Skip to main content

Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Partnership Program

Program objective

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program provides matching grants to states and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities in urban areas.

This program is known as the National Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program. The purpose of this program is to provide new or significantly improve outdoor recreation opportunities for economically disadvantaged communities in larger urbanized areas that are undeserved in terms of parks and other outdoor recreation resources.

In Michigan, this program will be jointly administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Department) and the National Park Service (NPS). Michigan's 2023-2027 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) assesses the existing outdoor recreation facilities and resources and growing demands for recreation activities and evaluates national and state trends. The plan establishes priority strategies for achieving outdoor recreation goals and provides guidance for the next five years for all levels of government in Michigan and their local outdoor recreation partners and stakeholders.

Michigan's 2023-2027 SCORPORLP

Program competition goals

The objective of the ORLP Program is to improve parks, recreational opportunities, and conservation areas in urban underserved communities, consistent with the requirements of the LWCF Act.

To meet this objective a proposed project must be:

  • located within a community having a population of 25,000 or more in the 2020 Census (link to the United States Census Bureau’s maps and tools: Data), and
  • located within a community that is determined to be underserved, see Merit Review Criteria below for how to document community eligibility.

The goals of the ORLP Program are as follows:

  1. ORLP projects should be developed in collaboration with the communities they serve. This ensures that planning and land development decisions do not place unfair burdens on underserved groups.
  2. ORLP projects aim to support public-private partnerships to leverage project support. In many instances the most successful outdoor recreation projects include cooperation and partnerships among governments, property owners, developers, financial institutions, and the public to secure equitable results.
  3. ORLP projects empower communities through local public greenspace investment, fostering resilience and sustainable landscape development. They aim to restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and provide recreational and economic benefits. These initiatives also enhance public health in underserved areas through active living, land conservation, water resource protection, cultural preservation, native landscape restoration, and disaster mitigation.
  4. ORLP projects should promote, protect, and incorporate the distinctive character of a community and its unique contexts. Geography, natural features, climate, culture, historical resources, and ecology each contribute to the distinctive character of a community’s sense of place, comfort, and belonging.

Applicant eligibility

Any unit of government, including Native American tribes, or any combination of units in which authority is legally constituted to provide recreation. Applicants must have a DNR-approved community five-year recreation plan to be eligible. As designed, the purpose of the ORLP Program is to provide new or significantly improved recreation opportunities in urban, disadvantaged communities consistent with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. To meet ORLP objectives and goals, projects must:

  • meet recreation goals as identified in, and align with, at least one priority of, the State’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
  • be located within a city having a population of 30,000 or more, and
  • located within a community (Census Tract) that is determined to be disadvantaged per the EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

Eligible project types

Acquisition or development for a wide range of outdoor recreation uses and facilities needed to support the use and enjoyment of the area. Projects must involve publicly owned land or transfer of ownership by fee simple acquisition, to a public entity. Acquisition or use of lesser interests (e.g., a perpetual easement) as a means of legal control is not permitted for the ORLP competition. Pre-existing easements are unacceptable because the easement language must acknowledge the LWCF grant information and requirements.

Ineligible ORLP project types 

  • most indoor recreation and other buildings, such as nature centers or education centers; however, facilities to support the use of recreating, such as restrooms, can be eligible,

This year, the NPS is allowing for a multi-step application process and full federal applications are not required to complete in the national competition. However, if the project is selected for funding, they must submit a full application for NPS final review within one year to remain eligible. To submit a full federal application proposal this includes submitting your project to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for section106 review, filling out the Application and Revision Form, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Review, and Tribal Review.  In order for the project to complete NEPA, it may be necessary to contact United States Army Core of Engineers (USACE) or the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to determine if a federal USACE Permit/ Joint Permit will be required for project completion.  You will also likely need to complete a Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) Report to determine if there are any threatened or endangered species that may be impacted by your project.  Depending on the outcome of the IPaC Report, further consultation with the United State Fish and Wildlife Services may be needed.  This additional consultation takes time; therefore applicants are encouraged to submit your package to SHPO, complete the Application and Revision Form and complete the IPaC Report prior to submitting the application via MiGrants. 

Application process

  • Submittal of a Full Application via MiGrants 
  • Evaluation by DNR Staff
  • Selection by the DNR to the NPS Panel
  • Review of Full Applications received Nationwide
  • Final Approval of Projects by the NPS

Deadlines

There are two deadline dates for the ORLP program, allowing communities two options to submit ORLP applications.

The first round of applications are due via MiGrants no later than April 1, 2025 in order for the Department to review the application for eligibility, prior to submitting the application in Grants.gov by June 1, 2025. NPS selections for the June 1 submissions should be announced by September of the same calendar year.

The second round of applications are due via MiGrants no later than September 1, 2025 in order for the Department to review the applications for eligibility, prior to submitting the application in Grants.gov by November 1, 2025.  NPS selection for the November 1 submissions should be announced by February 1 of the next calendar year.

Selected projects must submit a full award package for NPS final review within one year of the selection announcement to remain eligible for funding. Awards will be made upon NPS’s final review and approval of the full application.

Dollar amount available

The minimum grant request amount is $300,000 and the maximum grant request amount is $15 million.

Source of funds

Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund

Authority

Part 703 of P.A. 451 of 1994, as amended

Contact

Contact Christie Bayus, program manager, at 517-242-8737 or BayusC@Michigan.gov, or the grant coordinator for your region