Welcome to the Land & Water Conservation Fund Program! 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 recreation projects. The Land and 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 $36 million for outdoor recreation. An article entitled "Boosting Montana's Quality of Life" was published in the March-April 2006 issue of Montana Outdoors magazine. The story features information about the LWCF grant program.
LWCF allows states to assist their political subdivisions by providing grants for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and outdoor facilities. In order to distribute dollars equitably among local communities, a project rating system, the Open Project Selection Process ( 56 KB), 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.
