Proposals are being accepted for outdoor recreation matching grants

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is accepting pre-application proposals for submission to the National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, or ORLP.

Part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, ORLP provides matching grants for outdoor recreation projects in underserved urban areas.

ORLP is a 50-50 matching reimbursement program that provides awards ranging from $300,000 to $10 million.

Nationwide, approximately $192 million in matching funds is available through this national competition. Recipients must be able to fund 100 percent of their projects while seeking periodic reimbursements.

Eligible applicants include state political subdivisions such as cities, counties and recreation authorities; state agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes.

Unique to the ORLP program, the park project must be located in or contiguous with an incorporated city or town with a population of at least 30,000 people and be located within a half-mile walk of an underserved target community with a high poverty rate.

Eligible projects may include acquisition, development, combination of acquisition and development, or rehabilitation of parks and other outdoor recreation areas.

DCR must submit projects selected through this call for proposals to NPS on behalf of the applicant.

Instructions as well as the DCR ORLP pre-application and reference materials are available at www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/lwcf.

Pre-applications are due to DCR via email no later than 4 p.m. on Nov. 15.

Questions directly related to the ORLP application process may be emailed to [email protected].