Federal Funding Opportunities
for Connecting Children to Nature

The importance of equitable nature access, particularly for children, garnered a great deal of attention in the past few years following the COVID pandemic. Luckily for cities, the federal government has put “money” behind this attention through a number of unprecedented investments in local funding opportunities. The passage of the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and adoption of the Justice 40 Initiative represent historic investments across federal agencies to local governments for investment in many priority areas, many of them nature-focused. Whether the focus is on sustainability and resilience goals, cost savings, equity, health, education, child welfare and wellbeing, even hunger – cities can leverage these funds to support any of these goals, particularly if they have a nature connection.

Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN), a partnership between the National League of Cities and Children and Nature Network, through conversations with agency partners identified a set of six “best fit” programs that cities can leverage. Cities can access these funds for their children to nature activities from across four major agencies via direct application or through partnerships. Each of these programs contains a diverse number of eligible projects that in addition to moving forward infrastructure, resilience, transportation, and environmental protection priorities, also represent opportunities to connect children to nature more equitably.

This list is not exhaustive. CCCN will add additional opportunities as they become available. Though no federal program has a stated purpose of connecting children to nature, these programs represent viable opportunities for cities and eligible partnerships to apply funds for installing and improving children-to-nature infrastructure and activities. Cities will need to identify who is eligible and ready to take the lead to apply for and receive federal funds. City representatives should collaborate to learn more about the federal grant application process in their city and will likely need leadership approval in order to proceed.

Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation (USDOT) is an agency that cities can turn to for safely connecting children to nature. Whereas USDOT makes additional Transportation grants available for children to nature connection, CCCN chose to focus on two programs because they explicitly name children as benefactors of this investment.

Eligible entities:
  • Counties and Municipal governments.
  • School districts (public and private) and nonprofits.

Note: Specific guidelines given to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) representing populations over 200,000.

Description/Fit:

The Transportation Alternatives (TA) program will receive around $1.4 billion a year through BIL. Eligible projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails and safe routes for non-drivers including children to access daily needs can be funded through this program.

Local governments that wish to use TA funds should contact their state coordinator.

Deadlines:

Varies by state, see deadlines 

Resources:
See it in action: 

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge is a 110-mile linear park that hosts more than 300 miles of trails of all types — paddling, hiking, mountain biking, equestrian and paved multi-use.

The Greenway is also a wildlife corridor and the first in Florida to have a “land bridge” across a major interstate that both trail users and wildlife utilize. For example, in FY 2021, Florida’s TA set-aside is $51,733,446 to help fund eligible projects like this one.

 

Eligible entities:
  • Counties
  • Municipal governments
  • Non-profit agencies
Description/Fit:

$84.1 million set-aside under Transportation Alternatives. Qualifying use of funds are for the construction, maintenance, or restoration of outdoor activity trails that support activities such as hiking, biking, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and many more. Local governments that wish to use these funds should contact their state RTP coordinator as there is special guidance for communities with a population over 200,000.

Deadline:

Varies

Resources:
See it in action: 

The Violet Crown Trail (VCT) will be the first regional trail system in Central Texas. The VCT is now 13 miles long running from Zilker Park to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Travis County, Texas. The VCT will connect scenic natural areas to neighborhoods, shopping centers, a library, and public parks, becoming the longest trail of its kind in Central Texas. Once fully complete, the trail will extend 30 miles and provide a unique recreational experience as it passes through the urban wildlands of the Barton Creek Wilderness Park, the City of Sunset Valley, City of Austin Water Quality Protection Lands, and eventually into Hays County. In its current call for projects for FY 23, Texas draws on a five-fold increase in available monies totaling around $250 million (FY 22-25).

Eligible entities:
  • Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)
  • Counties, Municipal governments, federally recognized Tribal governments; and
  • Multijurisdictional groups of the above entities.
Description/Fit:

$5B over the next 5 years to projects that mitigate road hazards and seek to reduce the number of traffic injuries. There are funds for both planning and implementation available to support the creation of safe routes to school and public transit services through multiple activities that lead to people safely walking, biking, and rolling in underserved communities, the installation of pedestrian safety enhancements, and the closing of network gaps with sidewalks. Such route enhancements could include more equitable access to nature such as safe routes to parks, connectors between green spaces, etc. See the complete list of uses.

Deadline:

Notice of funding opportunity releases Spring 2024

Resources:
See it in action: 

The City of Providence  was awarded $27,200,000 to advance the construction of the city’s Urban Trail Network. This project will create last-mile connections to residential, employment, and cultural activity centers between the city’s 25 neighborhoods while significantly reducing fatal and serious crashes for vulnerable road users. The trails are a combination of onroad and road-adjacent protected bicycle lanes and shared-use trails, neighborhood greenways and off-road shared-use paths.

Eligible entities: 

RCP Community Planning Grants:

  • State;  
  • a unit of local government;  
  • a Tribal government;  
  • a Metropolitan Planning Organization; or 
  • a non-profit organization

NAE Community Planning, Capital Construction, and Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants:

  • a State or territory;
  • a unit of local government; 
  • a political subdivision of a State; 
  • a Tribal government; 
  • a special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function; 
  • a Metropolitan Planning Organization; or 
  • a nonprofit organization or institution of higher education that has entered into a partnership with an eligible entity (#1-6 above) and is applying for planning and capacity building activities in disadvantaged or underserved communities.

 

Description/Fit:

The Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program and the Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Program, referred to jointly as the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program is a $3.53 billion program for FY23. The program combines two programs to create more opportunities to create greater connections and remove barriers to transportation. One of the grant priorities includes “aiming to improve access to daily needs such as jobs, education, healthcare, food, and recreation.”

While applicants may choose to apply for only one grant program, this combined solicitation allows applicants to apply for both funding opportunities by submitting one application. The maximum Community Planning Grant award funded with RCP funds is $2 million. There is no maximum award amount for a Community Planning Grant award funded with NAE funds.

 

Deadline:

Sept 28, 2023

 

Resources: 
See it in action: 

The City of Wichita received a $1M Planning RCP Award to study how best to reconnect the 21st Street Corridor, a vital portion of the city that is divided by several at-grade railroad crossings and a recessed Interstate 135. These barriers create a disconnection between two historically and culturally rich communities: the North End, home to Wichita’s predominantly Hispanic Community, and North Wichita, home to some of Wichita’s predominantly black communities. With the intention of reducing greenhouse gasses, the project intends to introduce an east-west transit line, sidewalks, bike/pedestrian pathways, solutions for persons with disabilities, and safe accommodation for all users. An element of the project is creative placemaking celebrating local history and culture through art, green space, and recreational spaces.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s most recent strategic plan added a new commitment to address climate change and advance environmental justice and equity. CCCN anticipates more community-centered programs to emerge. For now, the program focuses on state-by-state applications and has the potential to target green infrastructure to improve water quality. With the programs listed below, cities have the opportunity to include youth development through career development and nature-based infrastructure.

Eligible entities:
  • Municipalities, inter-municipal partnerships,
  • state agencies, inter-state partnerships, and
  • private and nonprofit entities
Description/Fit:

Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) enable states (~$30 million/state) to fund a range of water infrastructure projects, including green or nature-based infrastructure. Through the Green Project Reserve, CWSRFs target critical green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements, and other environmentally innovative activities. Examples include environmental projects such as rain gardens, green schoolyards and parks, and porous sidewalk/surface installation.

Local governments that wish to use these funds should contact their CWSRF State Contact.

Deadline:

Varies

Resources:
See it in action:

The City of Prineville, OR needed to increase its wastewater treatment capacity to keep up with the City’s growth. The City received a grant to fund a groundwater study and conduct a pilot using a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment. The results of the pilot were promising, so the 120-acre Crooked River Wetlands Complex was designed and constructed to reduce instream water temperature and augment stream flow.

The project has over 2 miles of riparian improvements and over 5.4 miles of new trails for recreational use – of which 3.25 miles are paved for use year-round. The complex also serves as an outdoor classroom, and to date (2018) approximately 500 schoolchildren have visited the complex for educational opportunities. The wetland wastewater treatment system cost $7.7 million to construct, saving the City $54 million by eliminating the need to build a traditional treatment plant.

Department of the Interior: National Parks Service

A division of the National Park Service operates programs to support local projects with a current focus on efforts that expand nearby nature and community-informed projects.

Eligible entities:
  • State Lead Agencies,
  • States may apply on behalf of eligible sub-recipient (including other state agencies, government subdivisions, park districts, and federally recognized Indian tribes).
  • Nonprofits and other private organizations, are not eligible for a subgrant, but are encouraged to collaborate with an eligible sub-recipient in developing projects.
Description/Fit:

Represents a $192 million investment in communities that are low-income and lack adequate parks or other outdoor recreation spaces. Focusing on “nature deprived communities” ORLP is a nationally competitive program to help economically disadvantaged urban communities with little to no access to publicly available, close-by, outdoor recreation. Eligible uses of funds include the acquisition, development and/or substantial renovation of public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces. Matching grants (1:1) to help acquire and/or develop public land for outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, unstructured play, picnicking, cycling, field and court sports, fishing, bird watching, swimming, paddling, and skating are also available.

Project awards range from $300,000 to $10 million. Priority is given to projects that increase access to nature’s benefits, engage members of the targeted economically disadvantaged community in all aspects of the development and implementation the project, create or expand public-private partnerships that leverage matching share (cash or in-kind), demonstrate coordination among government agencies, the private sector, and the public, and advance the goals of local, regional, and state plans and/or initiatives including the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Program (SCORP).

Interested jurisdictions should contact their State Lead Agency.

Deadline:

Notice of Funding Opportunity to be released 2024

Resources:
See it in Action:

The City of Mobile was awarded $386,525 through ORLP to transform Three Mile Creek from a degraded urban stormwater conveyance into a community asset that connects diverse neighborhoods and provides new recreation opportunities. The grant supported the initial construction of a greenway system in a low-income, minority area with limited recreation resources.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is the Federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that support improving the nation’s communities. CCCN identified cities that have leveraged the Community Development Block Grant program to support greening projects on public school grounds.

Eligible entities:
  • Principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
  • Other metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000
  • Qualified urban counties with populations of at least 200,000 (excluding the population of entitled cities)
  • States and insular areas
Description/Fit:

The Community Development Block Grant Program, or CDBG, is one of the longest-running programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Cities have leveraged CDBG funds to create opportunities to connect children to nature in public school grounds, libraries, recreational facilities, parks, and playgrounds open to the general public. In cities like Denver, Houston, and Philadelphia, city and school partnerships have leveraged CDBG funds which may be combined with municipal funds, foundation support, corporate and non-profit partnerships, and school district contributions to successfully implement green schoolyard projects open to the public outside of school hours.

Deadline:
  • Varies by entity
  • To learn more about your community’s application process, contact your local Department of Housing & Economic Development.
Resources:
See it in Action: 

Philadelphia, PA

In 2015, the City of Philadelphia tapped into CDBG funding to replant 75 street trees surrounding the Dr. Tanner G. Duckrey schoolyard in North Central Philadelphia. Over the years, as trees had died, the school district paved over the tree wells. The project also involved removing chain link fencing and replacing it with decorative fencing, a rain garden, an amphitheater, a bioswale, and subsurface stormwater storage. Thanks to an existing contract with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the city’s Office of Housing and Community Development awarded $200,000 to the project. Students created tree signage urging the community to take care of their trees.

Department of Agriculture: Forestry Service

The Forestry Service  is a division of the United States Department of Agriculture that manages the Nation’s natural resources “for the greatest good, for the greatest number, for the longest time.”

Eligible entities:
  • Tribal communities, 
  • local governments, and 
  • qualified conservation non-profit organizations.
Description/Fit:

The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP)  establishes community forests by protecting forestland from conversion to non-forest uses and provides community benefits including public recreation, environmental and economic benefits, and forest-based educational programs. Public access is required for all projects. Maximum awards are $600,000.

To apply, interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester where the property is located.

Deadline:

Jan 12, 2024

Resources:
See it in Action: 

Little Pisgah Labs Community Forest, Buncombe County, North Carolina

This 224-acre community forest will provide a unique outdoor learning environment for the 13th largest public school system in North Carolina. Located just footsteps from a planned Career Technical and Education Campus, the campus will integrate classroom science curriculum with

the forest’s environmental resources. The forest also provides public access for hiking and paddling and conserves important headwater seeps and springs for the Rocky Broad River which flows through Chimney Rock State Park and into the popular tourist destination of Lake Lure.

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Note: Though there is no federal program whose stated purpose is connecting children to nature, these programs represent viable opportunities for cities and eligible partnerships to apply funds for installing and improving children to nature infrastructure and activities.

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