‘Historic’: Conservation Fund Makes Largest Outdoor Investment in Half-Century

The National Park Service will continue encouraging states to pursue projects that include tribal leaders and cater to underserved communities.

Community leaders celebrate at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April to open the new Chain of Rocks Park in St. Louis, Missouri;Photo byGreat Rivers Greenway

Your local park might be getting some improvements thanks to a new injection of funding from the federal government. The National Park Service announced a record-breaking $325 million allocation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) on Thursday. Each state will receive at least several million dollars, as well as additional funding for U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, in an effort to improve access at federal public lands and warters across the U.S.

It’s the largest annual distribution of funds from the LWCF since 1979. Part of the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, the funding will support local outdoor recreation and conservation projects across the country. That includes Missouri’s Chain of Rocks Park. Thanks to an LWCF-funded program, the park received accessible restrooms, drinking fountains, a picnic pavilion, a paved parking lot, fencing, lighting, and a gated entrance.

“The Biden-Harris administration is deeply committed to ensuring that all Americans, no matter where they live or how much money they earn, can enjoy the outdoors,” Acting Deputy Secretary Daniel-Davis said in the announcement.

It represents a “historic investment” in America’s outdoor recreation, said Jessica Wahl Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Today’s announcement of $325 million in LWCF Stateside Assistance Program funding is a historic investment in our nation’s outdoor spaces, providing more access to the outdoors for more Americans and bolstering local communities’ outdoor recreation economies.”

Parks Across Country to See Improvements

Daniel-Davis highlighted the impact of these funds during a visit to Arizona, where she outlined specific projects that have benefited from the funding.

In Buckeye, Ariz., Sundance Park has received significant improvements. Those include the construction of lighted multiuse fields and other facilities, funded by a $3 million LWCF grant awarded in 2021. Also, Donnie Hale Park received $557,000 in 2021 to renovate its baseball fields, basketball courts, and other amenities.

“With today’s unprecedented $325 million distribution from the LWCF Stateside Assistance Program, we are taking a monumental step toward providing more access to the outside for communities across the country,” Lesley Kane Szynal, chair of the LWCF Coalition, said in a news release.

Established by Congress in 1964, the LWCF is meant to safeguard natural areas and water resources while ensuring recreational access for all Americans. It also doesn’t use taxpayer dollars. Instead, the LWCF is funded by revenue from offshore oil and gas extraction.

This fiscal year, the National Park Service is encouraging states to work closely with Native Americans and underserved communities. The LWCF will provide matching grants to local governments — including tribes — for projects that encourage outdoor recreation.

This week’s announcement coincides with the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, which permanently secured $900 million annually for the LWCF. It also allowed for more free entrance days to the country’s national parks.

See the full funding breakdown for each state on the National Park Service website.