The Department of Natural Resources announced today that informational workshops for communities interested in applying for grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will take place around the state in January and February.

The MNRTF provides funding assistance for state and local outdoor recreation needs, including land acquisition and development of outdoor recreation facilities. The MNRTF is a state program supported by revenues from the development of state-owned mineral resources, in particular oil and gas.

The LWCF program also provides funding assistance for state and local outdoor recreation needs but is limited to development only of outdoor recreation facilities. The LWCF program is a federal program administered by the National Park Service.

The MNRTF and LWCF programs are directed at creating and improving outdoor recreational opportunities and providing protection to valuable natural resources. Both local units of government and the DNR are eligible for MNRTF and LWCF assistance.

Workshops scheduled for 2010 are:

Iron Mountain: Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at America's Best Inn located at 1609 S. Stephenson Ave. in Iron Mountain.

Inkster: Thursday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Inkster Parks and Recreation Department's Games Room located at 2025 Middlebelt in Inkster.

Grand Rapids: Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m at the Amway Grand Plaza located at 187 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids. Note: Must be registered for MRPA Conference to attend these two sessions.

Grayling: Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramada Inn located at 2650 S. I-75 Business Loop in Grayling.

Lansing: Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Michigan Library and Historical Center Forum located at 702 West Kalamazoo St. in Lansing.

The workshops are free and open to the public, and reservations are not necessary to attend.

Topics for all of the workshops will include applicant and project eligibility, distribution of funds, application and attachment preparation, project selection and grantee obligations.

The grant application deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2010. Grant application materials will be available from the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants, click on "Grant Programs" under Overview or by contacting Grants Management at the DNR at 517-373-9125. Application materials also will be available at the workshops.