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Open — 2027 Vermont LWCF first-stage application due November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.; invited full application deadline January 31, 2027.
VT-FPR-LWCF-2027VermontVermont Department of Forests, Parks and RecreationGovernmental EntitySchool or School DistrictTribal Government or OrganizationCapital & InfrastructureCommunity Resilience & Disaster PreparednessLocal Community Projects and Development

Vermont — 2027 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants — 50% Match

Vermont's 2027 LWCF grants support public outdoor recreation land and facilities. Recommended individual requests are $25,000–$1,000,000 (not a binding maximum); eligible governmental and tribal applicants must provide 50% match. Pre-applications due November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

FundingRecommended individual request range $25,000–$1,000,000; recommended, not a binding universal individual grant maximum. At least 50% of eligible project costs required as applicant match; reimbursement-based after agreement. No substituted statewide pool figure.
DeadlinePre-applications due November 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (official source does not specify time zone); invited complete applications due January 31, 2027.
Last verified2026-10-26
Required next actionRead the 2027 Vermont LWCF program and pre-application guidance. Confirm municipal, state/local governmental or tribal applicant eligibility; verify outdoor public recreation access and perpetual dedication, 50% match, financing, federal and state environmental/permitting readiness. Prepare LWCF pre-application form, workplan and budget, plus project map/permit assessment for development and trail design assessment for applicable trail development. Email complete packet to ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@vermont.gov by November 20, 2026 11:59 p.m. (time zone unspecified); invited applicants complete ANROnline by January 31, 2027.

Broad Eligibility

Vermont municipalities (including qualifying school, park and water districts), state agencies, other governmental entities/local authorities and tribal governments are eligible direct applicants. Nonprofits are not listed as direct LWCF applicants. Projects acquire, create or renovate publicly accessible parks and outdoor recreation land/facilities, aligned with Vermont SCORP, perpetual public use and NPS stewardship. 50% matching funds and reimbursement financing required; NEPA, ESA, Section106, Buy America, civil-rights and relevant state permitting requirements apply.

Atlas Analysis

2026-10-26 verified against Vermont Department of Forests Parks Recreation official 2027 LWCF applicant-facing page, detailed eligibility and submission checklist. Distinct 2027 LWCF program from RTP and VOREC. Recommended $25k-$1m per applicant is not a legal maximum; 50% match, reimbursement, NPS approval, perpetual public recreation. November20 11:59pm preapp and Jan31 invited full. 2027 full app materials forthcoming, 2025 forms historical reference. Vermont all-status WordPress grant-opportunity title and ID queries found no 2027 LWCF record; state-administered federal subgrant, not direct federal allocation or procurement.

The Vermont 2027 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant competition is open for pre-applications. Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation administers this National Park Service-supported grant program for public outdoor recreation land acquisition, park development and renovation. The initial application packet is due November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.; the official webpage does not state a time-zone abbreviation. Selected applicants will be invited to file a full application by January 31, 2027.

Applicant-level funding and matching

For this round, the funder recommends individual LWCF grant requests of $25,000 to $1,000,000 (equivalent to total eligible project budgets of roughly $50,000–$2,000,000 with matching funds). These are recommended request figures, not a published binding universal individual maximum or guaranteed award. Applicants must provide at least 50% of eligible project costs as match; LWCF can reimburse no more than half of project costs. Grantees must first pay eligible expenses after a fully executed agreement and then request reimbursement with required evidence. Applicants need adequate cash flow and match documentation.

Who may apply

Direct applicants must be municipal governments, state government agencies, other governmental districts or local authorities, or tribal governments in Vermont; municipal entities include towns, cities, school districts, water districts and park districts. Nonprofit organizations are not listed as eligible direct LWCF applicants. Proposals must address public outdoor recreation needs identified in Vermont’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and local or regional priorities.

Projects, restrictions and stewardship

Eligible projects include public park and outdoor recreation land acquisition, development of new outdoor recreation facilities, and renovation of existing facilities. Properties receiving LWCF funding must generally be kept available for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity, with restrictions on conversion to non-recreation use. Local recipients must maintain facilities to National Park Service standards. Federal approval is required. Preaward compliance review may cover NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Section 106 historic-preservation requirements, wetlands/floodplains, Buy America rules, civil rights and state permits. The anticipated implementation period is approximately June 1, 2028–December 31, 2030, after federal review and agreements.

Pre-application and invited full application

Email the 2027 LWCF Pre-Application Form, project workplan and project budget to ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@vermont.gov by November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Development projects additionally need a project map and Permit Navigator results, Project Review Sheet or equivalent preliminary permit review; trail development also needs a completed Design Assessment Tool for Trails. Submissions by November 18 at 5 p.m. receive a completeness screen but the actual cutoff remains November 20. Invited applicants submit the full application through ANROnline by January 31, 2027. FPR notes that older 2025 full-application materials are for reference only and updated 2027 materials are forthcoming. Review Vermont’s current LWCF announcement and 2027 pre-application resources and all linked guidance before filing.

Source verificationOfficial government source · fpr.vermont.govAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-26. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗