NEWS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 12, 2020
Land & Water Conservation Fund Grant Preliminary Applications Now Open
The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department (NDPRD) is soliciting preliminary applications for the FY20 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) through October 29, 2020. The purpose for a preliminary application is for eligible grant sponsors to outline potential projects and have them reviewed by NDPRD before the full application process which will open on November 2, 2020.
The LWCF is a federal program funded by offshore oil and gas royalties that was created by Congress in 1964 to safeguard natural areas, water resources, cultural heritage and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. NDPRD administers North Dakota’s stateside program and has been apportioned over $1.87 million for Fiscal Year 2020. North Dakota has granted over $38 million to over 1,100 projects in 53 counties through this program. With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) this year, the LWCF will be permanently funded at $900 million annually which a portion of those funds is administered to the state of North Dakota.
Eligible project sponsors include cities, counties and townships; park and school districts; state agencies; water management districts and federally recognized tribes. The LWCF provides grants for outdoor recreation projects such as ball fields, pools, campgrounds, playgrounds, and land acquisitions for park development.
During the pre-application process, NDPRD will review the sponsor’s and project’s eligibility. Sponsors are required to be Title VI compliant, and any non-compliant sponsors can become certified during this time. NDPRD can assist sponsors in determining land ownership, budget narrative and completing any other requirements for the LWCF.
Completing a preliminary application is not required in order to apply during the full application process, but it is highly recommended. A LWCF grant workshop will be held on October 29, 2020 at 1:00PM on Microsoft Teams to assist project sponsors with the grant application and management. For more information, please review the website at https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/business/grants/land-and-water-conservation-fund or contact Char Binstock, Grants Coordinator at (701) 328-5364.
For more information, contact Char Binstock, Grants Coordinator at cbinstock@nd.gov, (701) 328-5364 or wwww.parkrec.nd.gov/business.