Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants program is a federally funded outdoor recreation grant initiative administered in North Carolina by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources through the Division of Parks and Recreation. The program originates from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund established by Congress in 1964 and administered nationally by the National Park Service within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The program was permanently reauthorized in 2019 and permanently funded through the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020. In North Carolina, the Governor appoints a State Liaison Officer who oversees the allocation and recommendation process for eligible projects. The program has historically supported park acquisition, park development, outdoor recreation improvements, and conservation projects throughout the state. The purpose of the program is to assist local governments and eligible tribal entities with acquiring, developing, renovating, or combining outdoor public recreation projects that improve access to parks and recreational opportunities. Eligible projects must be located on a single site and must remain dedicated to public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. The program prioritizes projects that align with the goals and initiatives identified in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Funding may support land acquisition, recreational facility development, or renovation of existing Land and Water Conservation Fund assisted parks. Applicants are expected to demonstrate strong local planning, public participation, accessibility, and long-term operational capacity. For the 2026-2027 funding cycle, applicants may request a maximum grant amount of $750,000 per application. The program requires a minimum 50 percent matching contribution from applicants. Due to the federal share cap of $750,000, applicants proposing projects with total costs exceeding $1.5 million must provide a greater local match. The program specifically notes that local government overmatch should not be included in project budgets. Applicants proposing development projects are expected to obtain detailed cost estimates from contractors, architects, planners, or related professionals familiar with park and recreation facility development. Because project implementation may extend over a three-year period after contract execution, applicants are advised to account for inflation and long-term construction costs in their estimates. For acquisition projects, applications must use appraised land values based on Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions, commonly known as Yellow Book appraisals. Eligible applicants include North Carolina counties, incorporated municipalities, and federally recognized Native American tribes. Applicants must own the proposed project site in order to satisfy site control requirements. The program supports acquisition, development, renovation, and combination projects for outdoor public recreation. Projects are evaluated according to criteria outlined in the LWCF application materials and the Local Open Project Selection Process. Review factors include consistency with statewide recreation goals, provision of renovated outdoor recreation facilities, evidence of local planning efforts, public participation, service to underserved local governments, site considerations, clientele served, accessibility of the proposed project, the applicant’s ability to operate and maintain the project, and prior grant administration compliance. Projects receiving the highest scores and fitting within available funding allocations are recommended for funding consideration by the National Park Service. The 2026-2027 funding timeline begins with notification of funding on May 1, 2026. The application review deadline is August 28, 2026, and the final application deadline is November 2, 2026. The Division of Parks and Recreation is expected to complete application reviews by January 1, 2027. In April 2027, the Division plans to notify applicants regarding projects recommended to the National Park Service for funding consideration. Final awards are expected to be made no later than September 30, 2027. The program appears to operate on a recurring annual cycle based on the recurring yearly funding cycle references and annual application schedule. Applications are submitted electronically through a Microsoft SharePoint folder managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation. Applicants must contact their Recreation Resources Service regional consultant to request access to the application folder and are encouraged to do so early in the process to allow time for technical support and coordination. The Division is currently transitioning the Land and Water Conservation Fund application process from SharePoint to WebGrants, and applicants are advised that early communication with both the Division of Parks and Recreation and Recreation Resources Service staff is critical during this transition period. Program assistance and technical support are available through regional consultants and Division grant staff. The primary grant contact for the Land and Water Conservation Fund program is Sophia Olson at sophia.olson@ncparks.gov or 919-707-9342.

Align the proposal closely with SCORP priorities and demonstrate strong public participation, accessibility, operational capacity, and support for underserved communities because these factors are emphasized heavily in the scoring criteria.