Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) - Nationally Competitive Program (Discontinued)

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State Program is a federal program administered in Wisconsin by the Department of Natural Resources that funds high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities in communities across the state. Grants cover up to 50% of eligible project costs and are awarded competitively once per year, with applications due by 11:59 p.m. on May 1. Eligible applicants include towns, villages, cities, counties, tribal governments, and school districts. Funded project types include acquisition of recreation land with water frontage or nature-based trails, development of public picnic areas and basic outdoor recreation facilities, and renovation of existing facilities at risk of closure. LWCF is a competitive program and typically receives more requests than available funds. The review and approval process, including National Park Service sign-off, typically takes 12–18 months.