Trust for Public Land Celebrates New National Park Service Funding Opportunity to Expand Outdoor Recreation Access in Communities
TPL to provide technical assistance for Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) funding opportunity for cities and Tribal and Indigenous communities
Washington, DC — Trust for Public Land (TPL) today welcomed the release of the National Park Service’s new Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), marking a step forward in expanding access to parks and outdoor recreation in communities across the country.
The $125 million funding opportunity helps implement the bipartisan EXPLORE Act, including the Outdoors for All Act provisions that TPL helped advance to improve access to Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) investments for low-income communities as well as Tribal and Indigenous communities. For the first time, federally recognized Tribes are eligible to apply directly for ORLP funding.
Established by Congress in 2014, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program provides grants to create new parks, improve existing outdoor recreation spaces, and expand access to the outdoors in low-income urban communities and Tribal and Indigenous communities. Since its creation, the National Park Service has invested more than $465 million through 165 grants in 37 states and the District of Columbia.
“Every person deserves access to quality parks and outdoor spaces close to home,” said Kate Kelly, Vice President of Government Relations and Policy at Trust for Public Land. “This funding opportunity represents an important milestone in ensuring that cities, Tribal and Indigenous communities, and low-income neighborhoods can compete for transformative investments that improve health, strengthen local economies, and connect people to the outdoors.”
As part of a partnership with the National Park Service, TPL will provide application support and resources to help communities pursue ORLP funding through its ORLP Technical Assistance Program. The first webinar for interested applicants will be held on June 10. A second webinar for federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and urban Indian organizations will be held on June 24. TPL and NPS aim to support up to 500 communities nationwide and provide direct application assistance to 150 Tribal, Indigenous, and local communities applying for grants.
“Communities know what they need — whether that’s a new neighborhood park, safer places for kids to play, or revitalized outdoor spaces that bring people together. Our role is to help cities and Tribal and Indigenous communities successfully navigate the ORLP process, build competitive applications, and access the federal resources needed to turn those community priorities into reality,” said Stephanie Flynn-McCarthy, Director of Federal Grants and Partnerships at Trust for Public Land. “We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service for continuing to advance implementation of the EXPLORE Act and invest in the local parks and outdoor spaces that strengthen communities and local economies across the country.”
As part of the ORLP technical assistance program, TPL will offer:
- One-on-one applicant assistance
- Webinars about the ORLP program, eligibility, and application support
- Self-serve application development resources
Since 2014, TPL has supported 35 communities in 16 states pursuing ORLP projects, with more than 70 percent successfully securing grant awards. More information about TPL’s ORLP technical assistance resources is available at: Trust for Public Land ORLP Resource Hub. Additional information about the ORLP program and grant opportunity is available through the National Park Service ORLP Program.
###
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
