Donors to the town of Silverton’s yearly Skijoring event will be getting some incentive in 2023. The Norwegian-inspired horse-and-ski competition has been approved by the Colorado Economic Development Commission as an Enterprise Zone Contribution Project, which will give donors to the visitor attraction a 25% state tax credit if they donate more than $200, or a $12.5% state tax credit for in-kind donations.
Skijoring, a timed competition in which a skier is pulled by horse and rider across a 2½-block track complete with three jumps and a three-ring stand, has become a tradition in Silverton, bringing money into the community during the winter months when the isolated town is struggling the most financially.
“Silverton Skijoring has become the annual event that we count on to bring a huge winter financial boost to a community which truly struggles through that season,” said San Juan County Commissioner Scott Fetchenhier in a news release.
Silverton is considered an economically distressed area by Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade and met the criteria for the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Program. The Colorado Legislature created the EZ Program to encourage development in economically distressed areas of the state, worsened by high unemployment rates, low per capita income and slow population growth, according to the state website.
“Earlier this year, Silverton had a fundraiser for the Skijoring event, and I approached the fundraiser coordinators,” said Terry Blair Burton, the administrator for Enterprise Zone. “I told them they should apply for the EZ Contribution Project.”
Because Silverton was already considered an Enterprise Zone in Colorado, the application for the EZ Contribution Project took only three months for approval from the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. With the tax credits now in place, the town hopes to see a boost in donations for the skijoring event.
“They’re trying to raise $40,000 this year,” Burton said. “They’re hoping EZ will just be another tool in the toolbox that helps them raise the money they need. I really hope it helps a lot.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
