Round 7 Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program was established in 2014 and is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. ORLP is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program. It was created to aid disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. Funds can be used for the acquisition and/or development of, or substantial renovation of, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

Projects may include any or all manner of outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, unstructured play, picnicking, cycling, field and court sports, fishing, bird watching, swimming pools, paddling, and skating, as well as for outdoor recreation facilities and some supporting facilities and infrastructure like restrooms/bathhouses, or parking areas, when part of an overall recreation project.

Additional Information:
The application process for the ORLP competition is different from most federal grant programs. Each State has a Lead Agency charged in administering the Land and Water Conservation fund within the State. This agency solicits proposals from project sponsors across the state, then selects and submits those they feel are best qualified to meet the goals of the ORLP program to the National Park Service (NPS) for inclusion in the national competition. If the project is selected in the national competition, the State Lead Agency than works with the project sponsor to prepare and submit additional required documents necessary for NPS to complete a full and final review of the project and make a funding determination. State Lead Agency selection deadlines are earlier than the NPS’s national ORLP competition deadline and may include additional requirements. Entities interested in seeking funding under the ORLP program should contact their State’s Lead Agency (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for Connecticut; Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for New York) to get details about their state’s process for selecting and submitting projects to the NPS’ national competition.

Funding Agencies: National Park Service, US Department of the Interior

Frequency Details: Annual

Match Requirement: 100% non-federal match required