California State Parks Opens 2027 LWCF Local Grants: About $27.5 Million Pool, Up to $6 Million per Project
The California Department of Parks and Recreation's Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) is accepting applications for the 2027 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Local Agency Competitive Program through January 14, 2027, at 11:59 p.m., via the State Parks online portal (OGALS Submittable); paper submissions are not accepted. The estimated statewide funding pool for this local-agency round is about $27.5 million, and eligible agencies may request up to $6 million per project; the pool is the total allocation for the competition, not an individual award.
Eligible applicants are California cities and counties, federally recognized Native American tribes, qualified joint powers authorities with public agency members and a park-and-recreation purpose, and non-state park, recreation or special districts authorized to acquire, operate and maintain public park and recreation areas. Ordinary commercial vendors and nonprofits without qualifying public applicant status are not eligible in this round. Applicants must provide a mandatory 50% qualifying match and finance the remaining nonfederal costs.
Funding supports land acquisition or development of public outdoor recreation amenities such as parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, trails, picnic facilities and recreation access improvements. LWCF-assisted sites must remain dedicated to public outdoor recreation in perpetuity, and later conversion to non-recreation use generally requires federal approval and qualifying replacement land. Applicants must prepare the official application form, authorizing resolution, project scope and budget narrative, site tenure documentation, CEQA certification and boundary map checklist where applicable; State Parks evaluates applications before forwarding selected projects to the National Park Service for final review and approval.
State Parks notes this local-agency competition is separate from the state-agency apportionment cycle. The current 2027 Application Guide, eligibility card and match and reimbursement guidance are on the State Parks LWCF program page, and applicants are advised to verify eligibility and statewide outdoor recreation priorities early and retain the portal's confirmation email after submitting.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于萨克拉门托的加州州议会大厦（资料图）。Radomianin 摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The California State Capitol in Sacramento (file photo). Photo by Radomianin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
