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

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

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 isn’t 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.

Conservation Partnership Program Melissa Cryan Division of Conservation Services

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

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

Secretary’s 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

Conservation Partnership Questions o What’s the maximum grant award? $85,000 o What’s the reimbursement rate? 50% of total cost o What makes a good application? Proposing a project that hits on the Secretary’s priorities Essex County Greenbelt Association, Norcross Gateway, Gloucester Photo courtesy ECGA

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

Outdoor Recreation Grants: PARC Grant Program Melissa Cryan (617) Division of Conservation Services

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

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

Secretary’s Priorities o Projects in Environmental Justice neighborhoods o Brownfield projects o New parks that increase community’s park equity o Parks accessible by non- vehicular transportation Tattersall Farm, Haverhill Photo courtesy tripadvisor.com

PARC Program Questions o What is the public’s 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

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

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

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! Can’t return funding. Elm Park, Worcester Photo courtesy Rob Antonelli What are the Post Completion Responsibilities?

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

Land and Water Conservation Fund Program Melissa Cryan (617) Division of Conservation Services

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

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

EEA Grant Programs Website 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