Conservation Partnership Program PARC Program Land and Water
Conservation Fund LAND Program Drinking Water Supply Protection
Program Landscape Partnership Program EEA Partnerships and Funding
for Land Trusts and Municipalities
Slide 2
DCS Grant Programs LAND Program municipal grant for the
acquisition of conservation land PARC Program municipal grant for
the acquisition of recreation land and/or development of public
outdoor recreation facilities Land and Water Conservation Fund
municipal/ state agency grant for both conservation and recreation
projects Conservation Partnership land trust grant for the
acquisition of conservation land Drinking Water Supply Protection
municipal grant for the acquisition of public water supply land
Landscape Partnership large-scale conservation projects submitted
by 2+ partners
Slide 3
Green your projects! Environmentally Preferable Products
Minimize the environmental impact of your work and materials
(Executive Order 515) Use Massachusetts-grown wood products Unless
wood isnt suitable, or MA products are not available, or will cost
over 10% more than equivalent products (M.G.L. C. 7, 23B and M.G.L.
C. 30, 4(d)) Choose Commonwealth Quality Program (CQP) products
Sustainable & local certification program for agricultural and
forest products. http://www.mass.gov/agr/cqp/
Slide 4
Conservation Partnership Program Melissa Cryan 617-626-1171
[email protected] Division of Conservation Services
Slide 5
Kestrel Land Trust, Terry A. Blunt Watershed and Conservation
Area, Hatfield photo courtesy Kestrel Land Trust Conservation
Partnership Requirements o Eligible projects o Land acquisition for
conservation and recreation o Due diligence expenses for gifts o
Fee simple or CR projects are eligible o Eligible entities are
501(c)(3) non-profits with environmental, conservation, or
recreation purpose
Slide 6
Conservation Partnership Requirements o Convey a CR to
municipal or state agency or land trust o Must retain an interest
in the property applicant cannot be used as a pass through o Land
must have public access and benefit o Conservation and recreational
use only Berkshire Natural Resources Commission, Hoosac Parcel,
North Adams Photo courtesy Open Space Institute
Slide 7
Secretarys Priorities o Water Resource Protection o Landscape
Protection o Biodiversity and Natural Resource Protection o Working
Farms and Forests o Recreational Opportunities The Trustees of
Reservations, Flag Rock, Great Barrington Photo courtesy David
Scribner
Slide 8
Conservation Partnership Questions o Whats the maximum grant
award? $85,000 o Whats the reimbursement rate? 50% of total cost o
What makes a good application? Proposing a project that hits on the
Secretarys priorities Essex County Greenbelt Association, Norcross
Gateway, Gloucester Photo courtesy ECGA
Slide 9
Conservation Partnership: Common Pitfalls o Purchasing land
prior to receiving signed grant contract o Submitting ineligible
project costs for reimbursement o Assuming that your project is too
small to be funded Harwich Conservation Trust, Pleasant Bay
Woodlands, Harwich Photo courtesy HCT
Slide 10
Outdoor Recreation Grants: PARC Grant Program Melissa Cryan
(617) 626-1171 [email protected] Division of Conservation
Services
Slide 11
PARC Requirements o Eligible projects: o Purchase parkland o
Develop new public outdoor recreation facilities o Renovate
existing municipal public parks Former Chadwick Lead Mills, Salem
and Marblehead Photo courtesy wickedlocal.com
Slide 12
PARC Program Requirements o Applicant must have an approved
Open Space and Recreation Plan o Any city regardless of size or
town with a population of 35,000 or more is eligible for maximum
grant award amount o Towns smaller than 35,000 may apply under the
"small town," "regional," or "statewide" category o Must have an
authorized park/recreation commission and conservation commission o
Land must be dedicated to public park purposes and under custody of
Park or Recreation Commission or Park Department
Slide 13
Secretarys Priorities o Projects in Environmental Justice
neighborhoods o Brownfield projects o New parks that increase
communitys park equity o Parks accessible by non- vehicular
transportation Tattersall Farm, Haverhill Photo courtesy
tripadvisor.com
Slide 14
PARC Program Questions o What is the publics role in the grant
process? Public should participate in project selection and design
o What is the reimbursement rate? State assistance ranges from 52
to 70% of total project cost o What type of approvals are required?
Project must have municipal vote the authorizes application,
raises/borrows/appropriates total project cost (not just local
share), and dedicates land to recreation purposes o What is the
maximum grant award? $400,000
Slide 15
PARC: Common Pitfalls o Assuming that only cities are eligible
and only for ballfields o Submitting an insufficient OSRP o
Misunderstanding reimbursement grant programs rules Grenville Park,
Ware Photo courtesy Ware Historical Society
Slide 16
What is the Grant Selection Process? For Conservation
Partnership, LAND, PARC, and LWCF: o Site visits by DCS staff o
Ranked by DCS staff according to rating system o Funding awards
made in rank order o If LWCF project, also reviewed by NPS Splaine
Park, Salem Photo courtesy Tom Devine
Slide 17
o State Law Article 97 o LWCF projects also have Section 6(f)
protection o Cannot convert to a non- conservation or non-
recreational use without observing state and possibly federal
conversion requirements o Must replace with another property! Cant
return funding. Elm Park, Worcester Photo courtesy Rob Antonelli
What are the Post Completion Responsibilities?
Slide 18
o Operation and maintenance o Availability to users fair fee
policy o Open to all (not residents only) o Accessible to people
with disabilities o Permanent sign
Slide 19
Land and Water Conservation Fund Program Melissa Cryan (617)
626-1171 [email protected] Division of Conservation
Services
Slide 20
Land and Water Conservation Fund o Federal money from the
National Park Service o DCS administers the program for
Massachusetts o Can fund both recreation and conservation projects
Oak Bluffs, Sea View Park
Slide 21
LWCF Requirements o Reimbursement rate is 50% o Projects must
also be approved by the NPS o All other LAND/PARC facts apply to
LWCF as well Whispering Hill Woods, Woburn
Slide 22
EEA Grant Programs Website www.mass.gov/eea/dcs-grants o LAND
Program o PARC Program o Land and Water Conservation Fund o
Conservation Partnership Program o Drinking Water Supply Protection
Program o Landscape Partnership Program o Conservation Assistance
for Small Communities