The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established by Congress in 1964 to create parks and open spaces; protect wilderness, wetlands, and refuges; preserve wildlife habitat; and enhance recreational opportunities.
LWCF has underwritten the development of more than 38,000 state and local park and recreation projects in nearly every county in the nation.
In Colorado, LWCF state matching grants are administered by Colorado State Parks. Since 1965, nearly 1,000 grants totaling more than $58 million have funded local government and state park outdoors investments statewide.
In recent years, State Parks has worked with local government parks and recreation leaders to utilize the State Trails Program Grants Process to grant LWCF funds.
This process is consistent with statewide surveys that continue to rank community and regional trail systems among Colorado’s highest priority outdoors needs.
These priorities are documented in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), which State Parks publishes every five years in order to remain eligible for annual congressional appropriations of LWCF funds.