Imagine how different the American landscape would be without Cape Cod National Seashore, the Appalachian Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park or the Columbia River Gorge. Hallmarks like Boston Common, Central Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and Golden Gate National Recreation Area are just as integral to the value we place on our nation's cityscapes.

How has the United States come to be recognized as the world's leader in land conservation? Americans living in all fifty states and hundreds of cities benefit from thousands of parks, recreation areas, historic sites, wilderness and wildlife areas thanks to two federal programs that have increased the amount of money available to citizens to help them acquire and protect these lands: the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program. Here's what you need to know to help your community take advantage of these federal funds for protecting and improving parks, recreation and the environment.

This guide - divided into three sections that you can reach from the links in the column at right - is designed to help you navigate the sometimes confusing and contradictory bureaucratic maze of state and federal regulations and requirements to allow you to access funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR). It was produced with the generous support of the Town Creek Foundation.

Find out more about the Urban Park and Recreation Fund by clicking HERE

Return to the Land Management budget by clicking HERE