Land & Water Conservation Fund

Land & Water Conservation Fund is sponsored by National Park Service (administered by Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation). This fund supports the development of public outdoor recreation opportunities across Vermont, with a focus on creating parks and open spaces, enhancing recreation areas and facilities, and protecting wilderness areas and forests.

Land and Water Conservation Fund | Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Using State Lands for Recreation Recreational Trails Program Land & Water Conservation Fund VOREC Community Grant Program Grant Management Resources Grant Program Impacts and Past Awards Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative Outdoor Recreation Ethics Land and Water Conservation Fund The Land & Water Conservation Fund supports the development of public outdoor recreation opportunities across Vermont, with a focus on creating parks and open spaces, enhancing recreation areas and facilities, and protecting wilderness areas and forests.

Current status: 2027 grant round is now open.

Pre-Application materials are due November 20, 2026 Eligible applicants: Municipal entities, tribal governments, and state agencies only (e.g. towns, cities, school districts, water districts, park districts, etc.) Grant amounts: Recommended request range $25,000-$1,000,000 – 50% match required Funding source: National Park Service funds The Land and Water Conservation Fund Program (LWCF) became effective in January 1965 to create parks and open spaces, protect wilderness and forests, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities.

Funds are derived from federal recreation fees, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues from leasing oil and gas sites in coastal waters, federal surplus real property sales, and a portion of federal motorboat fuel taxes. Funds are apportioned to federal agencies, and to the 50 states and 6 territories through the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service (NPS).

In Vermont, LWCF is administered by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation. LWCF grants provide up to 50% matching assistance to the state and local governments. Project applications are scored and ranked by a project application ranking committee following the Open Project Selection Process (OPSP) using established criteria.

The resulting recommendations are reviewed and approved by the ranking committee. All applications must meet an identified need within the draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and address local and regional needs. This graphic summarizes the SCORP.

Municipalities must agree to dedicate the park or area where the project is located for public outdoor recreational use in perpetuity. In addition, the grantee must also agree to develop, operate, and maintain the development to acceptable National Park Service (NPS) standards for public outdoor recreation. Grants are subject to approval by the National Park Service (NPS).

This year, FPR is accepting materials for RTP and LWCF simultaneously. While the deadlines to apply and templates are the same and they share a lot of the same requirements as federally funded grants, they are fundamentally two different programs with separate requirements and eligibility.

Eligibility and Requirements Application Process and Resources LWCF Ongoing Site Stewardship Pre-applications open and application materials released by September 29, 2026 Pre-application submission deadline: November 20, 2026 Full application submission deadline: January 31, 2027 Grant application review and selection: February – mid-March 2027 Compliance Reviews: April - September 2027 Pre-award site visits, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act, state environmental permitting, state risk assessment, etc. Project Submission for National Park Service Review: October 2027 – January 2028 NPS Review: October 2027 – March 2028 Grant Notification and Grant Agreement Development: February - May 2028 Anticipated Grant Implementation Period: approximately June 1, 2028 through December 31, 2030 Eligibility and Requirements Who is eligible to apply for LWCF grants: Municipalities (e.g. towns, cities, school districts, water districts, park districts, etc.) State government agencies, other governmental entities (district or local authorities), or tribal governments Eligible projects include: Acquisition of land for parks and public outdoor recreation Development of new outdoor recreation facilities Renovation of existing facilities for outdoor recreation.

Recreational spaces acquired or developed using LWCF assistance must be maintained and remain open for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity. This provision states that “no property acquired or developed with LWCF money shall be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

” Reimbursement, Request Amounts, and Match Requirements LWCF is a reimbursement program, and grantees must be capable of financing the project and (after a grant agreement is fully executed) first paying for expenditures and then submitting a request to the State for reimbursement using the required documentation. Applicants must commit to a minimum 50% match, meaning LWCF can only cover half the total project expenses.

For the 2027-2028 LWCF Grant Round, we recommend submitting projects that request $25,000 to $1,000,000 in funding from LWCF (total project costs ranging from $50,000-$2,000,000). We anticipate that selected projects will be distributed across this funding range.

Projects must demonstrate compliance with State and Federal regulations including but not limited to: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act Executive Orders (which include but are not limited to Floodplain Management, Wetlands Protection, Build America/Buy America, Civil Rights Act) The State’s Permitting Processes Application Process and Resources To apply for LWCF funding, there is a two-step application process that begins with a short pre-application submission.

Pre-application submissions will be reviewed for compliance with the LWCF program. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a proposal for full review. How to Submit a Pre-Application Pre-application submissions will close at 11:59 PM on November 20, 2026.

Email all of following required documents to ANR. FPRRecreationGrants@vermont. gov by the deadline to submit a pre-application: Plus, for Development projects only: Completed Permit Navigator results or Project Review Sheet, or other preliminary permit review document Completed Design Assessment Tool for Trails (for trail projects only!)

Pre-applications must include all of the required documents. Grants staff will screen submissions received before 5 pm on Wednesday, November 18, for completeness and notify applicants of any missing documentation that still needs to be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, November 20, 2026.

For proposals submitted after 5 pm on November 18, applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review their email submission to ensure all required materials are submitted by the deadline as incomplete proposals will not be considered for moving to the Full Application stage. How to Submit a Full Application If invited to submit a full proposal, the full grant application will be offered through the ANROnline portal.

To complete your full grant application, you will need to follow the steps below. Download, review, and complete all other required templates and supplemental materials for your project. Complete the 2027 LWCF Grant Application Form and submit it online.

Upcoming Webinars and Open Office Hours LWCF Project Planning Webinar | Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 11:00 AM - Noon - Register for this webinar . The webinar will include a presentation explaining the goals of the LWCF grant program, an overview of the process, and eligible activities to help inform project planning. There will be time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to project planning and design.

The webinar will be recorded and posted on this webpage afterward. RTP and LWCF Pre-Application Materials Webinar | Monday, October 19, 2026, 1:30-2:30 PM - Register for this webinar The webinar will provide technical and content guidance about how to complete the specific materials required for the pre-application phase, including the workplan, budget, design assessment tool for trails, and permitting tools.

As both LWCF and RTP use the same templates, this webinar is for applicants in both programs. There will be time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to the templates and resources. The webinar will be recorded and posted on this webpage afterward.

Staff at FPR will host virtual open office sessions for prospective applicants to learn more details about the grant program and ask questions. Open office hours will be recorded and posted on this webpage afterward. Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM – Register for this session.

The first half-hour of the session will be open for questions specific to LWCF project planning. The second half-hour of the session will be open for questions on any topic related to the grant application process. Thursday, November 5, 2026, 11:00 AM-Noon – Register for this session.

The first half-hour of the session will be open for questions specific to RTP project planning. The second half-hour of the session will be open for questions on any topic related to the grant application process. Tuesday, November 17, 3:00-4:00 PM – Register for this session .

This entire session is open for any questions related to the grant round. 2027 Pre-Application Resources 2027 LWCF Pre-Application Guidance See Ch. 3, Criteria for Acquisitions and Criteria for Development for additional project eligibility information.

2027 LWCF Pre-Application Form For Development Projects Only: Creating Project Maps: Instructions for Grant Applicants Video Overview of Creating Project Maps Design Assessment Tool for Trails Design Assessment Tool for Trails Guidance Completed Permit Navigator results or Project Review Sheet 2025 Full Application Resources Please note: the full application materials are from the previous round, shared for reference only.

The 2027 Full Application Preview and updated guidance will be released later this fall.

2025 LWCF Full Application Guidance Creating Project Maps: Instructions for Grant Applicants Video Overview of Creating Project Maps 2025 LWCF Full Application Preview Vermont Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) Open Project Selection Process Recordings from Past Information Sessions 2025 LWCF Pre-Application Materials Webinar - Recording and Slides 2025 LWCF Project Planning Webinar - Recording and Slides 2025 LWCF Office Hours - Session 1 Recording and Session 2 Recording Grant Management Resources Grant Program Impacts and Past Awards Outdoor Recreation Grants Team ANR.

FPRRecreationGrants@vermont. gov WHEN IN DOUBT, REACH OUT!