Home » Grants » Land and Water Conservation

GRANTS

Land and Water Conservation Fund Program

Program Coordinator: Susan Zarekarizi
susanzarekarizi@utah.gov
801-538-7496

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act was established by Congress in 1965, thereby creating a federal reimbursement grant program for the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation areas. Federal oversight of the program is provided by the National Park Service; however, the program is administered locally by the State of Utah, through Utah State Parks and Recreation. Any site/facility that is purchased, developed, or improved with funding from this grant is protected in perpetuity (forever) as a public outdoor recreation area.

Since its inception, the LWCF program has funded more than 400 projects in Utah totaling more than $47 million in assistance. The LWCF is a 50-50 matching reimbursement program. The grant recipient must be able to fund 100 percent of the project while seeking periodic reimbursements for eligible expenses from the program.

Eligible Recipients:

  • Local Governments - Counties, Cities, and Towns
  • Tribal Governments
  • State Agencies

Application and Evaluation Process: 

The next grant cycle will open in March of 2012. Applications will be due (or postmarked) by May 1.
 

LWCF applications are the first stage of a competitive process.

All applications are reviewed and the projects are ranked through an evaluation process that has been cooperatively developed by the state and the National Park Service.

Proposals are evaluated on:

  • How well the project addresses an outdoor recreation need identified in the 2009 Utah State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP).
  • Application completeness
  • Technical merits
  • Previous recreation program performance
  • Project readiness
  • Availability of local funding
  • Site visit/inspection

The highest scoring projects are invited to begin the second phase of the selection process, which includes the final environmental screening process and nomination for approval to the Board of Utah State Parks and Recreation. If the applicant successfully completes the second phase, their project may become a potential selection for recommendation to the National Park Service for their approval.

Program Requirements, Forms, and General Information

Utah State Parks   1594 W. North Temple, Suite 116, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116   
801-538-7220    Fax: 801-538-7378    Email: parkcomment@utah.gov