Kentucky Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) 2026 — Verification Hold

Kentucky DLG's 2026 LWCF program offers $25,000 to $1,000,000 on a 50/50 matching reimbursement basis for eligible public outdoor recreation projects. The official deadline date is October 30, 2026, but the controlling materials reviewed do not publish a cutoff time or time zone, so Atlas is holding outreach pending verification.

FundingMinimum $25,000; maximum $1,000,000. 50/50 matching reimbursement; applicant must fund 50% of total project cost.

DeadlineOctober 30, 2026. Exact cutoff clock time and deadline time zone are not published in the official DLG page or 2026 application reviewed; verification required before ORIGINAL outreach.

Last verifiedSeptember 23, 2026

Required next actionVerify the authoritative cutoff clock time and deadline time zone with Kentucky DLG. Then identify a specific eligible Kentucky city, county or other qualifying public agency with a current outdoor recreation project; verify applicant eligibility, contact, opt-out, bounce, deduplication and send-history gates before any ORIGINAL outreach.

Broad Eligibility

Cities, counties, state agencies and federal agencies are eligible. Projects may acquire land for outdoor recreation or develop/renovate public outdoor recreation facilities. Property ownership/lease and perpetual recreation restrictions apply.

Atlas Analysis

The Kentucky Department for Local Government is accepting 2026 applications for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The program supports acquisition of land for outdoor recreation and development or renovation of public outdoor recreation facilities, including parks, trails, sports and playfields, swimming, boating, fishing, camping and related facilities.

Funding: Minimum request $25,000; maximum request $1,000,000. LWCF is a 50/50 matching reimbursement program, so the applicant must provide 50% of total project cost.

Eligible applicants: Cities, counties, state agencies and federal agencies. Property must be publicly owned or held under an eligible long-term lease; leased property must be government-owned and the lease must have at least 25 years remaining at project approval.

Deadline: The official DLG program page and 2026 application both state October 30, 2026. The application must be emailed with attachments to DLG.OFG@ky.gov. Neither authoritative source reviewed publishes a cutoff clock time or deadline time zone, so Atlas is holding applicant-specific ORIGINAL outreach until those details are verified.

Required application components: DNF form; appropriate A&R form; boundary map; site plan; detailed budget with supporting quotes/invoices/statements/appraisals as applicable; proof of property ownership or qualifying lease; SHPO Section 106 determination; Kentucky State Clearinghouse review; resolution; Civil Rights Assurances, Certification Regarding Debarment and SF-424D; public meeting advertisements, sign-in sheet, minutes, comments and concurrence forms; and USFWS IPaC species list/determination keys.

Atlas analysis: Opportunity Score 68/100. N9+ Fit 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit 0/100. This is an outdoor recreation and conservation capital program rather than a healthcare, telehealth or clinical-equipment funding opportunity. It remains valuable Atlas grant-service work for eligible Kentucky public agencies but is not appropriate for N9+ positioning.

Official source: Kentucky Department for Local Government LWCF program page.