Summary
On April 18, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced $94.9 million in payments to states from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for fiscal year (FY) 2016, a 119% increase from FY 2015. These matching grants assist states in planning, acquiring, and developing outdoor recreation facilities.
Although the LWCF is authorized through FY 2018, the Senate recently passed legislation to permanently authorize it and limit the percentage of annual funding that can be apportioned to individual LWCF programs. This Issue Brief provides details on the FY 2016 payments and summarizes the Senate’s reauthorization proposal.