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LWCF
Manual
find LWCF in your neighborhood
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How States
Plan and Select Projects
To be eligible for grants, every State must
prepare and regularly update a statewide recreation plan (sometimes
called a SCORP). Most SCORPS address the demand for and supply of
recreation resources (local, state and federal) within a state,
identify needs and new opportunities for recreation improvements
and set forth an implementation program to meet the goals identified
by its citizens and elected leaders.
When
a State's current plan has been approved by the appropriate field
office of the National Park Service, all grant applications submitted
must be in accord with the priorities listed in its action plan.
To make the connection between the SCORP and concrete project proposals,
each State also develops an Open Project Selection Process which
contains:
- a
set of project-ranking selection criteria that allow scoring of
each project proposal according to how well it meets the needs
and priorities published in the State recreation plan; and,
- a
process (usually scheduled annually) to ensure that all eligible
applicants can be notified of funding availability, application
deadlines and selection criteria when a new project selection
cycle starts.
In
most years, all States receive individual allocations (apportionments)
of LWCF grant funds based on a national formula (with state population
being the most influential factor). Then States initiate a statewide
competition for the amount available (including the new year allocation,
any previous year allocations, and any amounts `recovered' due to
cost underruns on earlier projects funded). Applications are received
by a State up to its specified deadline date. Then they are scored
and ranked according to the project selection criteria so that only
the top-ranked projects (up to the total amount available that year)
are chosen for funding. "Winning"applications are then
forwarded to the National Park Service for formal approval and obligation
of federal grant monies.
Because
each State has its own priorities and selection criteria (tailored
to its own particular needs and unique opportunities), and because
individual States make the decisions, in effect, about which projects
will receive LWCF grants, the first step for potential applicants
is to contact the cooperating State office to find out about local
application deadlines, state priorities and selection criteria,
and what kinds of documentation are required to justify a grant
award. Interested applicants should call or write the appropriate
state agency to request application information.
For State agencies, see:
Contact
List
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