Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State Assistance Program

Illinois Is Handing Out $37.5 Million in Park Grants by August 31 — and Covering 100 Percent of the Cost in Distressed Communities, Which Is the Part Nobody Uses

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.