I'm happy to report that the OHV grant was officially awarded in the amount of $90,100! This grant will pay for all of the rock scaling work above the ROW and the clearing of debris from the ROW itself from the Sherrod Loop all the way up to the West Portal. The ROW will be cleared this upcoming August so that the tunnel complex will be accessible by vehicle for the first time since 2016. Please note this access will be from the Hancock side via Williams Pass. Access from the Pitkin side will not be restored until the Palisade Wall is repaired. The rock scaling work will occur next summer as soon as weather permits.
While this grant will not fund any actual repair of the Palisade Wall itself, it does fund these critical first steps of preparation. We also hope and expect that it will help secure further funding. The next move will be the re-application for State Historical Fund money on July 1st. I will report back to ask for help with the SHF when we have clear direction on the need. There should be an opportunity for the public to send letters of support and all help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all who have supported this effort thus far! It's moving slowly but it is moving and I'm confident it will get done.