Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning

 

To provide financial assistance to the States and their political subdivisions project that are included in Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs) and acquisition and development of outdoor recreation areas and facilities for the general public, to meet current and future needs.

Active 15.916 National Park Service, Department of The Interior A - Formula Grants; B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Assisted in the acquisition, development, and enhancement of community parks and recreation facilities. Assisted in the acquisition, development, and enhancement of community parks and recreation facilities.
Fiscal Year 2018 No information available.
Fiscal Year 2019 No information available.
Fiscal Year 2020 Project in all 50 states were funded that supported projects proposed in the state SCORP.
Fiscal Year 2021 NPS awarded over 200 grants to communities throughout the United States to implement community recreational projects supported by the state SCORPs
Fiscal Year 2022 In Fiscal Year 2022, this program awarded funds for 600 new project in addition to modifications to existing projects. 54 U.S.C. §200305 Land and Water Conservation Fund, Assistance to States. For planning grants, only the State agency formally designated by the Governor or State law as responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the SCORP is eligible to apply. (Treated as "States" for this purpose are the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.) For acquisition and development grants, the above designated agency may apply for assistance for itself, or on behalf of other State agencies or political subdivisions, such as cities, counties, and park districts. Additionally, Indian tribes that are organized to govern themselves and perform the functions of a general purpose unit of government qualify for assistance. Individuals, nonprofit organizations, and private organizations are not eligible. The general public. For planning grants, same as Applicant Eligibility. The State Liaison Officer (SLO), who is appointed by the Governor or designated in State legislation to administer the program in the State or Territory, must provide assurance that the project is consistent with the SCORP; i.e., that it meets high priority recreation needs shown in the action program portion of the Plan. The State must have a sufficient balance of LWCF funding and the required match available for the project. The sponsoring agency must permanently dedicate the project to public outdoor recreation and assume responsibility for its operation and maintenance. SCORPs must cite the State's legal authority to participate in the Land and Water Conservation Fund program. 2 CFR, Part 200, 43 CFR, OMB Circulars, standard forms, and program information. The general public. For planning grants, same as Applicant Eligibility. The State Liaison Officer (SLO), who is appointed by the Governor or designated in State legislation to administer the program in the State or Territory, must provide assurance that the project is consistent with the SCORP; i.e., that it meets high priority recreation needs shown in the action program portion of the Plan. The State must have a sufficient balance of LWCF funding and the required match available for the project. The sponsoring agency must permanently dedicate the project to public outdoor recreation and assume responsibility for its operation and maintenance. SCORPs must cite the State's legal authority to participate in the Land and Water Conservation Fund program. 2 CFR, Part 200, 43 CFR, OMB Circulars, standard forms, and program information. Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. An environmental impact assessment is required for this listing. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The SLO has the prerogative for initial determination of project eligibility, priority need, and order of fund assistance within the State. All project proposals are submitted to the National Park Service by the SLO. Environmental impact information is required for this program; a screening form is used to determine whether an EA or EIS is necessary. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Funding announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov. Proposals selected by the State for sub-award and forwarded to NPS must be accompanied by the standard federal application forms required by 2 CFR Part 200. Proposals received in response to announcements on grants.gov are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year. All grants are made to the State lead agency and if applicable passed through to the project sponsor, whether State or local government. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Approximately 60 days from the time the State submits the final application to the NPS. However, the state itself may have processes that add to that time. State may appeal to the Secretary of the Interior. Project agreements may be amended to change the scope, funding amount, or duration. Must be approved by the National Park Service. At the Federal level each project must be in accord with a State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Beyond this, the selection of projects is made by the State Liaison Officer of each State who is responsible for the administration of the 15.916 program in his State. Each State has its own selection process and project rating system, which is approved by NPS. Land acquisition and development grants may be used for a wide range of outdoor recreation projects, such as picnic areas, inner city parks, campgrounds, tennis courts, boat launching ramps, bike trails, swimming pools, playing fields, and support facilities such as roads, water supply, etc. Facilities must be open to the general public and not limited to special groups. Every park or outdoor recreation area acquired or developed with assistance under this program must remain available and accessible for public outdoor recreation use forever. Development of basic rather than elaborate facilities is favored. Operation and maintenance of facilities are not eligible expenses for funding. States only are also eligible to apply for grants to revise and update existing SCORPs; prepare new SCORPs; conduct statewide surveys, technical studies, data collection and analysis; and for other planning purposes that are clearly related to SCORP refinement and improvement. Performance Reports: Program Performance Report . Per 2 CFR Part 200.333 - 200.337. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. Matching Requirements: The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act requires that the share of federal funds not exceed 50 percent of the total project cost. Generally, match must be derived from State, local, or private sources, but under certain conditions all or part of the project sponsor's matching share may be from other Federal assistance programs, such as Community Development Block Grants, when such use is allowable under the other program’s sponsoring legislation. Otherwise, no other Federal funds may be applied to the project cost, even if all matching requirements are met.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Funds are available for obligation during the fiscal year in which they are appropriated and for the two following fiscal years. The assistance period for individual projects varies and may be extended but on average is three years. Complex projects may be broken down into stages, with one being initially approved and the remainder qualified for activation at a later date. Except for project preparation costs, all costs must be incurred within the project period to be eligible for reimbursement. Planning projects may not be phased. On an average of three years. Joel Lynch, joel_lynch@nps.gov, 202-354-6905 State and Local Assistance Program 1849 C Street, NW MS 1353 Washington DC 20240 http:/www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/lwcf/contact_list.html. Joel Lynch
State and Local Assistance Program
1849 C Street, NW MS 1353
Washington, DC 20240 US
joel_lynch@nps.gov
Phone: (202) 354-6905
Fax: (202) 371-5179 14-5035-0-2-303 (Project Grants) FY 22$227,722,447.00; FY 23 est $250,000,000.00; FY 24 est $250,000,000.00; FY 21$178,987,177.00; FY 20$54,556,098.00; FY 19$122,539,072.00; FY 18$65,000,000.00; FY 17$75,932,422.00; - Range: $5,000.00 - $2,000,000.00 Average: $200,000.00 36 CFR Part 59, FR 51 No. 186, September 25, 1986 (amended June 15, 1987). The Federal Financial Assistance Manual for the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program (vol. 69, effective 10/1/2008) Fiscal Year 2017 No information available. CATAWBA ISLAND STATE PARK IMPROVEMENTS, ONES BEACH STATE PARK - WEST GAMES AREA REHABILITATION PROJECT, CHENANGO VALLEY STATE PARK - BEACH AREA IMPROVEMENTS
Fiscal Year 2018 No information available.
Fiscal Year 2019 No information available.
Fiscal Year 2020 Projects across all US states and territories include the purchase of lands for public recreational use. Seventy-five percent of the total funds obligated have gone to locally sponsored projects to provide close-to-home recreation opportunities that are readily accessible to America's youth, adults, senior citizens and the physically or mentally challenged. In addition to the thousands of smaller recreation areas, grants have helped to acquire and develop new parks of statewide or national significance such as the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (Maine), Liberty State Park (New Jersey), the Willamette River Greenway (Oregon), Platte River Park (Denver), Herman Brown Park (Houston), and Illinois Beach State Park (Chicago). The State side of LWCF is administered by the State and Local Assistance Programs Division.
Fiscal Year 2022 LWCF financial assistance is intended to assure that a sufficient quality and/or quantity of outdoor recreation resources are available to serve the present and future outdoor recreation demands and needs of the public.