The land and water conservation fund (lwcf) state and local assistance program provides matching grants to develop parks owned by states and local communities

The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism received a $652,000 Project Grant from the Department of the Interior National Park Service under the Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning program (CFDA 15.916) to support capital developments at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The award, effective October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2028, funds improvements to the state-owned park facility in accordance with Arkansas's approved Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. This project is financed through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program, which utilizes offshore oil and gas lease revenues rather than federal tax dollars.

The project will deliver park infrastructure and facility enhancements that increase public access to outdoor recreation amenities and expand recreational opportunities for the general public. As a matching grant program, the funding requires non-federal cost-share contributions to support the overall project scope. Upon completion, the improvements at Queen Wilhelmina State Park will advance the state's outdoor recreation objectives and support Arkansas's statewide conservation and recreation priorities as identified in the SCORE P framework.

Based on its outdoor recreation priorities, the state has selected grant projects to receive lwcf funding. Lwcf grants are made pursuant to 54 U.S.C. 2003 and are funded by offshore oil and gas lease revenue, not tax dollars. In this project, the arkansas department of parks and tourism will make developments at queen wilhelmina state park. This project will benefit the general public.