Deadlines Approaching on Two Recreation and Parks Grant Programs

By Vanessa Gonzales posted 01-27-2025 02:00 PM

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Two prime special district grant opportunities related to expanding access to outdoor recreational opportunities will soon come to a close. The first deadline hits March 11 and focuses primarily on urban communities, while the second opportunity ending August 5 includes urban and rural areas, neighborhood and city parks, as well as regional open space areas.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant Program Available

The Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) announced Round 8 of California’s competitive process for the national Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program with a final application closing date of Tuesday, March 11, 2025 before 5:00 PM. The ORLP program is a federally funded National Park Service (NPS) grant program involving a competitive layer of reviewal processes that are first completed by OGALS, then the state, and finally NPS before applicants can compete nationwide.

Eligibility for the ORLP program centers on urban communities with minimal to no outdoor public recreation opportunity access. Funds are specific to acquisition and/or development for new parks or substantial renovations in economically disadvantaged cities, towns, counties, or designated areas with a census of at least 25,000 individuals. Other eligible applicants include:

Federally recognized Native American tribes
Joint Powers Authority (JPA) where all members are public agencies. A JPA can include a state agency if at least one member is a local (non-state) public agency or district, and the JPA was formed for the purpose of providing park and recreation areas.
Non-state agency recreation and park districts and special districts with authority to acquire, operate, and maintain public park and recreation areas.
State agencies, Department of Parks Recreation, Department of Fish and Wildlife/Wildlife Conservation Board, Department of Water Resources, and The State Coastal Conservancy.

The National Review Committee will award winning nationwide applications; approximately $90 million is available in funding, however, awards will not be guaranteed to participating states. Applicants will have the opportunity to request the maximum amount of $15 million per application along with requesting the minimum amount of $300,000 per application. The ORLP program has a match requirement of up to 50% of the total project cost that can be requested. A project that has a total cost of $30 million will allow an applicant to request up to $15 million in funds. Eligible match sources must be state, local, or private (non-federal) sources, with exception to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act funding, and Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) funding.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) has optional in-person workshops for program application assistance and answering questions to serve future applicants. All interested eligible agencies can apply directly on the ORLP webpage.

All inquiries and immediate assistance can be directed to the OGALS National Park Service Grants Project Officer assigned by county.

Registration for upcoming informational workshops are provided below:

Southern California Workshops

Northern California Workshops

Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program Accepting Applications

The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) is accepting applications until August 5, 2025 no later than 5:00 PM for the next Land and Water Conservation Fund Cycle.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund program (LWCF) has approximately $35 million in funding available to cities, counties, federally-recognized tribes, joint powers authorities (JPA) where all members are public agencies, non-state agency recreation and park districts, and special districts with authority to acquire, operate, and maintain public park and recreation areas.

Each application has a maximum grant amount of $6 million with a requirement of a minimum 50% match of the total project cost. Projects with estimated costs of at least $12 million are eligible to request the maximum grant amount of $6 million through the program, as there is no specified minimum grant amount to be requested.

Project types considered eligible are acquisition or development projects intended to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities inclusive of urban and rural areas, neighborhood and city parks, as well as regional open space areas. Additional points will be rewarded with acquisition projects where the land will be readily available for park and recreation use upon the completion of the escrow process. All outdoor recreation features will be eligible for creating or improving existing parks.

The following outdoor recreation features are eligible for LWCF Grants:

Athletic fields (soccer regulation size or "futbol-rapido," baseball/softball, football).
Athletic courts (basketball, "futsal," tennis, pickleball).
Community gardens, botanical orchards demonstration gardens and orchards.
Dog park.
Running track/walking loop, par course.
Non-motorized trail, pedestrian/bicycle bridge, greenbelt/linear.
Outdoor amphitheater/performing arts dance, music, and theater stage.
Outdoor gym exercise equipment.
Open space and natural area for recreation.
Picnic/Bar-B-Que areas.
Playground and tot lot.
Plaza, Zocalo, Gazebo.
Skate park, skating rink, and BMX or pump track (non-motorized bike tracks).
Splash pad or outdoor pool, fishing pier or paddling launch site.
Lighting to allow for extended nighttime use of a recreation feature.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) has state wide in-person application workshops from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM to help applicants better understand the program and answer any questions.

Registration for upcoming workshops are provided below:

Guidelines for the program can be found on the Land and Water Conservation Fund website where eligible entities can also apply. For immediate questions regarding the LWCF program, contact the National Park Service Grants Project Officer, assigned by county.

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