Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides grants for projects that protect natural areas, water resources, and the nation’s cultural heritage, as well as projects that provide recreation opportunities.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources administers the state’s LCWF program in partnership with the National Park Service. DNR strongly encourages applicants to contact their regional project manager as early as possible in the planning stages of a project, ideally within three months prior to submitting an application.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
The LCWF prioritizes recreation-focused projects on waterfront properties open to the public and focuses on preserving and enhancing natural wildlife and areas. WDNR’s Grant Program Guidance details LWCF funding priorities including projects that:
• Meet the needs of urban areas;
• Provide recreation opportunities for elderly, minority, disabled, and low-income populations;
• Acquire land in areas with limited outdoor recreation facilities;
• Provide multi-use and multi-season facilities;
• Enhance or preserve natural beauty;
• Are proposed by applicants which have sufficient financial resources to adequately maintain and operate the project; and
• Have other priority characteristics specified in law/statute/code or the LWCF Federal Financial Assistance Manual, Vol. 72.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
The following are threshold requirements that must be met to be eligible for this funding opportunity:
A sample resolution meeting these requirements can be found here.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.
Matching funds must be equal to or greater than the amount of the grant award, i.e., a 50% match.
Grant recipients may charge reasonable user fees (e.g. state park daily entrance or camping fee) to defray operation and maintenance costs. However, any income accruing from the property should be used for purposes that support the original grant contract. Income accruing to an area receiving assistance during the project period from a source other than the intended recreational use must be used to reduce the total costs of the project.
Typically, federal grants cannot be used to provide matching funds for other federal grants. Common allowable sources of matching funds include:
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligible costs.
Eligible costs include:
Ineligible costs include:
An applicant’s eligible and ineligible costs will be further defined during the discussions with the regional program officer (please click on “Contact Information” section below for links).
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Projects that can be completed within 3 years receive priority.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Complete grant applications must be submitted electronically to the Regional Project Manager by 11:59pm on May 1. Applications are accepted annually.
The time between submitting a complete application and receiving a grant contract ranges from 6-18 months depending on the details of each project. An application submitted in May 1, 2025, could receive funding sometime between November 1, 2025, and November 1, 2026.
The application form for the LCWF program is available on DNR’s website here and instructions here. To apply for a LCWF grant, applicants will need a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number that can be obtained by going to www.SAM.gov.
Click on the next section for contact information for this funding opportunity.
Wisconsin Statewide Contact:
Pam Rood, Financial Assistance, Division of Internal Services, Facilities and Land
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (608) 333-3718
Wisconsin Northeast Regional Contact:
Jessica Terrien, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (920) 461-2680
Wisconsin Northern Regional Contact:
Pat Anderson, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (715) 416-5020
Wisconsin South Central Regional Contact:
Mary Rothenmaier, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (608) 720-0121
Wisconsin Southeast Regional Contact:
Jeremy Holtz, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (920) 883-7428
Wisconsin West Central Regional Contact:
Kurt Byfield, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (608) 501-4274
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