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 National Park Service awarded Arizona State Parks & Trails a $3.07 million Project Grant on September 1, 2025, under the Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning program (CFDA 15.916). Through this Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program award, Arizona State Parks & Trails will serve as the pass-through entity to provide a subaward to Pinal County for park development and facility improvements at Palo Verde Regional Park located in Maricopa, Arizona. The project will be completed by September 1, 2027, and is designed to enhance outdoor recreation amenities and public access to recreational facilities that serve the general public.

The LWCF funding, derived from offshore oil and gas lease revenues rather than federal tax dollars, supports the acquisition and development of outdoor recreation infrastructure at publicly owned parks and recreation areas. This project advances Arizona's outdoor recreation priorities as identified in the state's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. The subaward structure enables the state agency to direct federal resources to local jurisdictions responsible for direct project implementation, consistent with the program's standard delivery mechanism for enhancing recreational infrastructure across eligible communities.

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 arizona department of parks will make a subaward to the pinal county for developments at palo verde regional park. This project will benefit the general public.