Land & Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Program is a federally funded grant program that provides match funds of 50% for outdoor recreation area development and acquisition. Iowa's cities and counties are eligible to participate.

Competition for LWCF funds is intense; but this program provides an excellent opportunity to develop a wide range of outdoor recreational projects that are in high demand. Popular projects in recent years have included skate parks, playgrounds, new and renovated swimming pools, sport complexes, campgrounds and multipurpose trails.

Initial screening for Section 106 clearance will be done by the DNR in partnership with the National Park Service. All "Requests for SHPO Comment on a Project" need to be forwarded to the DNR along with the LWCF grant application. Please be sure that all information is correct and complete. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Dellaca at 515-725-0027.

Grant Application Submission and Deadline:
The annual deadline for the LWCF grant applications is 4:30 pm, March 15th, or the closest working day thereof. Submit one complete grant application electronically to Nick Dellaca at Nick.Dellaca@dnr.iowa.gov.

AND
Mail one (1) original and five (5) copies to David Downing at:
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, LWCF Program
Wallace State Office Building
502 E. 9th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Application Documents:
Land and Water Conservation Fund Application (required)
Supplemental Application Documents (required)

Reference Documents:

• LWCF State Application Guidelines
• Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)
  Applicants are required to show a relationship between their project and the SCORP priorities. This is the majority of the points awarded during the review and selection process.
• LWCF State Administrative Rules – Chapter 27
• LWCF Federal Manual https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/lwcf-manual.htm
• LWCF General Provisions

The purpose of this program is to support projects that acquire land and water areas for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes, develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities, as well as plan for projects that support special studies to help guide park and recreation investment. All projects must be located in, or serve, jurisdictions delineated by the Census Bureau for the 2010 Census as comprising densely settled territory that contains 50,000 or more people. Priority will be given to projects that target neighborhoods or communities that are underserved in terms of park and recreation resources, and where there are significant populations of people who are economically disadvantaged, minority, and/or youth. The overall goal of this program is to strengthen the health and vitality of U.S. citizens through active participation in recreational activities. Outdoor recreation areas and facilities assisted through this program must be open to the general public, and may not be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses. Eligible applicants are State lead agencies that have been designated by the State's Governor or by legislation for the purposes of implementing Land Water Conservation Funds in the State. States must have a current Statewide Comprehensive Outdoors Recreation Plan (SCORP) in place to be eligible. State lead agencies may apply on behalf of local governments and Indian Tribal governments. The Department will choose 4 projects per grant cycle. Pre-applications must be submitted by May 11, 2020. For any questions about this grant opportunity, contact Nick Dellaca at 515-725-0027.

• LWCF, 2020 ORLP Program - Instructions for Local Participation
• LWCF, 2020 ORLP Program - Pre-Grant Application for Local Participation

The following are cities and counties that have submitted grants for LWCF for the current year and past years.