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The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program is a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that funds land acquisition and park development projects for local government agencies. Financed by a percentage of Illinois' Real Estate Transfer Tax, this state program supports projects ranging from small neighborhood parks and tot lots to large county parks and nature areas.
For most jurisdictions, the maximum grant award is $1,125,000 for land acquisition and $600,000 for development projects. Units of local government authorized by Illinois law to acquire and develop land for public parks, recreation, or conservation purposes are eligible. The application deadline has been extended to October 1 for the current fiscal year cycle.
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Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant ***DEADLINE EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, AT 5:00 PM*** NEW: FY26 OSLAD Amplifund Application Link NEW: FY26 Economically Distressed Communities List IDNR OSLAD Application Walkthrough (youtube. com) IDNR Grant Outlook and Successful Grant Submission Webinar (youtube.
com) What is the OSLAD Grant Program? The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program is a state-financed grant program that provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. Projects vary from small neighborhood parks or tot lots to large community and county parks and nature areas.
The state program is financed by a percentage of the state's Real Estate Transfer Tax. Except for jurisdictions having populations exceeding 2. 0 million residents, the maximum OSLAD grant award to any one project in a given year is currently limited to $1,125,000 for approved land acquisition projects and $600,000 for approved development (construction) projects.
Counties serving a population exceeding 2. 0 million residents shall be eligible for up to $1,725,000 in annual OSLAD funding for approved outdoor recreation acquisition and/or development projects. Municipalities with a population exceeding 2.
0 million residents are eligible for up to $3,450,000 in annual OSLAD funding for approved projects. HOWEVER, no more than 10% of the annual OSLAD appropriation can be allocated to any one project. OSLAD 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.
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.
Development/Renovation of: Picnic and playground facilities; Outdoor nature interpretive facilities; Sports courts and play fields; Swimming pools, beaches and bathhouses; Campgrounds and fishing piers; winter sports facilities; Park roads and paths, parking, utilities and restrooms; and Architectural/engineering (A/E) services necessary for proper design and construction of approved project components.
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 OSLAD 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 OSLAD 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 is available here . Please READ the Notice of Funding Opportunity (first page of application) for more details on this program, including scoring criteria and grant program rules and restrictions. Download the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program Manual .
OSLAD: Submit your application through the Amplifund Grant Management System . No other form of submission will be allowed or eligible. Note: Applications received after the application deadline, will not be considered.
Submission of an incomplete application does not extend the application deadline. Applications submitted without all required documentation will not be considered for funding.
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 SFY24 OSLAD Distressed Communities List Consultant Access to Amplifund.
pdf Distressed Communities Calculation An eligible local unit of government located within a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA): EAV Calculation: Per capita EAV is less than 60% of the state average EAV. Poverty Calculation: More than 15% of population below the poverty level. Fair-share Calculation: Per capita OSALD funds received is less than state per capita OSLAD funds awarded.
Major University: No major University. An eligible local unit of government located NOT within a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) EAV Calculation: Per capita EAV is less than 50% of the state average EAV. Poverty Calculation: More than 20% of population below the poverty level.
Fair-share Calculation: Per capita OSALD funds received is less than state per capita OSLAD funds awarded. Major University: No major University. A Physically Distressed Community is an eligible local unit of government that has encountered catastrophic events such as floods or tornados.
In a county declared a "disaster area" by the Governor or President of the United States*, The disaster must have directly affected the community applying for the grant. The physically distressed status will be allowed one time within a 3-year period. The Department reserves the final determination as to whether an applicant meets the definition of a physically distressed community.
*The Department may require verification of disaster impacts and a public assistance declaration from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before allowing eligibility under this provision. All determinations are final and are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and IL Dept. of Revenue.
One Natural Resources Way FOIA Request for Public Records Listing by Topic (A to Z)
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Units of local government authorized by Illinois law to expend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public indoor/outdoor park, recreation, or conservation purposes. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $1,125,000 for land acquisition; up to $600,000 for development projects Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is October 1, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
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Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
EPA is seeking insightful, expert, and cost-effective applications from eligible applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program’s non-federal partners with technical analysis and programmatic evaluation support related to water quality modeling and monitoring and spatial systems to manage, analyze, and map environmental data. The project assists the partners in meeting their restoration and protection goals and in increasing the transfer of scientific understanding to the Chesapeake Bay Program modeling, monitoring, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) activities. The recipient will support modeling, monitoring, and GIS programs needed to explain and communicate the health of and changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R3-CBP-23-18. Assistance Listing: 66.466. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ENV. Award Amount: Up to $5.3M per award.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA SBIR Phase I Solicitation invites small businesses to submit proposals for projects addressing critical environmental challenges. Awards are for six months to demonstrate proof of concept. Key focus areas include Clean and Safe Water, Air Quality and Climate, Homeland Security, Circular Economy/Sustainable Materials, and Safer Chemicals.
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Community Change Grants Program funds projects that provide meaningful improvements to the environmental, climate, and resilience conditions affecting disadvantaged communities. While broadly focused on environmental and climate justice, projects can include aspects that relate to community health and well-being through addressing environmental health risks. The program aims to fund community-driven pollution and climate resiliency solutions and strengthen communities' decision-making power. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.