The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a Federal program that provides matching grants for the acquisition or development of outdoor recreation areas and facilities. This is a reimbursable grant program requiring a 50% match. Only state agencies and local governments may apply.

South Carolina has invested more than $67 million of Land & Water Conservation Funds in approximately 1,200 land acquisition and recreation facilities projects since the program began in 1965. The LWCF program has always required that any property acquired or developed with its funds be maintained in perpetuity as an active and viable outdoor recreation venue.

As in previous years, revitalizing existing LWCF properties will remain a topline priority; however, the 2026 round will also be open to new park projects, especially those that address capacity issues. This determination was made based upon feedback received from local recreation providers in the 2019 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. For a new project to qualify for funding, the local government will have to prove, during an on-site inspection, that all of their existing LWCF properties are in good shape and are being used appropriately. If there are issues with any LWCF properties, we will request that you apply instead for LWCF to correct those problems.

2026 Funding Cycle Opens August 2025

You must meet the following eligibility criteria to apply for the 2026 round:

Eligible Applicant Criteria:

• A local government may not apply for an LWCF grant if they have an open LWCF grant. A State agency may not apply for a park/recreational area that has an open LWCF grant.
• A local government may not apply for an LWCF grant if they have any unresolved LWCF or RELT conversion issues, unless they receive written permission from SCPRT.
• A local government may not apply for an LWCF grant if they have outstanding fiscal or compliance issues with any RTP, RELT, Undiscovered SC or PARD grant.

Eligible Project Criteria:

• The minimum grant request is $50,000 and the maximum is $1,000,000. (For the previous grant cycle, grants ranged from $50,000 - $300,000, with projects of statewide or regional significance qualifying for up to $500,000 (with pre-approval).)
• Two (2) application requests per eligible entity are allowed and the projects must be located within the entity’s legal boundaries. State agencies may not apply for more than one project per park/recreational area.
• Property must be owned outright by the applicant to be eligible for grant assistance. (Previously LWCF-assisted State properties with existing 25-year or longer leases from the Federal Government or a FERC-regulated entity are exempt.)

LWCF documents:

• Application Guidelines
• Memo to Potential Applicants
• Pre-Application on SCPRT WebGrants - The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant process is managed on SCPRT's WebGrants online portal. New users should click the "Click here to Register" button. Choose "Land and Water Conservation Fund" in the Program Area of Interest dropdown box as you are completing your application. Pre-Applications will only be accepted through SCPRT WebGrants.
• LWCF Scoring Criteria
• Application and Revision Form (NPS Form 10-904)

Please contact Debbie Jordan, Alternate State Liaison Officer, at 803-734-1658 or djordan@scprt.com to confirm your existing LWCF properties and to discuss potential new projects.