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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFWP-Land/Water ConservationFundQF CQN'9** ?? ,? pro 1901 2001 9I' a Taft 1420 East Sixth Avenue P.O. Box 200701 Helena, MT 59620-0701 March 13, 2002 Dear Sir or Madam: RE: Grants from Land & Water Conservation Fund MAR 16 2002 D) CITY UF; EL The purpose of this letter is to announce that approximately $643,495 from the 2002 Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will be made available for public outdoor recreational projects. LWCF is a federal grants program administered by Montana State Parks, a division of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. In order to be eligible for funding assistance through the LWCF program, a potential sponsor must be a political subdivision of the State of Montana or sovereign Indian Nation. Funds from this grant program may be used to provide up to 50 percent of the costs for a specific qualifying project and Montana State Parks has adopted a ceiling of $75,000 per project for LWCF funds. Applications must be received in the State Headquarters office by 5:00 p.m., July 1, 2002. Enclosed please find an LWCF Information Guide that will introduce you to the basic elements of the program. Detailed LWCF program information will soon be available over the Internet at the Montana State Parks home page. To access these materials, use the following URL: http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/parks/default.asp Scroll towards the bottom of the Montana State Parks home page and you will notice a link under the title, GRANTS. Click on this button to reach the Land & Water Conservation Fund Program. If you do not have access to the Internet, we will be happy to send you the information. Please call us at 406-444-3750 if we can be of assistance. Thank you. Sincerely, Walter W. Timmerman Montana State Parks Enclosure 0 INFORMATION GUIDE For Potential Montana LWCF Grant Applicants Welcome to the Land & Water Conservation Fund Progreml The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 established a federal grants program encouraging a full partnership between national, state, and local governments in planning and funding outdoor recreational projects. The Land & Water Conservation Fund Program (LWCF) is administered by Montana State Parks, a division of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP). Since 1965, Montana has received over 631 million in grant funds for outdoor recreational projects. --- -- --- - LWCF allows states to assist their pohirca subdivisions by providing grants for the acquisition-and -development of - - - public, outdoor recreational areas and facilities. Grants may be used to provide up to 50 percent of costs of a qualifying project and must be matched with non-federal funds. In order to distribute dollars equitably among local communities, a project rating system, the Open Project Selection Process, has been developed to consider a variety of pertinent factors. Each application is rated based on this system and the highest-ranking submissions are awarded LWCF funding. The goal of LWCF in Montana is to distribute as much money as possible to as many eligible sponsors as possible in an effort to increase local public access to outdoor recreation. However, LWCF may not be for every community. That is why we have listed some of the more important technical and regulatory aspects of the program for your review and consideration. Please be sure you understand LWCF rules and regulations BEFORE you begin the application process; it could save you considerable time and money. 1. The Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a federal grants program. The program has two sides-the stateside and the federal side. The stateside of LWCF allows states to assist their political subdivisions by providing grants for acquisition and development of public, outdoor recreational areas and facilities. The program administered by Montana State Parks is the stateside program. 2. Over the years, LWCF funding has been inconsistent, depending on Congressional appropriations. In the past decade, the funding distributed to the stateside of the program has been in a general decline with the states' share dropping to zero in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. Funding was resumed in 2000. 3. Any political subdivision of the state, or sovereign Indian Nation, may sponsor a project. This includes incorporated cities or towns, counties, school districts, state agencies, and tribal governments. Only an eligible eponpor may submit a project application. The sponsor must have effective land control in the form of title. Grants may also be awarded to sponsors who hold land in the form of a long-term lease (minimum 25 years) from the federal government. 4. The kinds of projects that have been approved and funded In the post include such facilities as ball fields, open space acquisitions, golf courses, public parks, swimming pools, skating rinks, picnic facilities, playground equipment, snowmobile facilities and walking trails. Facilities directly supporting outdoor recreation areas, such as restrooms and landscaping, also are eligible. 5. A sponsor must have adequate resources to operate and maintain the area after the project is complete. That responsibility will remain in perpetuity. No LWCF funds are available for routine operation and maintenance of a site. 6. The National Park Service provides LWCF oversight on the federal level and assists Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which administers the stateside of the program. 7. The National Park Service must give its official approval to the sponsor before work on a project may begin. Violations can result in costs being ineligible for reimbursement. B. LWCF is a reimbursement program. A sponsor must make full payment on all project expenses before being reimbursed for up to 50 percent of allowable costs. 9. There are strict federal regulations regarding project expenditures and billing procedures. Sponsors should fully understand all LWCF financial principles before proceeding with work. 10. Once LWCF funds are used in development or acquisition, the entire recreational site must be managed for outdoor recreation in perpetuity. No part of the site (no matter how small) can be converted to other than recreational use. For example, the property may not be used to site a cell tower, a helipad, a new access road, an office building, etc. - 11. The sponsor will be required to submit an official "Section 6(f) Boundary Map" of the project site. The map (submitted on 11 "X17" paper) must include arrows pointing to clearly defined recreational area boundaries and be of high professional quality. 12. With rare exception, overhead utility lines are not permitted to cross LWCF sites. These lines must be moved away from the site or placed underground, which can be costly. If utility lines exist at your site, contact our office for consultation prior to submitting an application. 13. Volunteer services or the donation of materials and equipment cannot be used as matching funds. Only a few federal grants are eligible for use as matching funds. Private donations of cash or land are allowable; however, sponsors should coordinate the timing of donations with this office. 14. LWCF credit signs must be posted at all project sites. These signs will be provided by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and may be incorporated into the sponsor's sign. 15. The sponsor must follow state law on purchases and contracts and must publicly advertise for competitive bidding when necessary. Contractors may be required to submit bid bonds and performance-payment bonds with their bids. 16. Before final reimbursement can be made to the sponsor, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks must make a final site inspection. An "as-built" site plan will be required from the sponsor at the time of the final inspection. 17. The sponsor must follow all applicable state and federal laws. 18. Successful applications will be forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment prior to National Park Service approval. If there is a potential for the project to impact cultural properties, the SHPO may recommend that a certified professional conduct a cultural resources inventory at the site. This expense will be borne by the sponsor. Sponsors may wish to contact the SHPO prior to submitting an LWCF application if there is any possibility that cultural resources may be involved. -- - - - - - 1-9: As.-part of its applioaMi n,,-a sponsor should provide- a-synopsis of the results of-a-community recreation -- survey completed within the last three years that addresses criteria in the Open Project Selection Process. This telephone survey should be conducted according to the methods outlined on the official Montana LWCF website, which can be reached via the Montana State Parks home page: http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/parks/default.asp A M O N T A N A STATE PARKS