The 2022 grant season closed on May 2, 2022, at 5:00 pm.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act was established by Congress in 1965, thereby creating a federal reimbursement grant program for the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation areas. Federal oversight of the program is provided by the National Park Service; however, the program is administered locally by the State of Utah, through Utah State Parks and Recreation. Any site/facility that is purchased, developed, or improved with funding from this grant is protected in perpetuity (forever) as a public outdoor recreation area.

Since its inception, the LWCF program has funded more than 500 Projects in Utah totaling more than $55 million in assistance. The LWCF is a 50-50 matching reimbursement program. The grant recipient must be able to fund 100 percent of the project while seeking periodic reimbursements for eligible expenses from the program.

Click here for a map of LWCF Grant Locations in Utah

APPLICATION AND EVALUATION PROCESS

Eligible Recipients

• Local Governments – Counties, Cities, and Towns
• Tribal Governments
• State Agencies

LWCF applications are the first stage of a competitive process. All applications are reviewed and the projects are ranked through an evaluation process that has been cooperatively developed by the state and the National Park Service.

Proposals are evaluated on:

• • How well the project addresses an outdoor recreation need identified in the 2019 Utah State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (2019 SCORP).
  • Application completeness
  • Technical merits
  • Previous recreation program performance
  • Project readiness
  • Availability of local funding
  • Site visit/inspection

The highest scoring projects are invited to begin the second phase of the selection process, which includes the final environmental screening process and a nomination for approval to the Board of Utah State Parks and Recreation. If the applicant successfully completes the second phase, their project may become a potential selection for recommendation to the National Park Service for their approval.

Program Coordinator: Susan Zarekarizi
susanzarekarizi@utah.gov
385-239-3232