The U.S. Department of the Interior announced more than $327 million in formula grants and $134 million in competitive grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia—a major investment in the parks, playgrounds, trails and open spaces that bring communities together across the country. The funds will be matched, making for a total investment in outdoor recreation of more than $900 million.
The funding, administered through the National Park Service, will support the development and rehabilitation of parks, conservation areas and outdoor recreation facilities in communities large and small. These investments will help expand access to outdoor recreation, improve visitor amenities, and support projects that enhance residents’ quality of life.
For more than six decades, the LWCF has helped communities conserve natural resources and expand outdoor recreation opportunities. Since 1965, the program has funded more than 47,000 projects in nearly every county nationwide, supporting everything from neighborhood parks and athletic fields to trails, boat launches and public open spaces. The funding also supports local economies by creating jobs, attracting tourism and expanding access to outdoor recreation opportunities that communities rely on. In urban neighborhoods, rural towns and growing suburban communities alike, LWCF investments help make the outdoors more accessible for everyone.
The Interior Department also announced new funding opportunities through two additional National Park Service grant programs that expand access to parks and outdoor recreation and support locally led conservation efforts nationwide. Together, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program and the Readiness and Recreation Initiative will make up to $134 million available for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks and outdoor recreation spaces.
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program will make up to $125 million available nationwide to support recreation projects in urban communities with limited access to the outdoors. Recent updates to the program, authorized through the EXPLORE Act, expand eligibility to federally recognized Native American tribes, Hawaiian and Alaska Native communities and broaden the number of eligible communities nationwide.
The Readiness and Recreation Initiative will make up to $9 million available nationwide to support outdoor recreation projects that strengthen military readiness and protect mission-critical landscapes near eligible military installations and Sentinel Landscapes. Through a partnership with the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, qualifying projects may leverage funding from the initiative to meet matching requirements.