Department Of Interior

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Office of the Secretary
Contact:Al Nash
For Imediate Release: May 1, 2003
202-208-4990

Secretary Norton Announces
$94 Million For State Recreation
Grants From Land and Water Conservation Fund

WASHINGTON - Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton today announced funding grants of more than $94 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for FiscalYear 2003. The LWCF grants provide assistance to the 50 states, the territories and the District of Columbia for enhancing parks and other recreational opportunities.

The state grant program is a cornerstone of Secretary Norton's commitment to involve state governments in conservation planning activities. The states are responsible for analyzing their recreational needs and setting priorities for funding, supervising the selection of projects, and the work, ensuring compliance with federal guidelines.
"This Administration places a high premium on acknowledging and respecting the role of states in making local decisions," Norton said. "President Bush is keeping his commitment to help states and local communities make decisions that affect their daily lives."

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was created by Congress in 1964 and is managed by the National Park Service. The program is intended to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high quality recreation areas and facilities and to stimulate non-federal investments in the protection and maintenance of recreation resources across the United States. It provides matching grants to state and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. The LWCF is primarily funded by the collection of royalty receipts from oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Since 1965, more than $3.4 billion have been made available to state and local governments to invest in and improve over 39,000 outdoor and recreational projects. States and local municipalities have matched this amount, thereby doubling the investment to a total of $6.8 billion. Of the total number of projects, approximately 10,000 have helped states and local communities to acquire more than 2.5 million acres of additional parkland.

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Note to Editors: Attached is a state-by-state breakdown of the FY 2003 LWCF grant allocations.



Land and Water Conservation Fund State Grant Allocations

Fiscal Year 2003

Alabama $1,562,998            New Hampshire $954,476
Alaska $835,530                  New Jersey $2,628,475
Arizona $1,760,604              New Mexico $1,048,717
Arkansas $1,165,213           New York $4,823,954
California $8,163,535           North Carolina $2,183,878
Colorado $1,590,503           North Dakota $840,210
Connecticut $1,490,890       Ohio $3,060,736
Delaware $896,322             Oklahoma $1,344,663
Florida $4,090,362              Oregon $1,376,204
Georgia $2,216,475             Pennsylvania $3,302,890
Hawaii $975,429                 Rhode Island $966,770
Idaho $927,385                   South Carolina $1,477,640
Illinois $3,286,244               South Dakota $847,286
Indiana $1,895,541              Tennessee $1,781,544
Iowa $1,197,148                 Texas $4,931,742
Kansas $1,194,809             Utah $1,165,250
Kentucky $1,388,087          Vermont $822,123
Louisiana $1,614,914          Virginia $2,127,888
Maine $925,366                  Washington $1,928,926
Maryland $1,886,043          West Virginia $1,020,340
Massachusetts $2,142,275   Wisconsin $1,733,167
Michigan $2,769,402           Wyoming $808,079
Minnesota $1,656,407         District of Col. $145,360
Mississippi $1,148,937        Puerto Rico $1,308,141
Missouri $1,775,781           Virgin Islands $50,000
Montana $857,011             Guam $50,000
Nebraska $1,021,669         American Samoa $50,000
Nevada $1,119,661            Northern Marianas $50,000

TOTAL $94,383,0000

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