Four local projects are among a group handpicked by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, that is on track to receive funding through congressional appropriation.

On Thursday, Hickenlooper announced the procurement of $67 million for 76 projects across Colorado. Of those 76 projects, one is in Craig, two are in Steamboat Springs and one is in Oak Creek.

Projects in the Yampa Valley that could receive funding include the Craig Business and Industrial Park project, set to receive $2.5 million; the South Routt Medical Center Expansion in Oak Creek, slated to receive $2.3 million; the Workforce Housing Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection in Steamboat, slated to receive $1 million; and the Steamboat Assisted Living Cooling System, set to get $105,000.

A Water Tank Repair project for Kremmling is expected to receive $96,000, and another project in Meeker, Pioneers Medical Center Cybersecurity, is scheduled to receive $371,000 from this pool of federal money. 

“We’re helping Colorado grow by ensuring we get our fair share,” Hickenlooper said in a news release. “From rural health clinics to food banks and water treatment facilities, these projects are being driven by Coloradans themselves, not a federal bureaucrat.”

Although the effort has cleared the Appropriations Committee, it still has to be cleared and added to the Senate’s spending bill.

Ken Rogers, director of South Routt Medical, said the hospital was excited to hear the news and is looking forward to the next steps.

To qualify for congressionally directed spending, requests must be submitted by local governments or nonprofits. Senators then have the opportunity to submit these projects for consideration in one of the nine annual funding bills that accept congressionally directed spending requests.

Craig, Steamboat and Oak Creek receive these grants alongside 49 other communities across 35 counties. Hickenlooper helped to secure $67 million for these grants from the final omnibus funding bill that totaled $79.3 million for Colorado.

Last year, Hickenlooper secured $66.6 million for 62 projects across Colorado. This funding helped realize projects that address priorities across the state, including investments in affordable housing, clean energy and health care.

Two projects in Craig, Community Kitchen Small Business Incubator and Craig Energy Center Feasibility Study, received $700,000 collectively from this funding pool.