The National Park Service (NPS) selected 19 project proposals to develop new or improve 15 parks and four trails in economically disadvantaged urban areas in 13 states.
These projects, part of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, would invest $16.8 million in Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) to benefit under-served communities with respect to parks and outdoor recreation opportunities.
“Through these grants, cities are able to provide equitable access to their parks and other outdoor recreational areas where none, or little, currently exist,” NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge said. “Local parks, especially in urban areas, serve as a vital resource for economically disadvantaged communities.”
The ORLP program helps urban communities acquire or develop land to create or reinvigorate public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces in ways that will provide opportunities for people, especially youth, to connect or re-connect with the outdoors. Priority is given to projects that engage and empower youth in underserved communities; provide opportunities for employment or job training; involve and expand public-private partnerships; and rely on a high degree of coordination among all levels of government, to expand and improve recreation opportunities for all.
Examples of projects already funded through the ORLP program include:
- In Oregon, the City of Portland, Verde, and private partners developed Cully Park, a 25-acre park on a former landfill in the Cully neighborhood of northeast Portland. The neighborhood, one of Portland’s larger and more populous neighborhoods, is predominantly minority and low-income and has limited outdoor recreation opportunities as compared to other regional areas. The grant restored habitat and supported development of an accessible playground, walking trail with exercise equipment, scenic overlooks, off-leash dog area, inter-tribal Gathering Garden, and a youth soccer field.
- Metroparks of Toledo, in Ohio, created access to the 73-acre Toledo Manhattan Marsh Preserve, a large urban natural area and first Metropark in North Toledo. This project developed boardwalks and aggregated walking paths as well as a canoe/kayak launch and related facilities.
An additional round of funding applications is being accepted in Grants.gov through Sept. 24. States may apply for the grants, whether on behalf of themselves or eligible urban jurisdictions. Project sponsors must match the grant award 1:1 with non-federal dollars. A total of $150 million in funding is available during the grant cycle.
LWCF has funded $4 billion worth of projects in every county in the country since its founding 55 years ago. The ORLP program, which grew out of a 2014 Congressional request for a new competitive grant program, is administered by the National Park Service.
The complete list of projects that were selected to receive an ORLP grant, pending additional documentation and environmental compliance requirements:
California
East Bay Regional Park District (San Francisco): Tidewater Estuary Park Improvements and Public Access – $1,000,000
City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation: Ortega Park Revitalization Project – $1,000,000
County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation: Ford’s Theater Hiking Trail – $999,822
District of Columbia
Department of Energy and Environment: Equitable Access to Paddle Sport Recreation at Kingman Island – $781,800
Iowa
City of Des Moines: Central Place Levee Trail – Phase I – $500,000
Maryland
City of Baltimore: Middle Branch Park Trail and Water Access – $1,000,000
Massachusetts
City of Worcester: Tacoma Street Playground Renovation – $1,000,000
Michigan
Genesee County: Flint River Restoration Project – $1,000,000
Missouri
Great Rivers Greenway (St. Louis): A New Vision for The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Park and Trailhead – $990,000
New Jersey
City of Trenton: 104 Taylor Street Soccer and Fitness Development – $1,000,000
Camden County: Whitman Park Improvement and Expansion $1,000,000
North Carolina
City of Rocky Mount: Battle Park Renovation – $500,000
Ohio
City of Cleveland: Clark Avenue Park Development Project – $661,724
Metroparks Toledo: Glass City Metropark: Urban Camping- $1,000,000
South Carolina
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission: Cooper River County Park Development – $1,000,000
Washington
City of Lakewood: Wards Lake Park Enhancement – $1,000,000
Seattle Parks and Recreation: North Rainier Park Development – $1,000,000
Seattle Parks and Recreation: Maple Wood Playfield Renovation – $1,000,000
Wisconsin
City of Milwaukee: Extending the Kinnickinnic River Oak Leaf Trail to High Needs Areas – $453,954
