CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Division of State Parks announced today that there are federal funds available for local park and recreation capital improvement and acquisition projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Counties, cities, unincorporated towns, general improvement districts and Native American tribes are potentially eligible for the 50:50 matching grants offered through the program. Projects are being solicited for the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years.

Application packages became available on State Parks' Web site at www.parks.nv.gov/lwcf.htm Nov. 15. Hard copies are also available upon request. The due date for FY 2007 applications is Jan. 31, 2008, by 5 p.m. Faxed copies are not accepted.

Several sources of federal appropriations are available:

For federal fiscal year 2007, $130,958 is available to local governments.

There is approximately $101,877 in unused funds from past years that may be available to local governments for this application period.

State Parks is anticipating appropriations in 2008 will be similar to 2007.

Available funding will range from $130,958 to about $446,803. Applications will be awarded according to priorities based on criteria described in the grant manual. Projects will be funded with the available funds first, and as the 2008 appropriations arrive, the remaining applications will be funded using the same criteria.

Individual funding requests should generally range between $25,000 ($50,000 total project budget with a 50 percent match) and $100,000 ($200,000 total project budget with 50 percent match).

Contact Jenny Scanland at 775-684-2787 or Steve Weaver at 775-684-2773 for information, or email jscanland@parks.nv.gov or jsweaver@parks.nv.gov.