Grant Details

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program (Part A): Acquisition and Development - FY 2025-2029

Agency:	U.S. Department of Interior
CFDA:	15.916
Federal FON:	P25AS00189
Office:	National Park Service (NPS)
Multipart Grant:	Yes

Next Due:	11/01/2025 (Multiple)
Solicitation Date:	12/11/2024

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	Unspecified
Award Range:	$300,000 (Min) / $15,000,000 (Max)

Summary:

The purpose of this program is to provide new or significantly improved recreation opportunities to the public in urban, disadvantaged communities lacking access to walkable outdoor recreation. This program provides awards to states, and through states to local units of government and federally recognized Indian tribes, for projects that will provide outdoor recreation opportunities through the acquisition of lands and waters for parks and other outdoor recreation areas, as well as through the development of new, or the renovation of existing, outdoor recreation facilities.

The application process for this program is multistep. Each state will solicit applications from eligible subrecipients, also known as project sponsors, and select and submit abbreviated applications to the NPS for projects they find to be eligible and that meet the ORLP goals. Each application will be reviewed and scored by an independent merit panel and technical reviewers, and based on the reviews, the director of the NPS will determine which projects are selected and invited to submit a full application for NPS review. States will work with the project sponsors of the NPS-selected projects to prepare a full application for NPS's final review and funding determination. To remain eligible for funding, final applications must be submitted to NPS within one year of the NPS public announcement of the project's selection.

Funding will be provided for the following program components:

(Part A): Acquisition and Development
(Part B): Pilot Planning Grants

The purpose of the Acquisition and Development component is to support the acquisition or development of lands and facilities that will provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public. Specifically, award funds will support the acquisition and development of parks and outdoor recreation areas, as well as the renovation of existing facilities, to improve parks, recreational opportunities, and conservation areas in urban underserved communities with populations of 25,000 or more in the 2020 census.

Program goals are to:

Support projects developed in collaboration with the communities they serve, thus ensuring that planning and land development decisions do not place unfair burdens on underserved groups
Support public-private partnerships to leverage project support, including cooperative projects and partnerships between governments, property owners, developers, financial institutions, and the public
Empower communities through local public greenspace investment, fostering resilience and sustainable landscape development by restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and providing recreational and economic benefits
Enhancing public health in underserved areas through active living, land conservation, water resource protection, cultural preservation, native landscape restoration, and disaster mitigation
Promote, protect, and incorporate the distinctive character of a community and its unique contexts

Eligible projects include the acquisition of lands, wetlands, and waters for public outdoor recreation, including new areas or additions to existing parks, forests, wildlife management areas, beaches, and other similar areas dedicated to public outdoor recreation, as well as physical connections among them. Development work should encompass essential public outdoor recreation activities and the necessary support facilities for public use. Projects could involve a combination of land acquisition and site development. Projects may cater to a diverse range of public outdoor recreation activities and facilities required to enhance the use and enjoyment for the public. Eligible facilities include:

Community parks
Campgrounds
Playgrounds
Sport fields and courts
Picnic areas and open-air pavilions
Trails and tracks for hiking, walking, skating, or biking
Water-based recreation facilities for swimming or boating
Fishing and hunting facilities
Pools and splash pads
Publicly accessible nature preserves or conservation areas
Community gardens
Spectator facilities, such as amphitheaters or bandstands
Renovations of existing facilities
Interpretive signage

Any recreation area benefiting from assistance through this program, whether for acquisition or development purposes, and regardless of the amount or extent of assistance, may not be converted to any use other than public outdoor recreation.

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are the state lead agencies designated by the state’s governor or by state legislation for the purposes of implementing the LWCF in that state. For the purposes of this program, states include each of the 50 states; the District of Columbia; and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Each state must maintain an approved statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan (SCORP) to evaluate the supply and demand for outdoor recreation resources in the state and set priorities for the use of LWCF funds.

The state lead agency may submit an application on behalf of themselves or another eligible subrecipient, which may include:

State agencies
Federally recognized Indian tribes
Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) and Alaska Native Organizations (ANOs)
Native Hawaiian communities
Local units of government and special purpose districts

Projects must be located within an incorporated city or town having a population of 25,000 or more in the 2020 Census, and must be located within a community that is determined to be underserved.

Previous award recipients include:

City of Oxnard (CA)
City of North Tonawanda (NY)
City of Rock Hill (SC)
City of Tucson (AZ)
Houston Parks and Recreation Department (TX)

Refer to the Award file for additional information on previous award recipients.

Eligible Applicants:

State Government

Application Notes:

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on the following due dates:

June 1, 2025
November 1, 2025
June 1, 2026
November 1, 2026
June 1, 2027
November 1, 2027
June 1, 2028
November 1, 2028
June 1, 2029
November 1, 2029

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

Applications must include:

Project narrative (10 pages max), including:
- Project data page
- Project overview
- Responses to merit review criteria
Budget narrative
SF 424
Project abstract summary
Timeline (1 page max)
Site and process photos
Maps and renderings:
- Map or aerial photo delineating project area and proposed boundary
- Site analysis maps
- Plan or sketch of planned site features
- Other graphics that illustrate the project objective (if applicable)
Letters of commitment of secured or potential contributions/nonfederal funds
Overlap or duplication of effort statements
General letters of support (optional)
Conflict of interest and unresolved matters disclosure (if applicable)
Uniform audit reporting statement (if applicable)

Project narratives must be formatted on pages with one-inch margins using no smaller than an 11-point font. For maps and rendering, applicants should provide, whenever possible, high-quality original .pdf or .jpg files. Compressed scanned images should not be submitted.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Improving parks, recreational opportunities, and conservation areas in urban and underserved communities (20 percent)
Collaboration with the communities served (30 percent)
Public-private partnerships that leverage project support (10 percent)
Empowering communities through local public greenspace investment, fostering resilience and sustainable landscape development (20 percent)
Promoting, protecting, and incorporating the distinctive character of a community and its unique contexts (20 percent)

To remain eligible for awards, applicants must submit the information detailed on pages 24-25 of the NOFA file within one year of being selected for an award.

Refer to the NOFA and BudgetTemplate files for additional application information.

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	Unspecified

Award Range:	$300,000 (Min) / $15,000,000 (Max)

Match Notes:

Applicants must provide a one-to-one match via cash or in-kind contributions, which may include land donations or bargain sales and volunteer services.

During the application evaluation process, the funding agency will take into consideration any voluntary matching contributions in excess of the minimum required. Additional consideration may also be given to projects that expand public-private partnerships to leverage project support.

Matching contributions may not include contributions, such as land or services, acquired with federal funds, with some exceptions where the enabling legislation of such funds allows them to be treated as nonfederal match.

Fees or profit, including foregone fees or profit, may not be used as matching contributions.

Funding Notes:

An unspecified amount of funding is available to support awards through this component. The funding agency expects to issue 25 to 40 awards per calendar year ranging from $300,000 to $15 million.

The award selection process is expected to span 3 months, and awards are expected to be issued within 15 months, depending on negotiations. Generally, awards are expected to be announced on September 1 of each year for applications submitted by June 1 of that year; and February 1 of the following year for applications submitted by November 1 of each year.

Project periods will span from one to three years, depending on projects.

Up to 25 percent of the total budget may be used for costs not directly attributable to physical development/rehabilitation activities, supplies, equipment, or cost of land.

Funds may not be used for:

Most indoor recreation and other buildings, such as nature centers, community centers, or education centers
Acquisition support costs such as appraisals or title work
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, such as dining facilities or overnight accommodation
Acquisition of lands, or interests in lands, that completely restrict access to specific persons
Fees or profit, including foregone fees or profit

In September 2024, a total of $254,685,000 was distributed via 54 awards ranging from $390,000 to $15 million through this component. In August 2024, a total of $46.7 million was distributed via ten awards ranging from $461,332 to $10 million. In March 2024, a total of $58.3 million was distributed via 14 awards ranging from $659,640 to $10 million. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Program Staff
ORLP_Inquires@nps.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20240

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to the program staff.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:

Award File: US15154A_Award_FY2025-29.pdf (798.4 Kb)
NOFA File: US15154A_NOFA_FY2025-29.pdf (769.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US15154A_BudgetTemplate_FY2025-29.xlsx (51.9 Kb)

File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The BudgetTemplate file contains a suggested template for submitting project budgets, which may be used to submit applications. The Award file contains information regarding previous award recipients.

Grant Keywords

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, ORLP, Department of Interior, DOI, National Park Service, NPS, infrastructure development, community development, community park, communities, neighborhood revitalization, revitalize, revitalizing, acquiring, develop, developing, acquisition and development, acquire, A&D, bike path, dog park, park bench, parks and rec, parks & rec, parks & recreation, parks and recreation, picnic table, picnic, picnic area, picnicking, play, playing field, playing, athletic, sports field, field, sports, public park, sanitary facilities, restroom, bathroom, skate-park, skatepark, sport, tennis court, walking path, recreational opportunities, recreation, scenic trail, recreational opportunity, recreational, camping, hiking, hike, hiker, camper, camp, boater, boat, boat launching facility, boating, dock, ramp, waterway, public pool, swimming pool, recreational facility, community center, beach, shore, facility, greenway, horseback riding, motorized, open space, park, running, land use, Land and Water Conservation Fund, LWCF, Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, SCORP, playground, play-ground, camp-ground, campground, bicycle, spray park, splash park, community garden, equestrian, garden, jog, jogging, non-motorized, run, scenery, trail, trailhead, view, walk, walking, beautification, nature, outdoor, city planning, civic, municipal improvement, renovate, renovating, renovation, territory, territories, human services, community need, disadvantaged, economically disadvantaged, extremely low-income, indigent, low income, needy, poor, poverty, underprivileged, underrepresented, underserved, very low-income, urban, urbanized, urbanized area, metropolitan, densely settled, state government, state lead agency, community campground, sports court, track, bicycling, biking, recreation facility, recreation facilities, swimming, pool, public outdoor recreation, outdoor recreation, nature preserve, conservation area, fishing, hunting, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Grant Categories

Community Development
Parks & Recreation
Human Services