Land and Water Conservation Fund

WDNR’s Grant Program Guidance details LWCF funding priorities including projects that:

• Are on waterfront properties open to the public and focuses on preserving and enhancing natural wildlife and areas
• 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
• 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:

• LWCF projects must be specified in a local adopted and approved Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP), or otherwise known as a Parks and Open Space Plan. A CORP must be updated every five years.
• The project must also be consistent with the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) adopted by the DNR. The SCORP identifies in-county public camp sites and access to nature walks as top needs in the state.
• Applicants must also have a current signed resolution (within the past 2 years) from the applicant’s governing board approving the project. The resolution must outline the governing board’s commitment of funding to complete the project. 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:

• Applicant funds, e.g., general funds, fee revenues, etc.
• Financial donations from private organizations and individuals
• Municipal labor, equipment, and materials provided by the municipal applicant
• In-kind donations of labor, services, materials, and equipment from private organizations and individuals

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligible costs.

Eligible costs include:

• Pre-engineering costs for development projects
• Direct costs which are supported by time sheets, vouchers or similar documentation reflecting specific assignment to a project are eligible project costs
• Equipment rental at rates that not exceed the county machinery rates established annually by the department of transportation
• Actual fringe benefits paid as part of the direct labor costs claimed
• Engineering or planning fees necessary to complete eligible items, which may be recovered retroactively

Ineligible costs include:

• Construction costs incurred prior to the date of the grant award
• Purchase of equipment
• Income-generating facilities (e.g. concession buildings)
• Stand-alone maintenance facilities that do not specifically serve the grant property
• Facilities developed on property that was acquired via condemnation
• Donated labor, materials, land, or other activities which do not result in an actual expenditure by the sponsor and indirect costs are not allowable in the claim
• Buildings primarily devoted to operation and maintenance

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 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
Phone: (608) 333-3718

Wisconsin Northeast Regional Contact:
Jessica Terrien, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (920) 461-2680

Wisconsin Northern Regional Contact:
Pat Anderson, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (715) 416-5020

Wisconsin South Central Regional Contact:
Mary Rothenmaier, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (608) 720-0121

Wisconsin Southeast Regional Contact:
Jeremy Holtz, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (920) 883-7428

Wisconsin West Central Regional Contact:
Kurt Byfield, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (608) 501-4274