The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is accepting grant applications for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program. This program, administered by the National Park Service, provides grants to acquire or develop land for public outdoor recreation purposes. An eligible project site must be located within:
- An incorporated city or town or unincorporated area having a population of 30,000 or more (2020 Census). The Census Bureau has published a list of urban areas and maps delineating each urbanized area, which can be found at:
- A Census tract that is determined to be disadvantaged per the Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) a http://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/. This competition will include a 5-point bonus for projects where nature is a major element of, or strongly supports, the proposed recreational activity.
If you have an eligible project, and are interested in applying, please see our new Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership webpage for additional program details and eligibility criteria. The Applicant To-Do List outlines the deliverables and deadlines. Applications are due in PRISM Online by January 22, 2024.
RCO staff and the LWCF advisory committee will review and provide feedback on the proposals and give applicants an opportunity to modify the application, if needed.RCO's director will approve which proposals will be sent to the National Park Service for the national competition.Once the National Park Service regional office accepts an application, it is sent to federal project reviewers. Projects will be ranked according to the reviewers’ scores, and a list provided to the director of the National Park Service, who makes the final funding decision.
Please contact Hayley Dalgetty, Allison Dellwo, or Henry Smith if you have a potentially eligible project, or if you have any questions.