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Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land & Water Conservation Fund supports the development of public outdoor recreation opportunities across Vermont, with a focus on creating parks and open spaces, enhancing recreation areas and facilities, and protecting wilderness areas and forests.

  • Eligible applicants: Municipal entities, tribal governments, and state agencies only (e.g. towns, cities, school districts, water districts, park districts, etc.)
  • Grant amounts: Recommended request range $25,000-$1,000,000 – 50% match required
  • Current status: Pre-applications for 2025 round closed December 13, 2024
  • Funding source: National Park Service funds

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Program (LWCF) became effective in January 1965 to create parks and open spaces, protect wilderness and forests, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. Funds are derived from federal recreation fees, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues from leasing oil and gas sites in coastal waters, federal surplus real property sales, and a portion of federal motorboat fuel taxes. Funds are apportioned to federal agencies, and to the 50 states and 6 territories through the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service (NPS). In Vermont, LWCF is administered by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation. LWCF grants provide up to 50% matching assistance to the state and local governments.

Project applications are scored and ranked by a project application ranking committee following the Open Project Selection Process (OPSP) using established criteria. The resulting recommendations are reviewed and approved by the ranking committee. All applications must meet an identified need within the draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and address local and regional needs. This graphic summarizes the SCORP. Municipalities must agree to dedicate the park or area where the project is located for public outdoor recreational use in perpetuity. In addition, the grantee must also agree to develop, operate, and maintain the development to acceptable National Park Service (NPS) standards for public outdoor recreation. Grants are subject to approval by the National Park Service (NPS). 

Applicant Eligibility 

Who is eligible to apply for LWCF grants:  

  • Municipalities (e.g. towns, cities, school districts, water districts, park districts, etc.)
  • State government agencies, other governmental entities (district or local authorities), or tribal governments 

Project Eligibility 

Eligible projects include: 

  • Acquisition of land for parks and public outdoor recreation
  • Development of new outdoor recreation facilities
  • Renovation of existing facilities for outdoor recreation.

Recreational spaces acquired or developed using LWCF assistance must be maintained and remain open for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity. This provision states that “no property acquired or developed with LWCF money shall be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.”

Reimbursement, Request Amounts, and Match Requirements  

LWCF is a reimbursement program, and grantees must be capable of financing the project and (after a grant agreement is fully executed) first paying for expenditures and then submitting a request to the State for reimbursement using the required documentation. Applicants must commit to a minimum 50% match, meaning LWCF can only cover half the total project expenses. 

For the 2024-2025 LWCF Grant Round, we recommend submitting projects that request $25,000 to $1,000,000 in funding from LWCF (total project costs ranging from $50,000-$2,000,000).  We anticipate that selected projects will be distributed across this funding range.

Compliance Requirements 

Projects must demonstrate compliance with State and Federal regulations including but not limited to:  

  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)  
  • Endangered Species Act  
  • Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act  
  • Executive Orders (which include but are not limited to Floodplain Management, Wetlands Protection, Build America/Buy America, Civil Rights Act)  
  • The State’s Permitting Processes  

2025 LWCF Timeline

  • Pre-applications open and complete application materials released: October 21, 2024
  • Pre-application submission deadline: December 13, 2024
  • Full application submission deadline: March 15, 2025
  • Grant application review and selection: mid-March - May 2025 
  • Compliance Reviews: June - October 2025 
    • Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act, state environmental permitting, state risk assessment, etc.
  • Project Submission for National Park Service Review: July 2025 - January 2026
  • Grant Notification and Grant Agreement Development: February - May 2026
  • Anticipated Grant Implementation Period: approximately June 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028 

Pre-Application Resources

Full Application Resources

LWCF Grant Program Webinar: Project Planning 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 2:00-3:00 PM 

The webinar included a presentation explaining the goals of the grant program, an overview of the process, and eligible activities to help inform project planning. There was time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to project planning and design. 

LWCF Grant Program Webinar: Pre-Application Materials 

Thursday, November 12, 2024, 2:30-3:30 PM 

The webinar provided technical and content guidance about how to complete the specific materials required for the pre-application phase, including the workplan, budget, resiliency risk assessment, and permitting tools. There was time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to the templates and resources. 

Open Office Hours 

Staff at FPR will host a virtual open office session for prospective applicants to learn more details about the grant program and ask questions. Open office hours will be recorded and posted on the LWCF webpage. 

Our goal is to give everyone an equal opportunity to connect with us. We are unable to meet 1:1 with every prospective applicant during the pre-application phase. If the webinar and open office hours don’t work for you, please email your questions to us at ANR.FPRrecreationgrants@vermont.gov.  We will only meet 1:1 with applicants if we are unable to fully address questions via email. 

Contact Information

For more information about the Land and Water Conservation Fund please e-mail the Recreation Grants administration team at Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation: ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@Vermont.Gov

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