The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance (SLA) Program
provides grants to the States, and through them to local units of government and federallyrecognized Indian tribes, for projects that will provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the
public. This is accomplished through the acquisition of lands and waters for parks and other
outdoor recreation areas, as well as through the development of new, or the renovation of
existing, outdoor recreation facilities. The Program is operated by the National Park Service
(NPS) in partnership with designated State Lead Agencies in each of the 50 States as well as
American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and
the Virgin Islands. Congress allocates money from the LWCF for this program, which is then
apportioned to the States based on a legislative formula. To be eligible for LWCF grants,
States must maintain an approved Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
(SCORP), which is used to assess the supply and demand for outdoor recreation resources and
set priorities for the use of LWCF funds. Since 1964, more than $5.2 billion has been made
available to all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia and more than 44,000 grants
have been awarded.
The Department of Defense (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration
(REPI) Program protects the Nation’s military readiness, enhances relationships with
communities, preserves the environment, and improves military installation and community
resilience to climate change. Under 10 U.S.C. 2684a, the REPI program funds cost-sharing
partnerships for the military with state and local governments and private conservation
organizations. These partnerships obtain easements or other interests in land from willing
sellers or promote natural resource management and military installation resilience to preserve
critical areas, resources, and natural infrastructure near military installations. Since program
inception, REPI partnership projects have protected nearly 1.18 million acres of land in 120
locations in 35 states and territories. Overseen by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and
implemented by the military services, REPI projects help to preserve vital missions at key
military installations.
In coordination with Congress and the DoD, the Secretary of the Interior has established a
special competitive funding initiative using previously apportioned funds that are not currently
allocated to any particular state or territory. The Readiness and Recreation Initiative will seek
to fund projects that will acquire and enhance lands for public outdoor recreation that are also
within the geographic scope of an agreement between a state, local government, or
conservation-focused non-governmental entity and a military department pursuant to 10 U.S.C.
2684a. Projects must meet the dual purposes of 1) providing outdoor recreation opportunities,
and 2) promoting or supporting compatible land uses and avoiding incompatible development
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in areas in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, a military installation or military airspace,
and/or to maintain or enhance the climate resilience of one or more military installations
(hereinafter, “REPI Partnership Opportunity Area”). The projects will serve the general public
and military families.
Therefore, consistent with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual,
the NPS is seeking land acquisition only or acquisition with compatible recreation development
(aka, “combination”) project proposals matching the following factors:
• meeting a priority outdoor recreation need or goal as identified in the State’s SCORP
as well asthat of the community(ies), and that will provide compatible land use within
the REPI Partnership Opportunity Area.
• creating or expanding public outdoor recreational opportunities for the general
public, including for residents and military families associated with the military
installation within the REPI Partnership Opportunity Area.
• located within an active REPI Partnership Opportunity Area.
• promoting compatible land uses for military installations within REPI Partnership
Opportunity Areas, particularly land uses related to compatible recreation
development, advancing conservation or climate resilience (only if also offering
compatible public access).
• advancing the goals of a REPI partnership.