Financing Parkland Acquisition

Two primary grant programs are available to local governments on an annual funding cycle:

•  The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fundis a state program that provides funds for acquiring public land for recreational purposes or for protecting land deemed to have environmental importance or scenic beauty.  These funds are also available for developing outdoor facilities.
• The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a federal program that distributes funds to states on an annual basis for community recreation projects and trailway improvement projects.

To apply for these grants, a community must have an approved, five-year recreation plan on file with Grants Management of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR has guidance to assist communities in developmign these plans, Guidelines for the Development of Community Park, Recreation, Open Space and Greenways Plans. SEMCOG is the Area-Wide Recreation and Planning Clearinghouse for Southeast Michigan. As such, updated copies of recreation plans should also be submitted to SEMCOG.