Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants Awarded to 6 New Hampshire Communities

11/19/2018

(Concord, NH) The United States Department of the Interior-National Park Service (NPS), through the State of New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources-Division of Parks and Recreation, has recently approved over $925,000.00 in Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) local assistance grants to the communities of Franklin, Newmarket, Lincoln, New Boston, Littleton, and Salisbury. With matching contributions from these municipalities, grants will support projects for the acquisition and/or development of public recreation lands including three new downtown riverfront parks, a playground, a splash pad, a rail trail, and other.

“The Land and Water Conservation grants have been critical to both state and local governments in New Hampshire helping promote outdoor recreation,” said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Commissioner Sarah Stewart. “The funds have helped to preserve and expand many of our natural areas, and play an important role in supporting our open space and tourism industry.”

The LWCF State and Local Assistance Program is administered in NH by the Division of Parks and Recreation on behalf of the NPS providing 50/50 matching grants to public outdoor recreation projects. Since 1965 more than $84,000,000.00 ($42,000.000.00 in grant funds) has been invested in public outdoor recreation projects in NH State lands and in more than 180 counties, cities, towns, and other local government properties.

With program funding appropriated by the US Congress to the States, LWCF State and Local Assistance Grants are available for eligible public recreation land acquisition and/or development projects by the States or local governments. Program information for NH can be found at https://www.nhstateparks.org/about-us/community-recreation/land-water-conservation-fund-grant.