The Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District Board of Directors today announces its awards for the Fall 2013 Grant Cycle.

The Mesa County FML District exercises an essential public function: to alleviate social, economic, and public finance impacts resulting from federal mineral leasing activities in our communities. As an independent public body charged by the state legislature, we accomplish this function primarily through funding regular grant cycles. The MCFMLD is pleased to be able to distribute the financial resources generated by the development of natural resources on federal lands within Mesa County to communities impacted by those activities.

Awards in the Traditional Grant Program were made to:

• The Town of Palisade for the Palisade Downtown Street Reconstruction in the amount of $575,000;
• The City of Fruita for their Park and Public Works Maintenance Facility in the amount of $250,000;
• Colorado Mesa University for the CMU Ground Source Heat Exchange Expansion Project in the amount of $556,998;
• And to the Clifton Sanitation District for their Collection System Replacement / Upgrade in the amount of $300,000.

Awards in the Mini Grant Program were made to:

• The Clifton Fire Protection District for their AVL/Fire Mobile Project in the amount of $29,000;
• The Lower Valley Fire Protection District for their Fire Station Remodel Project in the amount of $50,000;
• The DeBeque Fire Protection District for Planning for New Fire Station in the amount of $25,000.

The grants awarded for the Fall 2013 Grant Cycle totaled $1,785,998. The grants awarded for the Traditional Grant Program totaled $1,681,998. The grants awarded for the Mini Grant Program totaled $104,000.

The Spring 2014 Grant Cycle will begin in February with award announcements anticipated in April.

For more information on the Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District, please visit our website at www.mesaFML.org.