Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program is sponsored by Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (federal program administered by NPS). This program provides matching grants to state, local, and tribal governments to create and expand parks, develop recreation facilities, and further local recreation plans. Funds are distributed annually to every U.

Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program Department of Conservation and Recreation Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.

2017 Virginia Outdoors Survey Summary (PDF) 2020 Regional Public Recreation Survey Results and Map (PDF) 2021 Regional Public Recreation Survey Results and Map (PDF) Virginia Outdoors Plan Mapper Land and Water Conservation Fund Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) Recreational Trails Program Trail Access Grants Program Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants Va.

Land Conservation Foundation Water Trails and Public Access Map of access points and water trails Citizen Involvement Guide Land and Water Conservation Fund - General Information 2026 LWCF Grant Round now open through August 27. The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 established a federal reimbursement program for the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation areas.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is administered in Virginia by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) on behalf of the National Park Service (NPS). The program represents a federal, state and local partnership. A key feature of the program is that all LWCF assisted areas must be maintained and opened, in perpetuity, as public outdoor recreation areas.

This requirement ensures their use for future generations. Virginia has received more than $135 million in assistance since the LWCF began. It has made more than 430 projects possible within the Commonwealth.

The LWCF is a 50-50% matching reimbursement program. The grant recipient must be able to fund 100% of the project while seeking periodic reimbursements. For further details about NPS LWCF program guidelines and project eligibility, please review the newly released version of the National Park Service LWCF Manual V2026 at https://www.

nps. gov/subjects/lwcf/v2026. htm **Version 72.

1 is no longer effective as of May 1, 2026** Please see Chapter 3 for project eligibility and Chapter 4 for proposal development and review requirements. For specific regulatory requirements please refer to Federal Regulations: 2 C. F.

R. § 200, 2 C. F.

R. § 1402, 36 CFR 59. LWCF State & Local Assistance Grant The 2026 Land & Water Conservation Fund State & Local Assistance (LWCF) Virginia DCR Grant Round is open June 30 to August 27, 2026.

There is $11 million available in Federal funding, as a 50/50% matching reimbursement grant program for eligible projects. The minimum request amount is $150,000 (total project cost of $300,000) to a maximum grant award amount of $2. 5 million.

A virtual workshop for potential applicants was held, Tuesday, July 14. Download the PowerPoint presentation. Entities eligible to compete for LWCF funding Counties, cities and towns Park and recreation authorities Grant Application Documents: Please see the following documents and forms for the 2026 LWCF Grant Round.

Please read the manual prior to completing your application, budget and maps. The application, budget and timeline documents are required to be turned in by the end of the Grant Round. All application materials for the 2026 LWCF Grant Round must be received by at 4 p.

m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026, to email address recreationgrants@dcr. virginia.

gov . LWCF 2026 DCR Grant Round Manual **read first prior to completing application ** Project Budget Worksheet and Narrative Maps and Property Documents Guidance LWCF 2026 Scoring Criteria Preapplication Environmental Guidance document Additional documents and procedures: New this year: it is not required to have proof of correspondence with reviewing agencies during the application phase.

PRR Grant Staff will lead selected project sponsors through a series of virtual meetings to cover all the required procedures for successful NEPA and Section 106 compliance and NPS submission. This Compliance Phase Environmental Guidance document provides information about these procedures and should be referenced if providing any of the optional environmental information listed in the preapplication document.

Be prepared: The time period from application to official grant award is typically approximately one year. Project agreements and grant awards are expected August of 2027. No demolition, construction, or transfer of acquisition can take place until grant award is in hand.

You may reference the links provided in the VOP Section 4. 3 to determine appropriate review procedures and timelines for the different agencies. The recommended first step is to run “NEPA Assist” to get a simplified report of any potential concerns on or near the property.

It is important to be aware that Section 106 surveys may be conducted – as determined by VDHR. Permitting, especially in wetlands and waterways, may take additional time as well as determined by multiple agencies. Please refer to Open Project Selection Process (OPSP) 2025-2030 for further information about the LWCF Grant Round general procedures and definitions.

All projects must go through full NEPA and Section 106 review prior to submission to the National Park Service. NPS has the authority to approve compliance or ask for further information. Please note that some projects will not be simple Categorical Exclusions.

Also, projects may need further Virginia State Review Procedures and local review, as applicable, depending on project scope and design. The National Park Service requires every state has a NPS approved State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan to remain eligible for LWCF Funding.

Virginia's State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) is the Virginia Outdoors Plan LWCF Project Administration For all active LWCF Project Sponsors, please review the following guidance documents during administration of your project. There are example documents for drawdown procedures as well as templates to use. They can be downloaded below or contact us if you are not able to download them.

2025 LWCF Drawdown Request and Closeout Guide LWCF-Daily Equipment Record LWCF-Data Sheet Summarizing Employee Labor LWCF-Data Sheet Summarizing Invoices LWCF-Data Sheet Summarizing Volunteer Labor LWCF-Drawdown Certification Form LWCF-Drawdown Certification Form LWCF-Example Drawdown Package LWCF-Procurement Procedures Briefed LWCF-Quarterly Report Template LWCF-Volunteer Daily Timesheet NPS LWCF Logo and Guidelines for Acknowledgment Signs .

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program is a subprogram of LWCF and provides 50-50% matching reimbursement grants for the acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of parks in qualifying urban and tribal areas. Information on DCR preapplication processes for the national competition can be found at https://www. dcr.

virginia. gov/recreational-planning/orlp . Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) Program The National Park Service has announced the Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) national program opportunity.

This NPS opportunity will be a rolling application program for the next 5 years. DCR will prepare documents for an open grant round tentative early winter 2026. These grant funds have been available nationally through the federal National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) combined with the Department of Defense (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program.

This grant purpose protects the Nation’s military readiness, enhances relationships with communities, preserves the environment, and improves military installation and community resilience to climate change. These projects are specifically for acquisitions within Virginia’s Potomac or Tidewater Sentinel Landscapes https://sentinellandscapes. org/ and must be coordinated with adjacent/nearby military installations.

Please also contact the Department of Forestry REPI office for further information and coordination. https://dof. virginia.

gov/land-water-protection/farm-and-forestland-conservation/virginia-security-corridor/ Potential LWCF Conversions All parks that have received funding from the LWCF State and Local Assistance Grant Program must maintain public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity.

If your locality or agency is proposing or being presented with any non-outdoor recreation development or significant use changes on LWCF protected parks, please email RecreationGrants@DCR. Virginia. gov or mail information to: DCR-Planning and Recreation Resources Division 600 East Main St.

– 17th Fl. Attn: Recreation Grants Team Richmond, Virginia 23219-2094 Contact Recreation Grants Manager Kristal McKelvey at Kristal. mckelvey@dcr.

virginia. gov or call 804-508-8896. To be added to our Grants Announcement email list please provide contact and affiliation to RecreationGrants@dcr.

virginia. gov. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation 600 East Main Street, 24th floor | Richmond, VA 23219-2094 | Please send website comments to web@dcr. virginia.

gov Address general inquiries to pcmo@dcr. virginia. gov Last Modified: Thursday, 16 July 2026, 12:11:35 PM DCR Organizational Chart (PDF) Executive Progress Report (PDF) Public Safety & Law Enforcement