Boys Fishing


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.
 
Kensington ParkLake 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.

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)

girl viewing butterflyLewiston, 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

Let's Work Together


Girl at Dover ParkCould 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)

NPS Conservation and Recreation Links

Challenge Cost Share Program | Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers | Federal Lands to Parks

Hydropower Relicensing Program | National Trails System |  Urban Park and Recreation Recovery

Land and Water Conservation Fund | Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program

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.