The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides grants to states, and through states to local units of government and federally-recognized Indian tribes, for projects that will provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public through the acquisition of lands and waters for parks and other outdoor recreation areas, as well as through the development of new, or the renovation of existing, outdoor recreation facilities. It is operated by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with designated lead agencies. In 2014 NPS created the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program, a competitive grant program administered under the authority of the LWCF Act as a complement to the formula grant program.
As designed, the purpose of the ORLP Program is to provide new or significantly improved recreation opportunities in urban, disadvantaged communities, consistent with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. To meet ORLP objectives and goals, projects must:
- meet recreation goals as identified in, and align with, at least one priority of, the State’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP),
- be located within an incorporated city or town having a population of 30,000 or more in the 2020 Census, and
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Outdoor recreation areas and facilities assisted through this program must be open to the public, and may not be converted to uses other than public outdoor recreation. The DNR, as the state lead agency, may apply on behalf of local governments and tribal governments who submit projects which meet the grant criteria. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Flatt at 515-975-8569.