Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants program provides federal funding for public outdoor recreation projects administered through Missouri State Parks. The current application period is identified as the 2027 LWCF grant round and is open for applications. The program supports the development and improvement of recreational facilities that provide public access and recreational opportunities to Missouri citizens. Projects funded through the program must be open to the public at reasonable times. The source identifies local governments, cities, counties, and public school districts as eligible grant recipients. Federal LWCF funding is available at a minimum of $25,000 per project and requires a 50 percent match. The source illustrates this requirement by stating that a $25,000 grant corresponds to a $50,000 total project cost. No maximum grant award, total amount available for the current grant round, or expected number of awards is stated. Prior funded projects show substantial variation in grant amounts, but those historical awards are not treated as a current award ceiling. Eligible project examples include playgrounds, ball fields, pools and water parks, archery and shooting ranges, camping facilities, picnic areas, boating and fishing facilities, trails, and passive areas. These examples demonstrate the program's focus on publicly accessible recreation infrastructure and facilities. Applicants are directed to review the 2027 Open Project Selection Process before completing the application. Applicants must then complete the electronic 2027 Project Application, answering each question as fully as possible without exceeding the space allocated for the question. Handwritten applications are explicitly prohibited. The application materials identified by the program include the 2027 Open Project Selection Process application instructions, the 2027 Project Application, and the LWCF Boundary Map Template. For the final application packet, applicants must mail two hard copies of the completed application together with all supporting documents listed in the application. Final application packets must be postmarked on or before November 13, 2026. Packets may be mailed to Missouri State Parks, Grants Management, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176, or 1659 E. Elm St., Jefferson City, MO 65101. The source states that the 2027 application period is currently open but does not provide a specific opening date. It also does not identify a required letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating deadline. The source does not explicitly establish that the grant opportunity recurs annually or at another defined frequency, so recurrence and a future cycle date cannot be established from the supplied information. Missouri State Parks scheduled 2027 LWCF Application Workshops for August 25 through August 27, 2026. The General Information LWCF Application Workshop is scheduled for August 25 at 10 a.m. and provides basic information about the grant and changes for the current grant round. Four additional workshops focus on completing different sections of the 2027 LWCF application. Applicants interested in workshops are directed to the Grant Workshops webpage and must submit a registration form for each workshop they wish to attend. These workshops are informational resources rather than stated prerequisites for application submission. After award, recipients have continuing project administration and post-completion responsibilities. Missouri State Parks provides an administrative guide describing reimbursement requests, status reports, and procedures for closing out completed projects. Post-completion requirements identified in the source include installing LWCF project signs, conducting regular inspections, and maintaining all ADA requirements. The source provides Missouri Vocational Enterprises telephone numbers, 573-751-6663 and 800-392-8486, specifically for ordering project signs; these are not identified as LWCF grant application contact numbers. Historical recipients include Missouri cities, counties, school districts, park departments, and recreation departments, with funded projects involving playgrounds, pools, ballfields, skateparks, parks, accessibility improvements, and other public recreation facilities.

Review the Open Project Selection Process before completing the application; answer each question as fully as possible without exceeding allocated space; do not submit a handwritten application; include all required supporting documents and two hard copies; ensure the packet is postmarked on or before November 13, 2026.