Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Grants

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Grants is sponsored by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Provides funding to enhance recreation opportunities in rural and urban communities by creating new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorating existing parks, and forming connections between people and the outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Grants — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Grants The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) is a nationally competitive grant program that provides funding to enhance recreation opportunities in rural and urban communities.

ORLP funding helps communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors. Recreation is core to the American experience. ORLP makes recreation attainable for more Americans by funding an array of projects from sports fields and playgrounds to walking trails, and community gardens.

Land acquisition, site development, and renovation of existing facilities are all possible ORLP project types. Projects are locally led and designed to meet pressing community needs. Since 2014, ORLP has invested over $385 million in projects nationwide with funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

ORLP provides funding to : 1) Acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposed in qualifying areas. 2) Develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public qualifying areas. ORLP is a competitive program within the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program, which provides matching grants to States.

The ORLP grant program is a 50% matching grant distributed on a reimbursement basis to applicants selected by the National Park Service. All grant assisted sites must be dedicated as parkland, properly maintained, and open to the public in perpetuity. Estimated Total Program Funding $50 - $120 million, as available, annually.

The next five (5) years of ORLP competitive grants will be based on funds made available by Congress in the current and future fiscal years. Award Floor/Ceiling Explanation: An estimated range of $300,000 to $15,000,000 of funding is anticipated for each award. The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process, based on applications received and funding made available.

The following entities are eligible subrecipients and must apply through their State or Territorial Lead Agency: Political subdivision of a State or Territory, including cities and counties, or special purpose districts that manage open space, such as a park district Two or more adjacent urban areas with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or Urban Indian Organizations ORLP projects must be within a Qualifying Area, defined as: An urban area that has a population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or Two or more adjacent urban areas with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or An area administered by a federally recognized Indian Tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization.

Applicants can learn more about census-designated urban areas and access a list of all urban areas on the US Census’s TIGERWeb page. To see an area’s population, click on the relevant location and look at the “Urban Areas” field in the pop-up box. Basic ORLP Grant Requirements: Find additional requirements and information in the Lands & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Manual.

Population Eligibility - 25,000 or more, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native organizations, and Native Hawaiian community organizations, are eligible regardless of population. Matching Requirement - ORLP reimburses up to 50% of all project costs.

Applicants are responsible for finding other non-federal funds for at least 50% of project costs. Perpetuity Requirement - ORLP projects must be maintained and accessible exclusively for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. Other Land & Water Conservation Fund Requirements – As an LWCF program, ORLP projects must align with the LWCF Act, LWCF Manua l , and the Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan (TORP) .

When are Applications Accepted: Applications will only be accepted through the Recreation Grants Online Grant Management System . Paper applications will not be accepted. A project consultation is highly recommended, and an eligibility review is required before applying.

Please contact the TPWD Local Parks team to initiate an eligibility review by August 31st. This will help ensure that the project aligns with the objectives and goals of both the ORLP Program and the Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan (TORP) . If your project is selected for submission to the National Park Service (NPS), further collaboration with TPWD will be required.

You will need to provide additional information to demonstrate 1) compliance with environmental and historic/cultural resource laws and 2) the local authority to submit and administer the application. An offer of grant funding could be withdrawn if the required documents reveal a previously unknown issue that materially affects eligibility or feasibility. This application serves as the first step in acquiring an ORLP grant.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will review and submit applications that are eligible, competitive, and most likely to be funded by the NPS. Applications submitted to NPS by TPWD will compete for fund in a national competition. NPS anticipates awarding 20-45 projects per calendar year nationwide.

ORLP Grant Application Schedule: Applications available in Recreation Grants Online (RGO) REQUIREMENT: Eligibility Review (contact Local Park staff to schedule) TPWD Application due in RGO Technical Review & Project Selection Collaboration between Local Park staff and applicant to finalize NPS application package TPWD submits applications to National Park Service (NPS) No later than November 1, 2026 NPS announces selected projects to submit a full application Final deadline for selected projects to submit full packages Anticipated grant award period of performance May 1, 2028-April 30, 2031 Projects should be complete and open to the public by ORLP is a nationally competitive grant program funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Project sites assisted with these funds must be maintained and accessible exclusively for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. This applies to the assisted park or site in its entirety, not just the area assisted by the grant funds.

Additional Resource Links: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program (*Reminder TPWD must submit the application to NPS on the subrecipients behalf) Webinars at Technical Assistance for ORLP Applications Recreation Grants Online – ORLP Resources Page