State
California Department of Parks and Recreation - Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
07/06/18 Postmarked
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.
GrantWatch ID#: 164297
California will nominate three projects.
Each state may nominate up to three projects requesting $250,000 to $750,000 per project application.
The period of performance for LWCF grants is typically from 1 to 3 years, so for example, the initial term might be October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2022.
Eligible sub-recipients include other state agencies, local units of government (state political subdivisions such as cities, counties, and special purpose districts such as park districts), and federally-recognized Indian Tribes.
Further, for a project to be eligible the sub-recipient (project sponsor) must:
- Represent a city jurisdiction of at least 50,000 people*, AND
- Be named as one of the 497 urbanized areas delineated by the Census Bureau OR be a jurisdiction that lies geographically within one of the delineated urbanized areas.
- If the project sponsor is a state agency or a county, the project must serve one or more of the urbanized area jurisdictions as described above.
* There are a few limited exceptions for urbanized areas that generally comprise two jurisdictions but where neither has 50,000 people by itself (prospective applicants should consult with their State lead agency and/or the NPS contact to determine whether they fall in this group). Further, the project itself should also be physically located within or contiguous to the boundaries of one of the 497 urbanized areas. If the project does not lie within an urbanized area boundary, the proposal must address this and explain how the project will still serve the target populations, recognizing that access and proximity factor in the scoring criteria.
LWCF ORLP funds may not be used for (not inclusive):
- Grant administration expenses,
- Incidental costs related to land acquisition such as appraisals or title work,
- Operation and maintenance activities,
- Facilities that support semi-professional or professional athletics such as baseball stadiums or soccer arenas,
- Indoor facilities such as recreation centers or facilities that support primarily non-outdoor purposes like dining facilities or overnight accommodation (such as a lodge or hotel), or
- Acquisition of lands, or interests in lands, that completely restrict access to specific persons (e.g., non-residents of a community).
Send an Application Packet to OGALS postmarked by July 6, 2018.
In accordance with the LWCF Act (54 USC 200305(c)), ORLP grant projects must be costshared with non-federal funds at a minimum ratio of 1:1. Matching funds may be derived from state, local, non-governmental, or private sources in the form of cash or in-kind contributions of land, services, materials, etc.
The full grant amount is reimbursed when the grantee has shown eligible costs paid for by both the LWCF grant amount and the match.
The Proposal Description-Environmental Screening Form (PD/ESF) may be found at:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/lwcf-forms.htm
Community Fact Finder and Park Access Tool:
http://www.parksforcalifornia.org/
Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates/changes/addendums/conferences/LOIs.
Questions may be sent to your OGALS Project Officer. A contact list is provided in the Supporting Documents below.
Street Address for Overnight Mail:
Calif. Dept. of Parks and Recreation
Office of Grants and Local Services
1416 Ninth Street, Room 918
Sacramento, CA 95814
Mailing Address:
Calif. Dept. of Parks and Recreation
Office of Grants and Local Services
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
(916) 653-6995 / (800) 777-0369
info@parks.ca.gov
USA: California
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