Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund Grant Program now open for FY24

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program from the National Park Service for fiscal year 2024 is open for applications through January 11, 2024. The federal grant program is administered by the State of Massachusetts and provides grants to local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.
The goal of the program is to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high-quality recreation areas and facilities and stimulate non-federal investment to protect and maintain such resources. Possible projects include acquisition of parkland, development of new parks, renovation of existing facilities, development of trails in existing conservation or recreation areas, and acquisition of conservation land. Projects that contribute to climate resilient communities are encouraged.
In order to be eligible to apply, a community must have an approved Open Space and Recreation Plan on file, or one currently being reviewed by the State. As this grant has certain specific requirements for land purchases or development and renovation projects, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an in-person workshop at Massachusetts Division of Fish & Wildlife Headquarters in Westborough on either November 8 or 20, 2023. This is a reimbursement grant for which awards will range from $50,000 to $1 million and also requires a 50 percent match from the community. Funds must be expended by December 31, 2026. The deadline to submit a grant application, which consists of both an electronic and hard copy submission, must be received by January 11, 2024, at 3 p.m.

U.S. Senator Markey’s Office Announces Federal Grant Opportunities 

 The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed by Congress includes a number of programs that will contribute to transforming the State’s physical infrastructure and providing opportunities to enhance safety and promote equity through increased funding for passenger, rail, public transit, bridges, roads, clean water, and broadband throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While some programs such as the FEMA Building Resiliency Infrastructure & Communities (BRIC) are familiar, others have come about through this legislation.

Links to the specific programs are:

• NOAA: EFFECTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE PROGRAM (ESLR)
• USDOT: THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
• EPA: CLEAN SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM REBATES
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY PLANNING AND LOCAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE         PROGRAM
• DOE: LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES BONUS CREDIT PROGRAM
• FEMA:
o     BUILDING RESILIENCY INFRASTRUCTURE & COMMUNITIES
o     FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE

The Senator’s office will be holding a virtual meeting to discuss these opportunities on Friday, November 17, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. ET. Interested participants should register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpde-trDIiHtJlH02ddsWlRhnl9mSRdG3Q.

Capital Strategic Solutions assists our clients in researching and obtaining grant funding each year by crafting compelling applications and identifying ways to scale effective programs. We offer a full variety of grant writing, management, and technical assistance services customized to the needs of our clients. Our team is skilled at overseeing the entire grant life cycle process, from proposal to close; pre – award management, approval process, tracking payments, reviewing budgets, producing re levant reports, and post – award contract compliance.