Deadline: 1-Apr-22
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced Land and Water Conservation Fund, to provide matching grants to states and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.
Michigan's 2018-2022 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.
Process and Purpose: SCORP
- Process and Purpose Michigan’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is a five-year strategic plan that directs state and local investment in priority outdoor recreation infrastructure and programming. It evaluates ongoing and emerging outdoor recreation trends, needs, and issues, and establishes priority strategies for achieving outdoor recreation goals. The SCORP is a living framework and action plan that is used by the state and its local outdoor recreation partners to guide outdoor recreation management and policy decisions. Developing a five-year SCORP also makes Michigan eligible for U.S. National Park Service support through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The MDNR is the agency authorized to represent the state with regard to the LWCF program. These funds are critical for the renovation and development of state and Local Park and recreation infrastructure that meets the needs of Michiganders and tourists.
Goal and Objectives of the (SCORP)
- Foster stewardship and conservation:Natural and cultural resources are protected and residents and visitors are effective stewards of those resources.
- Improve collaboration: Outdoor recreation stakeholders collaborate and cooperate to ensure that Michigan’s recreation system meets the needs of residents and visitors.
- Raise awareness: Residents and visitors are aware of the variety of outdoor recreation opportunities in Michigan and have access to relevant information to connect with these opportunities.
- Improve recreational access: Recreation opportunities are connected and accessible to residents and visitors of all backgrounds, abilities, means, and geographic locations.
- Provide quality experiences: Michigan’s outdoor recreation system provides users with quality experiences in balance with resource management and conservation.
- Enhance health benefits: Outdoor recreation increases physical activity and the health of Michigan’s residents and visitors.
- Enhance prosperity: Outdoor recreation advances economic prosperity and supports a high quality of life as well as talent retention in Michigan’s communities.
Funding Information
- The minimum grant request amount is $30,000 and the maximum grant request amount is $500,000.
Outdoor Recreation Strategies
- Many of Michigan’s most popular outdoor recreation activities are closely tied to high-quality natural and cultural resources. State parks protect their natural and cultural treasures, such as sand dunes, forests, petroglyphs, and wetlands. State forest lands, in particular, are managed for multiple, purposes, including timber harvest, wildlife, and recreation.
- Michigan is the Great Lakes State, which provides them great opportunity and responsibility as stewards of the world’s largest freshwater system. For the first time, Michigan developed a comprehensive vision for the management, protection, and restoration of their water resources as part of the Sustaining Michigan’s Water Heritage: A Strategy for the Next Generation report, which helps guide the investments and actions regarding water resources.
- It is also important to find more ways to expose people to nature, wildlife, and other cultural assets and interpret these resources to increase people’s appreciation for and stewardship of these natural treasures.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any unit of government, including Native American tribes, school districts, 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.
For more information, visit DNR.
For more information, visit https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_81684_79209_81655—,00.html