The Department of the Interior plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on local parks, saying it is the single largest grant investment ever from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP), the National Park Service (NPS) will invest nearly $254.7 million in 54 projects in 24 states to redevelop or create new local parks.
The ORLP program, established in 2014, is a competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program that aids disadvantaged urban communities that lack access to nearby outdoor recreation. The program provides grants for community-sponsored park projects with a population of greater than 30,000 residents.
Managed by the NPS and funded through the LWCF, the program provides matching grants up to 50% of total project costs.