 in a 5-0 consent-calendar vote. The resolution also recognized $200,000 in grant revenue and appropriated the same amount for Parks Department expenditures in the county’s 2026 budget, according to the approved resolution and grant materials.
The grant is for Phase I of the Paint Mines Stewardship and Access Enhancement Project. The contract and project documents describe fencing along existing paths and trail improvements such as boardwalks at drainage crossings and steps in steep passages. The work is intended to improve visitor safety and access while protecting geological formations and habitat. Project materials list an additional $200,000 county contribution, for a stated total project budget of $400,000.
The grant period runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. Payment is due after the contract is fully executed, and the county must submit a final expenditure report by Nov. 30, 2027.
The grant had been withdrawn from the commissioners’ Sept. 22 consent-calendar vote, according to the minutes of that meeting.