State-Side Grants and Planning Assistance

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (L&WCF) was enacted by Congress in 1965 to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high quality recreation areas and facilities. The L&WCF Act established two "sides" to the program. The Federal side

establishes a funding source for Federal acquisition of authorized national park, conservation and recreation areas. The State-side provides grants to State and local governments to help them acquire, develop and improve outdoor recreation areas.

The Philadelphia Support Office's Stewardship and Partnerships Team (S&P) administers the State-side grants and planning program in the Northeast. The Land and Water Conservation Fund program is administered cooperatively with the States. The Governor of each State designated one or more "State Liaison Officers" to work with the National Park Service in managing the state-side of the L&WCF Program. These individuals and their staffs are the primary channels between the States, NPS, and local governments.

NPS Role Spans Project Life and Beyond

Under the L&WCF Act, States work closely with NPS to analyze recreation needs, set priorities for funding and supervise and coordinate the selection of projects. States submit project proposals to S&P which conducts a final review and approval for grants and oversees project implementation and post-completion stewardship activities.

Over the 36 years since the L&WCF was created more than $936 million in Federal funds have been appropriated to the 13 states of the Northeast Region and District of Columbia to acquire and develop land for parks and open space. The investment on the part of the federal government was matched by at least an equal amount from state and local governments for a total financial commitment of over $2 billion to parks, open space and recreation in the Northeast.

A Program for the New Millenium

As the new millenium begins, Americans in states and communities across the nation continue to take stock of the environments in which they live and in which their children and grandchildren are being raised. A strong economy has influenced the explosion in development throughout the Northeast, and urban sprawl has become a critical issue. With each passing year, the opportunity to find and preserve land for parks, open space, and recreation becomes increasingly limited as once available lands are more scarce and expensive.

For more information on the Land and Water Conservaton Fund please call or email the Project Leader for your State.