The National Park Service is seeking applications for its 2022 LWCF State Assistance Formula Grants (Cycle 2) – Construction.
Donor Name: National Park Service
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/10/2022
Size of the Grant: $5,000,000
Details:
This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to advise States, local units of government, and Indian Tribes of the potential availability of funds in their State for grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire and/or develop lands for public outdoor recreation purposes. The LWCF State and Local Assistance Program was established in 1964 to assist in preserving, developing and assuring accessibility to present and future generations of U.S. citizens and visitors “such quality and quantity of outdoor recreation resources as may be available and are necessary and desirable for individual active participation in such recreation and to strengthen the health and vitality of the citizens of the United States.” This is accomplished in part by authorizing and providing grants to States, and through States to local units of government and Indian tribes, for projects that acquire lands and waters for parks and other public outdoor recreation purposes, as well as develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities. Certain State agencies may also apply for and receive grants for the preparation or update of Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORP) or supporting elements, which are required by law for overall program eligibility. Recent significant changes in authority include permanent authorization for the LWCF and a minimum set-aside of 40% funds allocated for State Assistance from the LWCF, derived from the 2019 John Dingell Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, as well as mandatory funding of the LWCF at the fully authorized level of $900 million as established in 2020’s Great American Outdoors Act.
Land acquisition and development grants may be in support of a wide range of outdoor recreation uses, such as community parks, playgrounds, picnic areas, campgrounds, trails, swimming pools, and sports fields; as well as for certain indoor infrastructure that supports these activities such as restrooms. Outdoor recreation areas and facilities must be publicly owned as well as open to the general public and not limited to special groups.
Funding Information
- Maximum Award: $5,000,000
- Minimum Award: $20,000
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- In accordance with 54 U.S.C. § 200305(a), only the State lead agency for LWCF may submit applications in response to this announcement, whether on behalf of itself or another entity. In this context a “State” includes the 50 U.S. States, as well as American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants may be sub-awarded to other state or territory agencies, local political subdivisions, and Indian tribes. Local political subdivisions include: county, municipality, city, town, township, parish, local public authority, school district, special district (such as a park district), intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government. Individuals, nonprofit organizations, and private organizations are generally not eligible, although exceptions may be made for nonprofit organizations that are publicly-chartered under state or local law to serve a public purpose, such as managing a park or park district. In addition, a state must have a current NPS-approved SCORP to be eligible to apply for LWCF grants.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
