Date: Tue, 05/15/2018 KidFishingNM.jpg Grant helps TU and Questa restore Red River, revitalize outdoors economy (Questa, NM)—Trout Unlimited announced today that it has received an $80,000 grant from the LOR Foundation for its Upper Rio Grande Community Initiative, a program focused on revitalizing Questa and other rural New Mexican communities by restoring the land and water upon which they depend for both economic development and quality of life. “We greatly appreciate the LOR Foundation’s commitment to local solutions that benefit local communities and rural quality of life,” said Toner Mitchell, Trout Unlimited’s New Mexico project coordinator. “We share LOR’s vision of a sustainable, land-based economy for rural New Mexico, and their generous support will help us and our partners bring that vision to reality.” Trout Unlimited will use the LOR funds to continue working with partners to develop Questa’s growing recreational economy, through job creation and workforce training; restoring trout habitat and healthy flows in the Red River watershed; developing tourism infrastructure such as trails and access; and marketing and promoting Questa businesses and recreational opportunities. Like many other rural communities, Questa was founded upon large-scale extraction of natural resources from surrounding landscapes. With the shuttering of the local mine, however, Questa and other local communities are working to recreate themselves and seize new opportunities based on the area’s abundant natural resources, such as the nearby Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the Red River—both major draws for tourism. “Here in northern New Mexico, people have a close relationship to the land,” said Mitchell. “We’re hoping to build on that connection and find a new model for how Questa and other rural communities can thrive.” For more information about the Rio Grande Community Initiative, contact Toner Mitchell, tmitchell@tu.org, (505) 231-8860. # # # Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and follow our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation. The LOR Foundation was established in 2007 to enhance livability and quality of life for rural communities in New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Their model of community-driven philanthropy is shaping the strategy of other organizations and funders across the West.