Land & Water Conservation Fund
The online grant application system is now closed.
In 1964, Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund to provide for the acquisition and development of public land to meet the needs of all Americans for outdoor recreation and open space. The legislation provides 50/50 matching grants-in-aid to states and their political subdivisions. Since its inception, the program has provided North Dakotans and their communities with playgrounds and ball fields, trails for walking and hiking, parks for camping and picnicking and access to lakes and rivers for swimming, fishing and boating. These outdoor recreation facilities enhance the daily lives of all our citizens and through the protection of the Land and Water Conservation program will remain in public use permanently.
This program is administered at the state level by the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department and at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service. More information on this local, state and federal partnership program can be found at www.nps.gov/lwcf.
Eligibility
Only political subdivisions of the State of North Dakota with ownership of the project land are eligible to apply for grant funds. This includes cities, counties, townships, water management districts, park boards and park districts, state agencies and, in some instances, school districts.
Project sponsors must demonstrate clear title to project lands and all projects must meet federal guidelines for accessibility. Go to www.access-board.gov/recreation/guides/index.htm for information on access guidelines for outdoor recreation facilities. For information specific to accessibility requirements for playgrounds go to www.access-board.gov/play/guide/intro.htm.
To be considered, a project must be a recreation priority in its region. Outdoor recreation priorities by region can be found in the North Dakota State-wide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which is available on-line (requires Acrobat Reader).
Project proposals must be approved at both the state and federal levels. Projects selected at the state level are submitted to the National Park Service for federal review and approval. Once the National Park Service approves a project, a local grant agreement between the NDPRD and the project sponsor will be prepared.
Recreation areas that receive federal assistance through the Land and Water Conservation Fund must remain dedicated to public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. Property within the project boundary may not be converted to any use other than outdoor recreation without prior approval from the NDPRD and National Park Service. Any converted property must be replaced by the local sponsor with property of equal or greater recreational value and usefulness. NDPRD should be notified of any change in usage to assure that a conversion is not taking place.
LWCF grants reimburse up to 50 percent of the cost for land acquisition, development or renovation/restoration projects. A minimum total project cost of $30,000 is required for consideration. Project sponsors can not be reimbursed for funds that are incurred before an application is approved and a local grant agreement is signed.
The application deadline is May 1 of each year. Applications must be submitted on or before that date. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications may not be submitted for multiple sites.
Acquisitions
Acquisition projects generally consist of land purchase and/or donation that are sometimes combined with development of facilities. Land acquired through purchase or donation must be appraised according to federal standards. An acquisition through donation from non-public sources may be used as a portion of the sponsor’s matching share for development purposes. The Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/land-ack/.
Compliance
Approved project sponsors must agree to the general provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. For a summary of grant recipient obligations, go to the compliance guidelines below .
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a reimbursable grant program. Local sponsors must pay all project costs upfront and then request reimbursement. For reimbursement guidelines, please read the reimbursement guidelines below .A PowerPoint presentation for grant training and education or other information about the LWCF grant program can be obtained by contacting Michelle Vetter at 701-328-5364 or at parkrec@state.nd.us.
2008 L&WCF Grants
- North Dakota Parks and Recreation-Fort Ransom State Park Acquisition
- City of Lignite-Lignite City Park Playground
- Grafton Park District-Grafton Pool Liner
2007 L&WCF Grants
- City of Aneta-Aneta City Park Playground-Renovation of a playground
- Bismarck Park District-New Generations Park-Development of a new playground
- City of New England-New England swimming pool-Development of improvements to an existing swimming pool
2006 L&WCF Grants
- City of Tioga-Main Park Playground-Development of a playground
- Stutsman County-Pipestem Creek Trail/Parkhurst Campground-Development of a Campground
- City of Washburn-Riverside Park-Development of a Courtesy Dock/Boat Landing.
- Wahpeton Park District-Airport Park-Development of a Ball Field
- City of Brocket Park-Development of a new city park
- City of St. John Park-Development of a motorized park
- Center School Playground-Renovation of existing playground
- Beulah Park District-Beulah Bay Recreation Area-Development of a campground
Grant Recipient Obligations
The following information is to keep past and present Land and Water Conservation Fund project sponsors informed of important project responsibilities, revisions and trouble spots in grant regulations.
Operation and Maintenance
Property acquired or designated for recreation through the program must be maintained so as to appear attractive and inviting to the public. Sanitation and sanitary facilities shall be maintained in accordance with State Health standards and the property must be kept reasonably safe for public use. The facility shall be kept open for public use at reasonable hours and times of the year according to the type of area or facility.
Availability to Users
Discrimination on the basis of race, handicap, color, national origin, religion, sex or age is prohibited. Discrimination on the basis of residence, including preferential reservation, membership or annual permit systems is prohibited except when reasonable differences in admission and other fees are maintained.
Utility Lines
LWCF sponsors will take all reasonable steps to bury, screen or relocate existing overhead lines on the project site and will place all new electric wires under 15KV and telephone wire underground.
Handicapped Accessibility
According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, project sponsors must implement compliance procedures to ensure that their programs, facilities and employment practices are not discriminatory in regard to the handicapped. Facilities must be designed to comply with the “Minimum Guidelines and Requirements for Accessibility Design” (CFR Part 1 1190).
Signing
Project sponsors must maintain on the project site or facility in a prominent location, a Land and Water Conservation Fund acknowledgement sign.
Conversion of Property (6F)
Property acquired or developed under this program must be retained in public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. Prior approval of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department must be obtained prior to alternative use of the subject property. The entire project site identified in the project agreement is subject to public law 88-578 Section 6(F).
The above information constitutes a summary of major obligations: If you would like a detailed explanation of these project obligations please contact:
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
1600 E. Century Ave, Suite 3
Bismarck ND 58503
701-328-5364
Reimbursement Guidelines-LWCF
Invoices
Legible copies of invoices for costs incurred are necessary. The invoice should provide an accurate and itemized listing of material and/or services rendered. At minimum, the invoice must be dated, state the amount due, vendor’s name and specific items purchased. Please note that statements and vouchers are not acceptable if they reflect only the amount due. On each invoice note the project name and number and which portion of the expenditure should be attributed to the project. All bills must be submitted in a timely manner and must be paid in the same fiscal year.
Cancelled Checks
To show proof of payment, copies of both sides of the check must be attached to the invoice. Please note that the check must be drawn from the sponsor’s public account.
Force Account Labor
Any time the project sponsor employs its own employees to do work on the project and wishes to be reimbursed for the costs, specially designed timesheets must be completed. Contact the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department for these forms.
General Labor
In instances where individuals charge you for labor, but they don’t have an official invoice, a timesheet can serve as an invoice. The timesheet must at a minimum be dated and state the job performed, salary per hour, hours worked each day and the total amount due. In addition, the laborer and the appropriate supervisor must sign the timesheet.
Ineligible Items:
- Expenditures on items not in the approval project scope
- Sales tax
- Service charges for late payment
- Costs incurred prior to federal approval date and after project expiration date
- Equipment such as hammers, ladders or lawn mowers
- Payments to one vendor in excess of $25,000 that are not bid according to federal regulations
- Donated labor and materials
- Legal fees
- Operation and maintenance costs
When in doubt concerning the eligibility of an item, contact the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department prior to submission. Links to reimbursement forms can be found to the left.
Contract Compliance
If you make in excess of $25,000 in total payments to one vendor during the entire project period, it must be bid according to federal regulations. For each contract over $25,000 the following must be submitted to the grant manager before requesting reimbursement.
- Bid advertisement – A copy of the advertisement which was placed in the newspaper
- Bid specifications – A copy of the document that the vendor reviewed and bid on
- Bid tabulation – A listing of the vendor’s bids
- Contract – A copy of the signed contract containing all federal provisions
- Change orders – When there is a change in the contract amount or scope, a formal written change order must be submitted
You are not required to bid architectural or engineering services, but when any payment is made to such firms, an owner/architect or engineering contract must be submitted prior to reimbursement.
Playground Safety Guide
Promoting playground safety is a priority of the Recreation Division of the ND Parks and Recreation Department and of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. A playground safety guide (PDF 273KB) is available on this site. For more information about playground safety or the National Playground Safety Training Institute, contact Michelle Vetter at parkrec@nd.gov.
