The Land and Water Conservation Fund is working to streamline and simplify the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program. We are making improvements based on new requirements from the EXPLORE Act and feedback from our state, local, Tribal, and non-governmental partners. Our vision is an accessible, responsive, and transformative ORLP program. These changes are a first step toward meeting our vision.
Program Requirements (Specified in the EXPLORE Act)
New Directly Eligible Recipients
Federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native communities and organizations can now apply directly for ORLP funding in addition to State Lead Agencies.
Newly Eligible Sub-Recipients
Special purpose districts, Native Hawaiian communities and organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations can now apply to ORLP as subrecipients. Local divisions of government also remain eligible as subrecipients.
Updated Population Requirement
Eight hundred communities are now eligible for ORLP—at least one in every state and territory. ORLP projects must now be in a qualifying area, defined as:
- an urban area that has a population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census; or
- two or more adjacent urban areas with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census; or
- an area administered by a federally recognized Indian Tribes Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian community organization.
Administrative Costs Capped at 7%
No more than seven percent of funds provided under an ORLP grant may be used for administrative expenses.
Application Process
Five-year Notice of Funding Opportunity
ORLP will operate under the same Notice of Funding Opportunity for five years. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis during this period and reviewed once a year after an annual November 1st deadline. This approach will provide consistency for applicants as they prepare applications and plan for project implementation.
Review Process
Established Review Timeline
The National Park Service will announce selections within six months after the application deadline; around May 1st each year.
Simplified Technical & Eligibility Review
The National Park Service will no longer give numerical scores for technical and eligibility review. Instead, we will use a pass/fail system to simplify the review process.
External Review Panelists
External subject matter experts from an array of backgrounds related to outdoor recreation will review each application. National Park Service staff will not be directly involved in scoring applications.
Simplified Review Criteria
The National Park Service has simplified the review criteria and scoring rubric. Criteria will be assessed on a one to five-point scale and have fewer prescriptive questions than previous rounds. This gives applicants flexibility in responding to the review criteria and more holistically considers an array of applicant and project types.
Feedback Provided to Applicants
All applicants—successful or not—will receive notes from the merit review process on how their project performed.
Applicant Technical Assistance
Improved Public Resources
The National Park Service continues to overhaul the ORLP website and develop technical assistance materials that are accessible to interested applicants. These resources provide guidance on preparing an ORLP proposal and ensure all applicants receive quality information.
Webinars and Office Hours
The National Park Service and our partners will host live technical assistance events, like webinars and office hours, to answer questions and provide further information on the application process. Find a list of live technical assistance events for ORLP.
Individualized Application Support
The National Park Service has partnered with the Trust for Public Land to offer one-on-one technical assistance at no cost to interested applicants. Participants will receive tailored guidance from Trust for Public Land staff as they develop their application. These opportunities are listed on the Trust for Public Land’s ORLP technical assistance webpage.
If demand for this program exceeds the Trust for Public Land’s capacity, the National Park Service will determine which applicants will participate. Application support does not guarantee selection for an ORLP award.
Last updated: June 8, 2026