The
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) supports projects to improve outdoor recreation through the acquisition of land and development or renovation of recreation amenities. To view previous grants, please consult the
LWCF Public Viewer.
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP), which is a special type of LWCF grant with additional requirements and its own timeline, is detailed on the
ORLP webpage.
A full listing of requirements for the LWCF grant can be found in the
LWCF Manual. Key requirements are:
- Recipient must be a government entity (e.g. state agency, federally recognized tribe, county, municipality, special district)
- LWCF funding must be matched 1:1 with non-federal funds
- Federal sources that can be used to fulfill matching requirements are: Recreational Trails Fund, Community Development Block Grants, and Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration
- Program Open Space and Community Parks and Playground grants may be used to match LWCF funds. Program Open Space local matching requirements will still apply.
- Funding is reimbursement-based and will be issued after the project concludes
- The entire park must be protected exclusively for recreation in perpetuity
- Projects must be completed within 3 years of award date (with possibility of 2-year extension)
Questions about this grant opportunity may be directed to: Molly Pickel at molly.pickel@maryland.gov or 443-223-4302.
How to Apply
LWCF grants have a 2-step application process. Applicants submit projects to DNR for consideration during the Open Project Selection Process (OPSP). Successful applicants will be invited to prepare a full application for submission to the National Park Service.
Application materials for the 2025 OPSP will be available starting on April 1, with applications due June 25 and notification to successful applicants by September 15. Materials from the prior year are linked below. The maximum LWCF grant request will be $2,000,000 ($4,000,000 project) and the minimum request will be $50,000 ($100,000 project). Exceptions may be granted by the Department in certain circumstances based on project applications received and available grant funds.
LWCF Open Project Selection Process Overview Webinar:
April 23, 2024
Background Information
Authorized by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 established a federally funded program to provide 50/50 matching grants to state and local governments for the purpose of acquiring and/or developing public outdoor recreational areas and facilities. The program is administered nationally by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service with the supporting revenues generated from offshore oil and gas leases. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is intended to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of quality public outdoor recreational resources as well as to stimulate non-federal investments in the purchase, development, maintenance and protection of these highly valued outdoor recreational areas. Per section 6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, “No property acquired or developed with assistance under this section shall, without the approval of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses.”
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is managed at the state level, by the state governments. In order to be eligible to receive a program apportionment from the National Park Service, each state must develop and maintain a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and appoint an official State Liaison Officer. All eligible projects must reflect the states’ policies and priorities of its most current Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan; in Maryland this plan is the 2019 – 2023 Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan.
Municipalities and counties may apply for up to 50 percent matching fund assistance from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources, Land Acquisition and Planning Unit, is responsible for managing the program, coordinating grant rounds for project funding, and monitoring past project sites for program compliance in Maryland. Since its inception, the Land and Water Conservation Fund program has funded over 400 acquisition and development projects throughout the state of Maryland.
