News Release

Secretary Zinke Announces $100 Million to Support State Parks and Outdoor Recreation

Date: September 18, 2018
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov, Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

(Press release originally distributed by the Department of the Interior Press Office)

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ryan K. Zinke today announced a $100 million distribution from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to all 50 States, the Territories, and the District of Columbia for state-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects. LWCF funds are non-taxpayer dollars derived from Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues and are awarded through federal matching grants administered by the National Park Service.

Secretary Zinke said, "The LWCF State and Local Assistance Program leverages public and private investment in America’s State and local parks and exemplifies my priorities to improve and expand outdoor recreation and access, and bolster state and local community recreation, tourism, and economic goals. I support permanent reauthorization of LWCF and am hopeful that Congress will pass this important bill before the deadline."

Secretary Zinke made the announcement at Acadiana Park in Lafayette, Louisiana. "In the last 53 years," Zinke said, "the Land and Water Conservation Fund and its State and Local Assistance Program has provided over $4.2 billion to help states protect special places and bring outdoor recreation opportunities to local communities across the country."

Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux said, "On behalf of Lafayette and the Acadiana Park Nature Station, we are grateful for the support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Louisiana has long been known as the Sportsman’s Paradise and this program is incredibly important in helping to preserve our unique landscapes while also connecting citizens with the outdoors through recreation."

The $100 million in LWCF funding distributed today was supplemented by the June distribution of $61.6 million in revenues to states from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. "Together these funds create major positive impacts for millions of Americans who have nearby opportunities for recreation in new and improved community parks and recreation areas," Secretary Zinke said.

The LWCF was established by Congress in 1965 to ensure access to outdoor recreation resources for present and future generations. The LWCF invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to permanently conserve outdoor recreation areas for public use and enjoyment. The funds enable state and local governments to improve park and other recreation areas in their communities by rehabilitating and upgrading existing parks, creating brand new parks in places that have none, and developing and expanding trail systems that link communities to each other and to additional outdoor recreation opportunities.

Since the inception of the LWCF, over $4.2 billion from responsible offshore oil and gas development has been made available to state and local governments to fund more than 43,000 conservation projects throughout the nation. The allocation for the State and Local Assistance Program is determined by a formula set in the LWCF Act. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/lwcf.

Fiscal Year 2018 LWCF Apportionments by State:
 

State

Total

Alabama

$1,575,379

Alaska

$907,707

Arizona

$2,074,129

Arkansas

$1,257,021

California

$8,527,497

Colorado

$1,777,444

Connecticut

$1,497,856

Delaware

$958,608

Florida

$4,608,137

Georgia

$2,570,741

Hawaii

$1,062,199

Idaho

$1,065,085

Illinois

$3,353,349

Indiana

$1,959,895

Iowa

$1,306,393

Kansas

$1,307,516

Kentucky

$1,499,138

Louisiana

$1,610,231

Maine

$972,249

Maryland

$1,931,542

Massachusetts

$2,122,220

Michigan

$2,601,068

Minnesota

$1,751,154

Mississippi

$1,241,508

Missouri

$1,855,995

Montana

$944,398

Nebraska

$1,116,936

Nevada

$1,343,209

New Hampshire

$1,004,160

New Jersey

$2,608,866

New Mexico

$1,169,763

New York

$4,650,277

North Carolina

$2,441,739

North Dakota

$896,313

Ohio

$2,950,544

Oklahoma

$1,437,051

Oregon

$1,517,718

Pennsylvania

$3,180,438

Rhode Island

$997,854

South Carolina

$1,589,578

South Dakota

$916,774

Tennessee

$1,889,644

Texas

$5,706,801

Utah

$1,344,543

Vermont

$873,017

Virginia

$2,263,381

Washington

$2,095,549

West Virginia

$1,068,456

Wisconsin

$1,800,071

Wyoming

$881,398

District of Columbia

$229,413

Puerto Rico

$1,388,048

Virgin Islands

$75,000

Guam

$75,000

American Samoa

$75,000

Northern Marianas

$75,000

 



Last updated: September 19, 2018