Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) + Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI)

Press Release - $40 MILLION TOTAL IN GRANTS AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE

National Park Service (NPS) released their Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State Assistance + Readiness and Recreation Initiative (REPI) on February 1, 2024. NPS established an application deadline of July 12, 2024 for the States to submit the applications to NPS. States are required to conduct an internal review process and select applications that best meet the LWCF+REPI intent, based on the federal guidelines, prior to submitting applications to National Park Service for the nationwide competition.

Concept Letter Due Date

A one-page concept letter is due to LWCF@parks.ca.gov no later than April 15, 2024. Concept letters should include the agency name, project location, verification that a REPI Partnership Agreement is in place (see Eligibility Card), requested grant amount, number of acres to be acquired, general overview of the project, and contact information. In turn, California State Parks’ Office of Grants and Local Services will provide technical assistance for eligible projects to submit a complete federal application by July 12, 2024.

Amount Available

$40 million through LWCF is available for awards nationwide.  Participating states are not guaranteed an award. The national review committee awards the most competitive applications received nationwide.

Maximum Grant Request Amount

• Minimum grant amount per application - $250,000
• Maximum grant amount per application - $5 million

Match Requirements

This funding opportunity is special because the 50% match requirement for LWCF is covered through an agreement between DOD and NPS meaning that applicants do not need to provide match funding in order to receive grant funding from this program. This means projects that best fit both programs can request up to $5M through LWCF, and the $5M match can be provided through REPI, for a total project cost of $10M. 

Eligibility

Please use the LWCF+REPIEligibility Card to determine the project’s eligibility. For section 2.2 on the Eligibility card, a list of organizations with current REPI Partner Agreements with active military installations can be found here https://www.repi.mil/Portals/44/Documents/State_Packages/California_ALLFacts.pdf

Eligible applicants include:

• Cities
• Counties
• State agencies
• Park districts and special districts with authority to acquire, operate and maintain public park and recreation areas.

Eligible Projects:

• Acquisition
• Acquisition and development

Special Requirements: The federal LWCF+REPI NOFO requires applicants to have Section 106 and NEPA underway for the site/scope of work. Applicants should coordinate with their local military installation in regard to CEQA, NEPA and NHPA (Section 106) compliance, and ensure these requirements are underway. Contact the REPI Office at osd.repi@mail.mil; the REPI Office can connect you with the correct point of contact.

Timeline

1. Concept Letter Deadline: One-page concept letters are due on April 15, 2024, to LWCF@parks.ca.gov
2. OGALS Review Period: From April 2024 through July 2024, applicants with eligible proposals will receive guidance from the Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) in consultation with NPS and DOD on how to complete the full federal application.
3. NPS Application Deadline: NPS requires that all states submit their selected applications for the national competition by the July 12, 2024, deadline.

Once the LWCF application is submitted to the National Park Service, NPS and the Department of Defense will collaborate to determine the projects that best fit both programs and may award up to $5M through LWCF and $5M through REPI to cover a total project cost of $10M.

4. NPS Selection Date: NPS national competitive review committee’s estimated selection date is February 1, 2025.
5. NPS Issues Funding Agreement: NPS will conduct a final review of the application and issue the funding agreement in spring 2025. NPS estimates the term of the funding agreement will be from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028.
6. Project Completion: The applicant should plan to complete the project within 3 years after the funding agreement is secured. For example, if NPS issues the funding agreement in April 2025, the grantee has three years from that date to complete the project.

LWCF Grant Administration Guide,  August 2023

Grant Payment Forms: 

All Payment Forms Combined , (Use DPR212F) includes these individual forms:

• Federal Payment Request Form
• Grant Expenditure Form

Provide a sample timesheet if seeking reimbursement for in-house employee services.

Project Completion Certification Form (final payment only)

Funding Sources Form (Final payment only, if source amounts change from original submission)

Sample LWCF Boundary Map and Instructions (if revised from original submitted)

Grant Administration Resources 

LWCF Sign Guidelines

A sign acknowledging the Land and Water Conservation Fund program as a funding source must be installed upon project completion and must remain in place in perpetuity.  Additionally, if the total project cost is $500,000 or more, a sign must be installed during the construction phase as well.  If appropriate, the same sign may be used both during construction and post completion.  See LWCF Administration Guide for sign requirements.

• Required Language (construction)
• Required Language (post completion)
• Logo (JPG)
• Logo Guidelines
• Sign examples and additional guidance

LWCF outdoor recreation parks must remain accessible and protected for public outdoor recreation within the LWCF Boundary Area Map (boundary area) – formally the LWCF 6f3 Boundary Map of Record.  The land within this boundary is considered to be under federal protection.  LWCF Act at 54 U.S.C. §200301 et seq. 

To verify that LWCF parks remain open, accessible, and maintained, OGALS conducts periodic compliance inspections. If operation and maintenance concerns are discovered, OGALS contacts the grantee.

Keep in mind, changes to the or within the boundary area may require converted property be replaced with non-park property of equal or greater recreational utility and value.

A conversion is the changing of the use of public park land to non-recreational purposes.  Changes may need to be reviewed and approved by the National Park Services.

While some changes may not be considered a "conversion", National Park Service requires a process to review and document certain proposed changes. Contact your Grant Administration Project Officer if any of the following has occurred, or is being considered, for a park acquired or developed with LWCF funds: 

• Changes to the LWCF boundary area.  Such as a nearby public roadway expansion that encroaches on park property, construction of new buildings within the park, or any other changes that impact the amount of land available for outdoor public recreation use.
• Changes to the use of any portion of the park to private, commercial, or non-public outdoor recreation use.
• Construction of new or expansion of existing utilities (above and underground), rights of way and easements.
• Construction or installation of any indoor facility within the park that does not support outdoor public recreation, such as community centers, schools and pre-schools, gymnasiums, housing, police substations, and libraries.
• Closure (permanently or temporarily) of any portion of the park.
• Removal or replacement of a facility, obsolete or otherwise, developed with LWCF funds.

Changes that do not need to be reported to OGALS: 

• Construction or expansion of indoor support facilities that directly support outdoor public recreation of the LWCF funded park, such as restroom or maintenance buildings.  
• Removal, renovation, or replacement of any pre-existing outdoor recreation facility NOT developed with LWCF funds.
• Renovation of any facility developed with LWCF funds.
• Changes to landscaping, lighting, walkways.
• Expansion of parking lots that serve the park.
• Expansion of interior roads that serve the park.
• Other outdoor recreation infrastructure improvements such as development of new outdoor recreation features.