Park Grants Available for County Recreation Projects

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department administers several recreational grant programs, and counties are eligible for nearly all of them.

The largest is the Local Park Grant Program, which helps counties buy land and build or renovate public parks. Outdoor and small community awards range from $150,000 to $1.5 million, with counties providing a 50% match. Funded sites must remain public parkland permanently. Applications are due Aug. 1.

Indoor recreation grants carry higher ceilings — up to $2 million. The application deadline has not been announced.

Applications for three other programs are due Feb. 2: Boating Access Grants support public boat ramps, Recreational Trails Grants fund trails and trailheads, and Target Range Grants support public shooting and archery ranges.

Boating Access and Target Range programs fund planning first; construction grants open only after planning is complete.

Two other grant programs cover narrower needs. Clean Vessel Act grants, due Dec. 1, fund boat sewage pump-out stations. Community Outdoor Outreach grants, due Nov. 1, provide $5,000 to $100,000 for staff, equipment and supplies that connect underserved residents to the outdoors.

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program funds parks in underserved urban areas, with awards up to $15 million. Counties cannot apply directly. The National Park Service administers the program, and TPWD submits applications on counties’ behalf. The application deadline is April 15.

One thing to note is that these are reimbursement programs. Counties pay project costs up front and get repaid once they submit documentation.

Visit TPWD’s Recreation Grants webpage for more information.