Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1964 (LWCF) was established to assist federal, state, and local governments in the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation facilities. Administered at the federal level by the National Park Service and at the state level by the Bureau of Parks and Lands in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, LWCF grants can provide up to 50% of the allowable costs for approved acquisition or development projects for public outdoor recreation.

Application Period & Instructions for the Current Grant Round

The application period for 2023 grant round is open through June 30, 2023.

  • Eligibility - The only eligible applicants are the State of Maine, counties, municipalities, school districts, and tribal nations.

  • Step1 - Request a pre-application site inspection. For 2023 applicants, the site inspection deadline has passed. For 2024 applicants, request a pre-application site inspection by December 31, 2023.

  • Step 2 - Complete the application after the site inspection has been completed and eligibility confirmed. Application forms and support documents for the current round are posted below.

Please Note:

  • Maximum grant award for this round will remain at $500,000.

  • No minimum award level, but applicants considering a request of $20,000 or less should discuss their project concepts with the grant manager before applying.

Eligible agencies are encouraged to contact the Grants and Community Recreation program at the address below for assistance and guidance in the application process.

Next Grant Cycle = 2024

Contact Information

Grants and Community Recreation
Bureau of Parks and Lands
124 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
(207) 557-1683
Mathew Henion, Outdoor Recreation Grants Specialist
E-mail address: Mathew.B.Henion@maine.gov

Required Signs

Sign Order Form

Application Materials

Resources

Maine State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)

LWCF Stewardship Obligations

Application Forms & Downloads

Listed below are the current round application and guidance documents.

To read the PDF files you will need a copy of the free Adobe Reader software.

PRE-APPROVAL SITE INSPECTION REQUEST DEADLINE


Potential 2024 applicants must request a
site inspection by December 31, 2023.

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A SITE VISIT NOW.

2024 APPLICATION DEADLINE*

Applications must be submitted on or before
close of business (5:00 PM) on
Friday, June 28, 2024
*Potential applicants must have requested a
site inspection by
December 31, 2023.