Federal grants administered with local units of government Stewardship grants

Land and Water Conservation Fund

Land and Water Conservation Fund

Land and Water Conservation Act, Public Law 88 578, ch. NR 50.06, Wis.

Program Goal

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1965 to develop high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities for the public. LWCF grants provide 50% cost-share to state, tribal and local governments. Since its inception, more than 1800 projects have been completed in Wisconsin with more than $81M in federal LWCF funds.

Eligible Applicants

State, tribal, local governments and school districts are eligible for LWCF grants.

Funding Criteria

• Relationship to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
• Regional or statewide
• Acquires land where a plan supports the need
• Provides or enhances water-based activity
• Serves the greatest populations
• Involves intergovernmental cooperation or donations
• Supports multiple uses

Eligible Projects

LWCF grants support land acquisition and development of high-quality outdoor recreation amenities in local communities.

Forms

• Self-inspection form 8700-3900 [PDF] Form 8700-3900
• Application Forms

Contact Information

For assistance with LWCF grants, contact:

Pam Rood
101 S. Webster St.
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
608-333-3718
or your Regional Project Manager

Recreational Trails Program

Recreational Trails Program

Public Law 114-94, ch. NR 50.21, Wis. Adm. Code

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides funds through the transfer of federal gas excise taxes paid on fuel used on off-highway vehicles. These funds are used to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail uses. This federal program was initially authorized in 1991, re-authorized in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA - 21), and re-authorized in 2005 as the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or (SAFETEA-LU). In 2012 the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) made RTP funding a set aside referred to as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act for 2013 and 2014. In 2015 the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act replaced the TAP with a set aside of funds under the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG), referred to as the TA Set-Aside.

Recreational Trails Program funds may only be used on trails identified in or that further a specific goal of a local, county or state trail plan included or referenced in a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan required by the Federal LWCF Program. Thirty percent of the funds must be used on motorized trail uses, 30% on non-motorized trail uses, and 40% on diversified (multiple) trail uses. See trail use funding category definitions below. The grant cap is ordinarily $100,000 per grant per fiscal year, but every third year, the grant cap will be increased to $250,000. For 2022, the maximum grant cap will be $100,000. The cost share is up to 80%.

Contact information

For assistance with RTP grants, contact:
Bobbi Winebar
Department of Natural Resources
2984 Shawano Ave.
Green Bay, WI 54313
920-461-2595

Eligible applicants

Towns, villages, cities, counties, tribal governing bodies, school districts, state agencies, federal agencies or incorporated organizations are eligible to apply for funds. Incorporated organizations are those that are incorporated under s. 181.32, Wis. Stats., whose primary purpose is promoting, encouraging or engaging in outdoor recreation trails activities.

Eligible projects and funding priorities

Eligible projects in order of priority are:

1. Maintenance and restoration of existing trails
2. Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages
3. Construction of new trails (with certain restrictions on federal lands*)
4. Acquisition of property for trails

*Construction of new trails crossing federal lands only where permissible under other laws, necessary and required by a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan, approved by the DNR and the administering federal agency and consistent with applicable federal land management plans and policies.

Trail use funding category definitions

Non-motorized (30%)

1. Non-motorized project for a single use - projects that benefit only one mode of non-motorized recreational trail use, such as pedestrian-only or equestrian-only; projects serving various pedestrian uses (e.g., walking, hiking, wheelchair use, running, nature interpretation, etc.) constitute a single use; human-powered snow uses (e.g., skiing, snowshoeing, etc.) constitute a single-use.
2. Non-motorized diverse use - projects that benefit more than one mode of non-motorized recreational trail use (e.g., walking, biking, skating or pedestrian use) in summer and skiing in the winter.

Motorized (30%)

1. Motorized project for a single use - projects that benefit only one mode of motorized recreational use (e.g., snowmobile trail grooming). The project may also benefit some non-motorized uses, but the primary intent must be for the benefit of motorized use.
2. Motorized diverse use - projects that benefit more than one mode of motorized recreational trail use such as motorcycle and ATV, ATV use in the summer and snowmobile use in the winter; projects that also benefit some non-motorized uses as long as the primary intent is for the benefit of motorized use.

Diversified (40%)

1. Non-motorized diverse use (see above under "Non-motorized").
2. Motorized diverse use (see above under "Motorized").
3. Diverse use including both motorized and non-motorized uses - projects where the primary intent is for the benefit of both non-motorized and motorized (e.g., the primary beneficiary is not motorized); also includes when the non-motorized and motorized uses are separated by season (e.g., equestrian use in the summer and snowmobile use in the winter). Other examples include a common trailhead project serving separate ATV and bicycle trails.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program

Land and Water Conservation Act, 54 U.S.C 2003 Section 200305

PROGRAM GOAL

The National Park Service (NPS) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program was established in 2014 and is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). ORLP is a nationally competitive program targeting grant assistance to provide new or significantly improved recreation opportunities in urban, disadvantaged communities lacking access to walkable outdoor recreation (also known as park deserts), consistent with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. Funds can be used for the acquisition and/or development of, or to substantially renovate obsolete, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

ORLP grants require a 50% match. If a grant is awarded, the assisted site must be maintained and accessible exclusively for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity.

Eligible projects must be:

• located within an incorporated city (or town) having a population of 30,000 or more in the 2020 Census. If the subrecipient is a county or special purpose district, the project must be serving an incorporated city or town of at least 30,000 or more people. The park or recreation area and the disadvantaged community(ies) must all be within the city or town
• located within a community (census tract) that is determined to be disadvantaged per the Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool at https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#4.1/23.17/-92.1 (includes census tract of project site and community).
• outdoor recreation in nature and the facilities needed to support the use and enjoyment of these areas. These include, but are not limited to:
  • community parks;
  • campgrounds;
  • sports fields and courts;
  • picnic areas and tracks for walking or biking;
  • water-based recreation facilities such as for swimming or boating, etc.; and
  • pools

Further prioritization of project selection includes those projects that are:

• green and blue spaces, and have tree cover to help cool the air, reduce pollution, and have positive effects on mental and physical health, nature-based park projects will earn a 5-point bonus. Nature-based projects are those where nature is a major element of, or strongly supports, the proposed recreational activity; and
• additional benefits beyond the above may assist a project in standing apart from other projects, but they cannot be used as a replacement for the stated priority. Additional benefits may include, but are not limited to, projects that: expand public-private partnerships to leverage matching share resources (e.g. money or donated lands, supplies or services); provide economic benefits to the local community (e.g. short or long-term jobs or stimulation to local business near the park); use sustainable design/materials; include site features that consider the needs of all demographics, and/or; involve the redevelopment of a blighted or distressed property.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

State, tribal, local governments and school districts are eligible for ORLP grants.

Application Information

Contact information

For assistance with OLRP grants, contact:
Pam Rood
101 S. Webster St.
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
608-333-3718