Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP)

Grants to California local governments, tribes, joint power authorities, and special districts to acquire or develop outdoor recreation areas and facilities for public use. The purpose of this program is to create new recreation opportunities to promote the health and wellness of state residents.

The purpose of the LWCF ORLP is to provide grants to acquire and/or develop public lands for outdoor recreation purposes consistent with the purposes of the LWCF, but with the further specific goals of funding projects that:

- Are located within or serve jurisdictions delineated by the Census Bureau from the 2010 Census as “urbanized areas,” that is, areas with a population of 50,000 or more people and consisting of densely settled territory.
- Are located in or are directly accessible to neighborhoods or communities that are underserved in terms of parks and recreation resources and where there are significant populations of people who are economically disadvantaged.

Background on LWCF: The LWCF State and Local Assistance Program was created by the Congress 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 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 renovation of existing outdoor recreation facilities.

Acquisition of land may be in fee simple or a lesser interest (e.g., a perpetual easement) if sufficient rights, including the right for the public to access and recreate on the site, would be provided. On the development side, LWCF assistance is available for a wide range of outdoor recreation uses and the facilities needed to support the use and enjoyment of these areas.

These include community parks, sports fields, picnic areas, water-based recreation facilities such as swimming pools, trails, campgrounds, etc. Certain kinds of support facilities, such as restrooms, may also be eligible. For either grant type, to be eligible the project must involve publicly-owned land and the project sponsor must possess sufficient legal title and control of the property to be assisted to ensure that it can be managed and maintained for outdoor recreation in perpetuity and otherwise remain compliant with the conversion provisions of the LWCF Act (see 54 USC 200305(f)(3)). Outdoor recreation areas and facilities assisted by the LWCF must be open to the general public and not limited to special groups.