A group of friends prepare to take a float on the North Platte River on Monday, July 3, 2017 at the Robertson Road Public Access Area. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)

CASPER, Wyo. — The City of Casper is planning to apply for some outdoor recreation grant funding to add up to three new boat ramps along the North Platte River.

The boat ramps would be added near the Tate Pumphouse and in the Riverview Park area, Zulima Lopez, director of Parks, Recreation & Public Facilities, told the City Council on Tuesday. A third ramp could potentially be added near the Best Western Downtown Casper hotel.

The city is planning to apply for grant funding available through the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. That office is administering an outdoor recreation project grant program using about $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The city also plans to apply for some grant funding to add water connections and power service to sites at the Izaak Walton Campground near Fort Caspar Museum, Lopez told the City Council.

The city itself will submit grant applications for the boat ramps and campground projects. It has also been coordinating with the new Natrona County Outdoor Collaborative, the Platte River Trails Trust, the Casper Shooters Club and the Hogadon Night Skiing Project, with those entities considering applying for grants for other projects, according to Lopez.

The Casper Shooters Club is planning to apply for grant money to help support an expansion to the Stuckenhoff Shooters Complex. The Hogadon Night Skiing Project is planning to apply to add night skiing to the Dreadnaught run at the ski area and at the terrain park.

The Platte River Trails Trust is planning to apply for money for:

Grant awards are available from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation and can fall between $20,000 and $749,000. Grant awards over $750,000 may also be provided, but will require special approval and a one-time audit, Lopez added.

Projects that focus on adding recreation elements will score higher than those that seek to add surrounding infrastructure like restrooms, signage or parking lots. Projects on public lands or land open to the public for free will also be prioritized.

In order to receive an award, a 10% match is required. Projects that can provide a higher match will rank higher. Cash and in-kind donations will be considered as a match, Lopez said in a memo to the City Council.

There is no cost to apply for the grants. In terms of match funding, Lopez said in the memo that the proposed projects have identified the following options:

On Tuesday, the Casper City Council indicated its support for the city to apply for the grant funding for the boat ramps and campground project.

More details are available in the following document:

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