News Release

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

Date: September 18, 2018
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(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