National Park Service announces $254.7 million in grants for local parks

The National Park Service is handing out funding to city parks across the nation.  

The Department of the Interior is unveiling the largest-ever grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). The National Park Service (NPS) will allocate $254.7 million across projects in 24 states to revitalize or develop new local parks. 

“Everyone deserves to experience the restorative power of nature, but increasing access to public outdoor spaces has not always received the investment and drive needed to make an impact,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says. “Supporting the communities that benefit from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program has been a top priority for our administration, and a critical step to bringing more green spaces to urban and disadvantaged communities. Today, this program makes history with the largest investment since its inception.” 

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In August, Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz visited ORLP projects in North Carolina. They toured Yeargan Park and Smoky Hollow Park, where program funds are being used to build new park infrastructure and improve trails, play and picnic areas. 

“The enthusiasm for this program is wonderful, with the highest number of applications we’ve ever seen,” Estenoz says. “After traveling across the United States to increase awareness of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program, I’m thrilled to see so many cities receive grants for the first time.” 

Established in 2014, the ORLP program is a nationwide, competitive matching grant initiative that supports underserved urban communities with limited access to nearby outdoor recreation. It funds community-led park projects in areas with populations above 30,000. Administered by the NPS and financed through the LWCF, the program offers matching grants covering up to 50% of total project expenses. 

“It’s great to see such an increase in community investment in the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program,” NPS Director Chuck Sams says. “This investment into these 54 locally led projects is a prime example of the vital work the National Park Service is doing to improve access to the outdoors in your community and beyond national park borders.” 

The 54 projects receiving funding are: 

• Downtown Gadsden Greenway, Gadsden, Ala.: $3 million 

• Campus Park, Oxnard, Calif: $6.7 million 

• La Palma Park, Anaheim, Calif.: $6 million 

• Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Bakersfield, Calif.: $11.9 million 

• Bryte Park, West Sacramento, Calif.: $15 million 

• Spartan-Keyes Park, San Jose, Calif.: $4.5 million 

• Central Park, Glendale, Calif.: $6 million 

• Roadside Park, Baldwin Park, Calif.: $2.1 million 

• Jordan Downs Central Park, Los Angeles: $11 million 

• Panorama Park, Redding, Calif.: $4 million 

• Van Buskirk Revitalization Park, Stockton, Calif.: $7 million 

• Puente Hills Landfill Park, Los Angeles: $15 million 

• Stewart Park, Beaumont, Calif.: $3.1 million 

• Quail Valley Nature Park, Menifee, Calif.: $750,000 

• Bellflower Park, Adelanto, Calif.: $1 million 

• Veterans Memorial Park, La Puente, Calif.: $1 million 

• La Alma-Lincoln Park, Denver: $8.4 million 

• Gold Strike Park, Colo.: $7.3 million 

• Cummings Park/West Beach, Stamford, Conn.: $5 million 

• Rockwell Park, Bristol, Conn.: $1.9 million 

• 11th Street Bridge Park, Washington, D.C.: $15 million 

• Carter Park, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: $2.2 million 

• Sunset Park, Hollywood, Fla.: $7.6 million 

• Marva Bannerman Park, Miami-Dade County, Fla.: $2.5 million 

• City Park, Oakland Park, Fla.: $2.5 million 

• Burdett Park Natural Area, South Fulton, Ga.: $1 million 

• Comiskey Park, Dubuque, Iowa: $2 million 

• Riverfront Park, Bowling Green, Ky.: $3.6 million 

• Baltimore Greenway Trail Network: $1.4 million 

• Hill Street Park, Frederick, Md.: $1 million 

• Flint Riverbank Park, Mich.: $5 million 

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Rochester, Minn.: $1.5 million 

• Parr Hill Park, Joplin, Mo.: $485,000 

• Deaverview Mountain Acquisition, Buncombe County, N.C.: $4.5 million 

• Downtown Gateway and Greenway, Grand Forks, N.D.: $3.5 million 

• Turtle Mountain Family Recreation Areas, N.D.: $1 million 

• Mesa Verde Park, Albuquerque, N.M.: $1.4 million 

• Payne Park, North Tonawanda, N.Y.: $4 million 

• Reverend H.V. Savage Park, Toledo, Ohio: $1.2 million 

• Irishtown Bend, Cleveland: $10.8 million 

• Cuyahoga Riverfront Property, Cleveland: $3 million 

• Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio: $390,000 

• Dream Keepers Park, Tulsa, Okla.: $3.6 million 

• Hillside Pool, Reading, Pa.: $672,000 

• Weston Field, Scranton, Pa.: $672,000 

• Regional Park, Rock Hill, S.C.: $15 million 

• Gooch Park, Memphis, Tenn.: $3.3 million 

• Community Park, Dallas: $8.7 million 

• Woodlawn Lake Park, San Antonio, Texas: $3.3 million 

• Burnett Bayland Park, Houston: $11.4 million 

• Teague Park, Longview, Texas: $1.3 million 

• John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park, Austin, Texas: $4 million 

• Patton Park, Petersburg, Va.: $3.4 million 

• Uplands Park, Kent, Wash.: $3.2 million 

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Photo courtesy Larry D. Moore