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Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program (Administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources) is sponsored by National Park Service (administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources). This federal-state partnership provides matching grants for outdoor recreation projects, including the acquisition and development of land for public access, parks, and playgrounds.
The program is administered in Illinois by the IDNR.
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Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program Application period has closed for FY25. Next round will be available in May, 2026. What is the LWCF Grant Program?
The federal Land & Water Conservation Fund program (known as both LWCF and LAWCON) is a similar program to Open Space Lands Aquisition and Development (OSLAD) with similar objectives. Both are managed in Illinois by the Department of Natural Resources. This Federal program is financed nationally by revenue from offshore oil and gas leases.
Funding assistance is up to 50% of eligible expenses. Grant awards of up to $750,000. 00 are available for acquisition projects.
LWCF grants are available to units of local government that are authorized by Illinois law to expend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public outdoor park, recreation, or conservation purposes are eligible to apply for funding assistance. School districts are not eligible.
There are now five grantee pre-award requirements statewide per Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) State Statute 30 ILCS 708/1 . The five pre-award requirements all state grantees must complete are described in more detail.
Example of Eligible Projects include: Acquisition of land for new park sites or park expansion, water frontage, nature study, and natural resource preservation Applications must be submitted to IDNR during the period indicated on the current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the GATA website.
Only those local government agencies having statutory authority to acquire and develop land for public park purposes are eligible to apply for and receive assistance under the LWCF grant program. Applications are evaluated and prioritized for funding assistance based upon recreation priorities and criteria identified in the Department's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) .
Lands acquired with LWCF funds are required to be operated and maintained in perpetuity for public outdoor recreation. All applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois Grantee Portal . Additional information on prequalification .
Download the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Program Manual . Submit your application through the Amplifund Grant Management System . No other form of submission will be allowed or considered.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Applications received after the application deadline, will not be considered. Submission of an incomplete application does not extend the application deadline. The deadline for the 2025 round of LWCF is 5PM CST, May 9, 2025.
All requested documents must be submitted by this deadline. Applications that do not contain the requested information and/or documents will not be considered. Pay close attention to supporting documentation requirements.
If the requested documentation will not be available until after the deadline, please wait to apply in the next round.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Playground Planning Guide Illinois Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Facilities Guide Illinois Department of Natural Resources Community Park and Recreation Planning Guide US Access Board Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas Consultant Access to Amplifund. pdf Please contact DNR. Grants@Illinois.
gov for questions. One Natural Resources Way FOIA Request for Public Records Listing by Topic (A to Z)
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Cities, counties, and public school districts. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Applications for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program (Administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources) are due November 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program (Administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources) is funded by National Park Service (administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
IDNR's OSLAD program closes at 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2026, with $37.5 million available, a $1,125,000 ceiling for land acquisition and $600,000 for development. The standard deal is 50/50. The deal that matters for small towns is the full-funding provision for economically distressed communities — and the thing that disqualifies applicants is not the project, it is GATA prequalification.
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