VALLEY – The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) announced the award of $2,030,895 as part of the Tier I Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Funds (EIAF) program. There were a total of 20 local governments that received Tier I funding from EIAF.

Grant awards included $50,000 as requested for the Rio Grande County Land Use Development Code Update.

DOLA administers the EIAF grant program to promote sustainable community development, increase livability and resilience in communities through strategic investments in asset-building activities. The EIAF program assists political subdivisions that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels.

Funds for the program come from the state severance tax on energy and mineral production and from a portion of the state’s share of royalties paid to the federal government for mining and drilling of minerals and mineral fuels on federally-owned land.