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The Land and Water Conservation Fund: Why it Matters?
Outdoor recreation isn't just something to do inside National
Parks---it should be a part of our everyday lives. That's the philosophy behind
the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal program established over
40 years ago to enable states and communities across the country to acquire
parklands and enhance outdoor recreation facilities. In 2008 alone, the Fund
provided $37.7 million in federal grant money to more than 315 park sites in 47
states (see 2008 Annual Report). These LWCF federal dollars go a long way: over and above the required
50% sponsor match, they helped leverage more than $61.3 million in additional
dollars for conservation and recreation. Part of the appeal, says Michael
Phillips of the National Recreation and Park Association, is the diversity of
projects LWCF money can fund: depending on a community's needs, it can be put
toward sports fields, conservation areas, bike trails, skate parks, picnic
areas, and more.
Lake City, Minnesota: Whitewater State Park "Project Get Outdoors" links youth and adult mentors to exploration, play and reflection in nature
With communities increasingly concerned about obesity
prevention, outdoor recreation represents a major structural opportunity to
create healthier environments. But the unmet need is great---Michael Wilson of the
National Park Service notes that communities are so hungry for outdoor
recreation, there are $27 billion dollars' worth of outdoor recreation
projects awaiting funding. Fortunately, a new revenue stream has opened up for
the program. The
Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, approved in December 2006, for the first
time created a dedicated funding source for LWCF. The Act identified specific
areas in the Gulf of Mexico where 12.5% of oil
lease revenues will go into the LWCF state assistance program, beginning in
Fiscal Year 2009. While the amounts are currently small, the funds may
eventually increase, and the dedicated revenue stream speaks to the program's
national importance.
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Learning from the Field: Modie Park, Lewiston, Idaho
"Modie
Park was a dream since 1980," says
Phil Shinn, the city forester for Lewiston,
Idaho. In 1994, the city council first
endorsed the concept of building a park in collaboration with a local
nonprofit. While the park was eventually constructed, it remained barebones: "Most
of the budget went to maintenance, and everything else was on the backburner,"
Shinn reports. But $211,000 from LWCF enabled
the park to connect two key pathways, build a restroom with a green roof and
three picnic shelters, plant 200 trees, install a mile of irrigation and
interpretive signs, and construct an environmentally-friendly permeable parking
lot. Said Shinn, "We may have had the concept and gotten started, but it's
really LWCF money that allowed us to put the infrastructure down to make the
park attractive for people to come and utilize." Lewiston, Idaho: Modie Park Butterfly Garden (image: Philip Shinn)
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Lewiston, Idaho: Modie Park (image: Philip Shinn)
Catalysts: Getting Involved
Each state receives LWCF
funds from the federal government, and decides independently how to allocate
them. You can learn more by reading the LWCF 2008 Annual Report,
checking out the LWCF Grants Manual,
or talking to your state's LWCF contact.
You can also discover LWCF-funded projects in your community.
Links
LWCF Home LWCF 2008 Annual Report Modie Park Conservancy National Recreation and Park Association
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Let's Work Together
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Could your project benefit from 1-2 years' staff time from a National Park Service specialist?
If you're working on restoring a river, building a community trail, or making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we could work together. Please call or email your regional representative today.
The next program application deadline is August 1, 2009.
(Dover, Maryland: Dover Park)
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The Update informs Department of the Interior staff, organizational partners, and friends about the program successes and activities of the National Park Service Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Programs. For more details, please contact the staff person involved with each project.
This e-newsletter may be copied or redirected. Our staff would be pleased to assist your editor in adapting each story for your publication; for more information, please call (202) 354-6918 or e-mail [email protected]. Images courtesy National Park Service. | |
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